When reading Julian of Norwich's "Showings" I couldn't help but wonder if the mysticism of old is homogeneous to a modern day definition of psychosis. In her accounts of various visions, which are often vivid and extremely detailed, Julian could easily be misconstrued as psychotic. Is this rightly so? It is incredibly easy to interpret her incredible visions of Jesus, which are very much direct experiences outside the influence of an intermediary, as nothing more than religious hallucinations of someone with a mental illness.
I decided to do some research into this subject. Dr.
Tomas Agosin, a former psychiatrist in
the Department of Psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New
York, tackled the very question that
crossed my mind while reading Julian of Norwich. In his words, would the
"great mystics of the past have been considered the psychotic patients of
the present," or subsequently, would his patients, many who experienced
similar religious visions, have been considered the great saints in the past?
" Is the mystic psychotic? Is the psychotic patient a misunderstood mystic?" Dr. Tomas Agosin
It is surely an interesting question, and one Dr.
Agosin is far more qualified to answer than myself. Here is his explanation, mixed with my own analysis of Julian after the jump.
Mystical experiences and psychosis have many
characteristics in common. The first is a sense of intense subjectivity, where
the person is totally focused inwardly so that the real world seems irrelevant.
This is partly the case for Julian of Norwich. She recalls the personal nature
of her visions, "for I saw him, and sought him…we can never seek God until
the time when he in his goodness shows himself to us…so I saw him and sought
him" (193). It was very much in inwardly experience, so much so that it
directly affected her soul. Without words, she believed God conjured in her soul
certain revelations on the Passion and the shame of the Devil. This caused her to laugh greatly, and those
around her to laugh, which was pleasing to her (202). While Julian never
mentions who was around her, as an anchoress she would have been enclosed to
the confines of her cell, and the likelihood of people being around her during
her visions, I believe, is doubtful. Does this bring her sanity into question? Absolutely.
This leads to Agosin's second example of psychosis--an intense
affective experience--which he defines as intense emotions, great ecstasy and
moments of terror. One of the fundamental aspects of her visions are the
pseudo-sexual, almost romantic emotions she has towards Jesus. She continually
refers to him as a "lover" like figure, most notably on page 177 when
she wished "I had been at the time with Mary Magdalene and with the others
who were Christ's lovers, so that I might have seen with my own eyes the
Passion which our Lord suffered." Mary Magdalene and the topic of Christ's
lovers is surely a topic for another day, but if anything, Julian's desire to
be like those closest to Jesus exemplify her intense yearning to proliferate
her visions into a real aspect of her life. Julian wants to live vicariously through
those who knew and loved Jesus, and her visions could very well be the vessel into making this
reality. She also depicts the intense
moments of terror mentioned by Agosin. When she saw the bodily vision of the
fact of Jesus, as the blood dried and retreated into the body, she was
frightened, yet filled with ecstasy and joy. The visions scared her, but almost
paradoxically she had this overwhelming sense of calm.
Agosin goes on to mention many other traits
characteristic of psychotic patients which bear a striking resemblance to
Julian of Norwich. The "sense of
noesis" which is that something very important is happening to the person,
is clearly evident in Julian considering her visions are that of Jesus.
Heightened perceptual changes are also characteristic throughout her showings,
which include "heightened perceptions in all sensory modalities"
which would explain the vividness and detail of her visions.
Agosin presents a laundry list of terms that liken
mystics to psychotics, but also a long list that show the various differences
between the two. Ultimately, for Agosin, a mystical experience leaves the
mystic "more connected and involved in the world" expanding his or
her capacity to love, and serve with an overwhelming feeling of reverence for
all life, and death as sacred elements to our existence. Julian's visions help
her understand much more than just herself, as her visions taught her to understand
that some souls profit by experiencing both pain and joy from God--that God wishes
us to know that, despite moments of sorrow and joy, he will keep us safe at all
times.
Psychosis though, according to Agosin, leaves a
person much more self-centered, " The psychotic reduces his/her capacity to
love because he/she cannot forget him/herself. The psychotic spends so much
energy on survival that there is little psychic energy left for more."
As easy as it is for
someone to jump to conclusions, it is incredibly hard to explain why mystics
like Julian saw what they saw. Could it be a psychotic hallucination? Or, was
it truly something divinely inspired. Could it be neither? For such a personal
account, it is hard to come up with an exact answer.
Feel free to read more of
what Dr. Agosin had to say at the following link:
No comments:
Post a Comment