Treating mental disturbance

Alok: Mental disturbance, especially of a serious nature such as psychosis (insanity with loss of insight into one’s condition) can be due to a number of factors such as heredity, physical lesion in the brain, or an influence of a being of the vital plane. The first two causes are well-known in modern psychiatry. The third cause is not acknowledged. Modern psychiatry, instead, recognizes that a part of a person’s mind, which has been lying dormant, wakes up and starts taking hold of a person. But that theory does not explain why it happens. It does not recognise that worlds exist beyond our material universe, worlds that can influence ours, but which are normally hidden from us. It admits unconscious influences but restricts this unconscious to something personal within man.

The vital is one such world among many. Sri Aurobindo explains in one of his letters that “The forces and beings of the vital world have a great influence on human beings. The vital world is on one side a world of beauty – the poet, artist, musician are in close contact with it; it is also a world of powers and passions, lusts and desires, – our own lusts and desires, and passions and ambitions can put us into connection with the vital worlds and their forces and beings. It is again a world of things dark, dangerous and horrible. …. Its influences are also the source of much in men that is demoniac, dirty, cruel and base.”

Sri Aurobindo has, on numerous occasions, spoken and written about the vital world influencing the earth and has explained that, whenever a new truth is emerging in humanity, the vital forces swoop down to engulf and divert it. The Mother too spoke about the influence of the hostile beings of the vital world, for example in connection to the First and Second World Wars. After the manifestation of the Supermind in 1956, she commented on the consequences of the New Force at work in the earth atmosphere which leads to the disruption of habits and rules and to the increase in the number of apparently ‘mad’ people. (Mother’s Agenda 7-10-1964).

In this conversation, The Mother explains that the old norms of behaviour are broken down because they have become outdated. They are stifling to the new leap humanity is supposed to take. But the new normalcy has not yet come into place. We are going through a period of transition. Those who have repressed many things inside themselves because of social mores, ethics or religion, find that this imposition is no longer working. They have to discover new inner laws to guide them. It is at this point that other forces may come in, taking advantage of the loss of equilibrium and tilt it onto a dangerous side.

For, among the occult causes, one main cause for mental disturbance is possession or influence by an entity of the lower vital world. Normally, our ego works as a shield and the influence of such forces is limited. For example, one normally will not get angry beyond a certain point because it is not acceptable to one’s own ego-sense. But if for some reason that ego-sense ruptures, if it is fragile or if there is an excess of ambition or vanity, one opens the door to these forces. There is a cosmic dimension to all that we personally experience through our limited ego. Take fear and rage: the moment an individual loses himself in anger, a whole set of cosmic energies of a similar kind come out to support it, which makes matters worse.

Is the possibility of the ego-sense rupturing larger in places such as Auroville or the Sri Aurobindo Ashram than elsewhere?

These places attract all kinds of people. Some come for the higher Truth but there are a good number who are drawn to yoga for Power and that is dangerous. There are also some who feel that yoga will make them ‘special’ and feed their vanity. They have not quite fitted in the normal society and quite naturally look for groups that can offer more open-ended norms and possibly accept eccentric behavior. There are, of course, occult reasons too which we need not go into here. However, even well-intentioned people can break down due to the pressure of transformation and the unique ‘stress of evolution’ generated in the process of this Yoga.

For the Force at work in this yoga – especially in these places – is of a thorough going character and uncovers hidden resistances, so that they can be neutralized through offering them to the Divine. But if the sadhak is not careful, or if there is some fundamental defect in nature such as a strong ambition (spiritual) or excess of vanity and lack of humility or an excess and perverse form of sexuality, then it may be difficult to keep the balance when these hidden resistances come out into the open; then there is the possibility of the person being influenced by entities of the vital world. This creates abnormal behaviour, fantasies, which the person believes to be true. For example, I attend to people who tell me that they are guided by The Mother to paint the walls with graffiti, or indulge in drinking alcohol; or people who declare that they are the Supreme. In all these cases, reasoning doesn’t work – they have their false perception which they trust to be true, they feel guided by something ‘higher’ and have no intention of changing because it gives them a sense of being ‘special.’ There is a true inner Guidance which is always full of Peace and Light, but this Guidance is then pushed to the back while the other takes over and makes the being restless and twisted, aggrandizing the ego-self.

