pkemp's question in the RB forum

[CFTraveler]

Even though I left the original in the RB section, I felt that this should be discussed.

Hello Robert
I gave your book to my son several months ago as he had expressed an interest. This past weekend he experienced a psychotic break during which he thought he was God. He tried to "fly" a car and crashed it into a post. Thankfully, he was not seriously injured. He is now in hospital. He is only 20 years old, and there is a history of schizophrenia in our family. Should he stop trying to achieve an OBE until he is older - say 30 or so?
I am very worried about him and would appreciate your advice.
Many thanks.

I do believe he should stop all awareness work if he is suffering from any mental or perception-based disorder, as I believe that any type of meditative work can possibly 'bring out' any type of disorder of the perceptile variety.
Some view schizophrenia as an organic disease, originating in the brain, and others see it as the inability of someone to discern where the visual and auditory information is coming from, (outside vs. inside; objective vs. subjective) so when you increase the ability to perceive, any perception disorder will become apparent.
If he suffered a psychotic break such as you describe it shows that he had a judgement problem- this makes any type of introspective work possibly dangerous, and should not be continued unless ok'd by his physician.
Any medical advice regarding this should be given by his physician, so all we can do really is advise him not to do anything unless his physician says it's ok.

[Tempestinateapot]

I agree with CF that all altered state work should be stopped immediately. Strangely enough, I've had a similar experience. I had what many call a "God Consciousness" experience. In Eastern religions, they actually practice meditation to get to that place. But, if a person isn't ready for it (as I wasn't), it can cause unpleasant side effects. I was driving a car at night on the day that it happened (or day after, can't remember), and was swerving all over the highway. I couldn't quite comprehend or remember how to drive, everything seemed so unreal.

Fortunately, I had a husband who was understanding, even though he didn't understand the experience. He knew I was interested and practicing astral projection and anything metaphysical, or I believe that he would have taken me to a psychiatrist where I would have been diagnosed with schizophrenia. I'm probably one of the more sane people who are interested in those topics, and have psychology and nursing degrees. So, I would say to not assume that your son had a break with reality. In many ways, he may have experienced something more real than most would imagine. We are capable of so much more than most doctors or scientists could imagine. Educating yourself and your son on metaphysics and the astral could help. I'm personally convinced that many people who are diagnosed with schizophrenia have just been opened to the astral and have no way of understanding what it is that they are experiencing. It can be rather traumatic and even cause physical problems.

For that reason, I think it's extremely important to stop all meditating and any altered state consciousness work until a person has become grounded in the physical again. Psychosis drugs can help some, but for others, it makes things worse. So, it's important to listen to what your son has to say about what's happening to him and not just assume he's psychotic. Robert Bruce recommends stopping all energy or altered state work until a person returns to what many call "normal".

[CEP2plet]

Hmmm... This sounds strangely familiar...

This is the third or fourth story I've heard of someone awakening some kind of "consciousness" before either getting into a car and smashing into something or having the "consciousness" happen while already in a vehicle and loosing control. Even I've had some kind of "consciousness" experiences on the road. So, what is it about driving and consciousness? Is there a connection?

[Beekeeper]

CEP2plet, it may be that if we drive a familiar route often enough we go into "automatic," which is, in effect, a trance.

I concur with CF and Patty.