Altered states of
consciousness are a reflection of mental illness in western. medicine. These states may be induced by prayer
and meditation, resulting in the behaviour of saints and holy men from spiritual traditions being diagnosed as
psychotic or schizophrenic in modern psychiatry. This does not deny the occurrence of mental illness in shamanistic culture. Psychotic behaviour in a traditional society is judged by the integration of the individual into the everyday life of the society. The Shaman induces altered states of
consciousness to connect with the collective consciousness. The Scottish Psychiatrist R.D. Lang believed the root of psychoses lay in deep trauma. The psychotic state was an attempt by the subject to retreat from the demanding and painful world. He recognized we live in a very demanding world of deadlines and responsibilities. Schizophrenics avoided all of these demands which are placed on an individual in order to succeed. Lang’s pioneering work went a long way to de-stigmatise the schizophrenic in the public mind. He believed Schizophrenics are ultra-creative and often romanticized in their states of being. Many of his peers were less than happy with this portrayal. They felt Lang went too far. His assertion that we are living in a mad world where to escape through any means, including a manic episode, is a blessing in disguise. The truly mad people are the conformists and those who remain attendants and custodians in a society which is largely off balance. It is in this context that Lang coined the phrase, ‘break down, breakthrough’.