07-02-2008, 12:03 AM
Hello , Blue Totem.
I have had a number of books laying around, and after re-examining and expanding Castaneda, I returned to these resources to see what was there.
After reading your message yesterday, I recalled that one of them referred to your question. Now , my description will be limited, even though the book is
here in front of me. It is "The Politics of Experience " , by Brit Dr. R.D. Laing, 1967, Library of Congress (US) #67-11689.
The central theme of this author, besides an argument for a new kind of psychiatry, was that Schizophrenia, and Psychotic events should be treated as a
Journey, rather than a Sickness. As I understand it, his claim is that these events are shifts in consciousness,
a journey to other dimensions.
He said that the problem was that individuals get 'stuck' in these places, without knowing how to return. That, standard medicine depends on drugs too
much, as a maintenance (keep 'em quiet ) , and that what they really need is a kind of 'Doctor-Priest' to help them find a way out.
He cited a few who had , in fact, passed through ; who had experienced what some call a religious experience, or Castaneda wrote of as a shift of the
Assemblage Point, and returned to this world, affected, changed , by the experience.
Well, my words are second hand. Please get the book and read it for yourself , make your own opinions, and perhaps be led to other resources I am not aware
of.
May I suggest www.powells.com of Portland , Ore , USA. This is a really good bookstore, with both used and new at fair
prices. They also seem to carry rare titles. Search their site. I got all of the Castaneda books there for about $60.
I have had a number of books laying around, and after re-examining and expanding Castaneda, I returned to these resources to see what was there.
After reading your message yesterday, I recalled that one of them referred to your question. Now , my description will be limited, even though the book is
here in front of me. It is "The Politics of Experience " , by Brit Dr. R.D. Laing, 1967, Library of Congress (US) #67-11689.
The central theme of this author, besides an argument for a new kind of psychiatry, was that Schizophrenia, and Psychotic events should be treated as a
Journey, rather than a Sickness. As I understand it, his claim is that these events are shifts in consciousness,
a journey to other dimensions.
He said that the problem was that individuals get 'stuck' in these places, without knowing how to return. That, standard medicine depends on drugs too
much, as a maintenance (keep 'em quiet ) , and that what they really need is a kind of 'Doctor-Priest' to help them find a way out.
He cited a few who had , in fact, passed through ; who had experienced what some call a religious experience, or Castaneda wrote of as a shift of the
Assemblage Point, and returned to this world, affected, changed , by the experience.
Well, my words are second hand. Please get the book and read it for yourself , make your own opinions, and perhaps be led to other resources I am not aware
of.
May I suggest www.powells.com of Portland , Ore , USA. This is a really good bookstore, with both used and new at fair
prices. They also seem to carry rare titles. Search their site. I got all of the Castaneda books there for about $60.