Handling Fears

[anagogy]

With my schizophrenia, when it's active, fears become all-encompassing. I might have the thought that I am violating other's free will, and be terrified at that prospect.

I'll try sending love to the fear. Maybe that will shine light on it.

Schizophrenia is essentially 'reality confusion'. Dreaming at night could also be called 'reality confusion'. When dreams are happy, we call them fantasies, when they fearful, we call them nightmares.

So schizophrenia, much like an acid trip, is like dreaming while still in the body. What's happening is your entering a state where your imagination is given uninhibited rein. I sometimes wonder if a person managed to attain mastery over their dream states, that it would also translate over to their waking dreamstates (such as schizophrenia). It would really interesting if achieving a high degree of ability in lucid dreaming, would allow some individuals suffering from schizophrenia to hold onto their ordinary mind, whilst in the midst of the alternate reality.

I've long suspected that this is what the shaman learns to do. Embracing the images that you fear in a sincere way -- in a 'i want to understand you' sort of way is a good first step towards dispelling your fears.