Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00111)

I'd like to answer Toa Tran a little.

You talk about different kinds of madness. The first one with the manic
phase, is manic depressive or bipolar. I happen to know a few people who
have this disease. They depend on lithium pills as much as a diabetic
depends on insulin. You mention one who talks to God during his manic
episodes. I have a friend, a lady dancer, who gave all her money away while
she was manic, because she believed that she had to take care of everybody,
like a Jesus. She writes the most beautiful poetry, whatever state she's in.
I know a man whose father used to have to go after him to Vegas all the
time. After he started taking the medicine, he had a job in my office, &
supported a wife & 2 kids, but was very melancholy, always complaining. I
know another young man, who had any number of problems with the police,
until he finally gave in & started taking lithium. Today, he's well read on
religion and spirituality, & one can have an intelligent conversation with
him. But he's only holding down a very menial job.  What are they learning?
Who knows? How to live with a very difficult and trying illness?

As for who's actually talking to God, I really don't believe anyone knows,
especially if you don't believe that God is a person but a consciousness.
People who hear voices are often deranged, but you mentioned Jeanne D'Arc,
and I happen to believe that she wasn't deranged, but had a certain type of
ESP. But that's only conjecture on my part.

Then you talk about people who, as a group, commit awful acts, like a lynch
mob. I think that's mob psychology. I remember reading about it somewhere in
Leadbeater. Crowds can take on moods, and they're catching to people who
happen to be nearby, or they can be, if you're not very aware of what is
happen, and take care that you don't get caught up in a crowd which is doing
things you don't really want to do yourself... like wanting to show the next
guy that you can be just as tough and hard bitten as he is. There is also
such a thing as charisma. Hitler had it. I know because my uncle, who was a
Jew with a Lutheran wife once went to hear him. He came away regretting that
he was Jewish and couldn't be a Nazi. Crazy! This was before the Holocaust
had really started, and my uncle had enough sense to get the h--- out of
Germany before they got him.

About hiding the dark side ... the shadow, Jung calls it. I learned from
Stephan Hoeller, talking about alchemy, that the shadow is also a creative
component. That makes it seem a little less formidable. I also know that to
really become a well rounded human being you must accept your shadow side.
Everyone has one. I find accepting it most difficult, but I think just
knowing that the shadow side needs to be accepted makes me feel better about it.

Liesel