How can these people be effectively treated?

It is not difficult if people are open and receptive to the Grace and accept proper treatment in the right spirit. Often though, it is not easy. Most of the time, those who have opened themselves to the influence of a force of the vital world do not want to let go of this influence. For this takes effort, it means accepting to become ‘ordinary’ once again, to lose the ‘experience’ and the feeling of having achieved something. Still, if it is just an influence, it can be helped; but if it is a clear possession, then it is much more difficult.

I prescribe allopathic medicines ‘to plug the hole in the brain’ through which these forces percolate and creep inside and move and act through the person’s physical instrument’. It isolates the individual from the invasion. Someone who is psychically more awake may only need a little touch of medication, but others, in my experience, need long-term treatment – often a low-dose treatment for many years. And there the problem starts. The treatment usually falters after the initial acute phase is over. Then there is often no more cooperation from the patient, who argues that ‘my depression is over, why bother about taking medicines now’ and opposes continued treatment. Another often-heard statement is that ‘medicines are not required, the healing should proceed from within’. The net result is that the medicines are not taken, or thrown away, and the aberrant behaviour recurs sooner or later.

You have a reputation of giving medicines that are too strong …

I am aware of this statement, but it is incorrect. I only prescribe strong medicines in emergencies, to calm down someone or prevent a person from harming themselves or others. In all other cases, on average my dosages are 1/3rd of what is being prescribed outside. But as people do not like medication, as this brings them back to feeling ordinary, they usually come up with a reason for refusing it. Complaints about ‘a too heavy dosage’ or ‘the medicines creating side-effects’ are common. Mostly they start complaining within a day, sometimes even within the hour, which shows that they are not sincere, for these type of drugs only take effect after 3 to 5 days.

We shouldn’t forget the influence of those occult forces behind the person. These forces are aware that the medicines might take a person ‘back to normal’; they try to prevent that by making suggestions that the medicines should not be taken. These suggestions are sometimes so strong that a person indeed starts experiencing side-effects. But this is often due to anticipation rather than actuality.

You mentioned that medicines only ‘plug the holes’. Are there other systems of medicine which have shown better results, or are there other ways of treatment?

I am not aware of any other system of medicine – neither Ayurveda, nor Siddha, nor Tibetan medicine – that offers solutions for such cases. Some systems work well with some people, but not with others.

In one of his letters, Sri Aurobindo spoke about the power of hypnotic suggestion and of the use of psycho-spiritual means. The latter, he said is only possible if someone has the right knowledge. Evidently, neither in the Ashram nor in Auroville do we have such people. I am not speaking of those who have some vital powers but those who can do true spiritual healing. It is rare. Moreover, here too a continuous action will be required. Even Sri Aurobindo experienced that people refused to accept his action, that they called back the force that possessed them.

Do you feel that a special home for disturbed people should be created in the Ashram or Auroville?

I think that such a place will come up organically, as and when needed. Such a place would be helpful as it would get the patients out of their isolation, and provide them with an environment where not only the outer but also the inner being can be supported. This requires caretakers with a certain inner development which can influence the patients.

Is there a compilation of the writings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother on this topic?

Sadly, no. Partial efforts are there but a proper book that takes into account all the possible abnormal manifestations with causes and cure from a yogic point of view is missing. There is a lot of material, and it should be brought out in book form. I do not have the time to make such a compilation, but I will be very happy to help someone from the Ashram or Auroville. For it is extremely important that Their views on these issues become easily accessible, not only to professionals, but also to lay people.