Selected Schizophrenia

Adam Elenbaas
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A recent study in the field of genetics has uncovered a startling trend. It seems that the genes most commonly associate with schizophrenia are very popular. In fact, they are incredibly hearty genes and are positively selected. The implication is that there may be some evolutionary advantage to having them around. This has scientists scratching their heads.

Some scientists believe that schizophrenia is a disorder and that the "illness" is caused by the evolutionary expansion of human language, expression and creativity. This theory posits the idea that schizophrenics are the unfortunate genetic receptacles for an overflow of information, language and images.

Since both shamans and schizophrenics seem to be in touch with visions, voices and an abudance of psychic information, could it be that a trained, integrated and embraced schizophrenic makes a cultural/tribal oracle or shaman?

Are positively selected schizophrenic genes any evidence for the necessity of shamans in the species or is that going too far?

Progressive answers to these questions and the scientific work surrounding the genetics of schizophrenia might require a correlative degree of shamanic sensitivity and insight.

Creative Common images courtesy of: http://flickr.com/photos/methad/

Comments

truth

Submitted by positively perpetual on Thu, 01/31/2008 - 03:13.

i work with schizophrenics everyday at my job. part of our system is to work with persons with "illness" and help them be integrated into normal society i.e. finding jobs, skill training, housing searches etc...

the clubhouse model was created by former institutionalized persons for themselves after somewhat of a revolt. there are over 200 clubhouses worldwide and provide excellent opportunities to be a part of something and explore ones illness. the centers are run for the members by members.

the amount of information downloadability that some schizophrenic members have shown me is astounding. while since their diagnosis many schizophrenics become removed from society, they tend to lose the ability to relate well to others about abstract concepts, but when encouraged to share and partake in normalized activities, there is the chance for more sharing. i have learned more in a few weeks listening to the ideas of some members than many teachers in college. i can definitely see the correlation between schizophrenics and shaman.

love these pieces, they really get me thinking.

thanks

Propaganda

Submitted by Seeker on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 17:34.
CJ....how dare they label my black humourist, surrealist debate buddy...labels are just nasty but thank god there is Thomas Szasz who had the courage and integrity to stand outside the fringe of his own psychiatric field.  He rather cleverly exposed that "mental illness" is a social construct created by doctors and the term itself functions mainly as a convenient myth. He also mentions that "mental illness" in becoming a usable term came out of research (1911) into witchcraft and demonology. In 1960 he was otherwise trying to warn that "problems in living" were about to be medicalized, connected to neural circuitry and we were about to go to hell in a breadbasket of prozac, imiprimine etc. etc. He's a great guy....he would have told you that your values were being threatened and it caused you trouble...Isn't that kinder than labeling.

Psychobabble

Submitted by Seeker on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 22:34.
CJ.....Like I said "Schizophrenia" as a label was first created back in 1911 and like Emile Durkheim stated, mental illness was created with the first big asylums based on those crushed by society and suffering from nervous exhaustion, the homeless and the discarded. How can the mind be ill, its not the brain, its not a bodily organ.....Szasz said there are diseases of the brain but not of the mind. Many years ago I had a life crisis...Doc says your depressed, you need Prozac...I asked why would I need that. She replied I had a chemical imbalance...I replied how would you know, did you look in my brain....did you check my blood...duh!!! You noticed your psychiatrist had a nice car..they also have nice homes, nice bank accounts and perfect mental health...thats cause their daddy walked with them when they were young and told them..."don't believe anything anybody tells you! Your a surrealist..you think on another level....thats not schizophrenia

Mental Breaks

Submitted by Seeker on Wed, 03/12/2008 - 09:18.
CJ...I think the "Shamanic" fragment of consciousness is a strata of mind passed down to us, which allows a mental break. My own mental break allowed me to realize that perception is a paradox, there are other realities. To have a shamanic experience in the ancient cultures was to have a place of honor in their societies but in our world of concrete and rigid cultural convention that shamanic mental break becomes what is thought to be mental illness. You said you walked around with the street people....in the historical story of Jesus, he did too, my father told me "the street people" in all forms contain the true story of life's trials and tribulations..he said there could be two reasons...the creator sent them to encourage compassion or society touched their life in a way that encouraged failure