(no subject)
To enter the subtle realm of spirit with clear intention and mastery constitutes our species' oldest profession. Hypersensitivity to one's surroundings is the curse shared by the shaman and the schizophrenic, both. And it is no coincidence that, in the early stages of the disease, rare and unexplainable spiritual experiences are often described by both the afflicted and those close to them. These exceptional sensitivities, without the guidance, temperance, or education of a culture that values them, do tend towards social alienation and a gradual degradation of functioning. Losing all sense of self and its boundaries, drowning in sensitivity, is a good metaphor for the low latent inhibition, loose associations, and chronic hyperpriming characteristic of thought disordered schizophrenia's later stages.
The stories of the exceptional human experiences witnessed by the older clinical staff on the schizophrenia wing of the state hospital were always shared in confidence, one-on-one, in almost hushed tones, when they heard I studied the disease. I often use this quote of Campbell's for conference presentations on shamanism and psychedelics, as there is definite overlap, especially in regards to the genetic predispositions that constitute the lineage of heightened sensitivity; considered, in those shamanic cultures, to be a prerequisite for the mediumship abilities our species traditionally relied on so heavily.