© 1992 Ann Bendall
© 1992 ANZURA, Australia & New Zealand Urantia Association
| Channeling And Communication With The Spirit World | Vol 13 No 3 May 1992 — Index | Midwayer Communications |
by Ann Bendall and Ken Glasziou, Queensland [Ann’s expertise is in psychology; Ken’s in biochemistry]
Professor A.C.P. Sims is a well-known authority on the subject of mental disorders, including schizophrenia. In his book, ‘Symptoms in Man’s Mind’, he writes, “The religious nature of the delusion is seen as a disorder of content… So religious delusions are not caused by excessive religious belief… but they simply accentuate that when a person becomes mentally ill his delusions reflect, in their content, his predominant interests and concerns.”
M.V. Dunlop is a well-known Christian author who has written extensively on the subject of contemplative meditation as a means of training our minds to live continuously in the presence of Jesus. He makes these two statements, “Sooner or later our mental states are bound to reflect that on which we keep our attention,” and, “our minds take their quality from that on which we dwell.” His system of meditation aims to help us on our way to obeying Jesus’ command, “Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48; UB 140:5.11)
In the light of Professor Sim’s observations it is well to beware of the possible harm that may arise from excessive or obsessional preoccupation with a narrow set of interests. Remember that The URANTIA Book describes Jesus in this way:
“The all-consuming and indomitable spiritual faith of Jesus never became fanatical, for it never attempted to run away with his well-balanced intellectual judgments concerning the proportional values of practical and commonplace social, economic, and moral life situations. The Son of Man was a splendidly unified human personality; he was a perfectly endowed divine being; he was also magnificently co-ordinated as a combined human and divine being functioning on earth as a single personality. Always did the Master co-ordinate the faith of the soul with the wisdom-appraisals of seasoned experience. Personal faith, spiritual hope, and moral devotion were always correlated in a matchless religious unity of harmonious association with the keen realization of the reality and sacredness of all human loyalties — personal honor, family love, religious obligation, social duty, and economic necessity.” (UB 196:0.7)
The gradation between the ‘normal’ mental state and the more extreme states such as schizophrenia is continuous. Probably nobody is completely ‘normal’ and few are totally mad.
Given the appropriate environmental, physiological and psychological conditions, most of us are capable of acting in an irrational way and can be pushed to the borderline and beyond of mental disability. Usually, it is only when we become severely socially dysfunctional that we get a label such as paranoid, manic, schizophrenic, etc.
It is an established fact that many kinds of psychotic disturbances, including schizophrenia, can be simulated using drugs known to interact with the electrochemistry of the brain, and specifically with the complex system of neurotransmission of electrical impulses across the nerve synapses regulated by substances such as dopamine, serotonin, gamma aminobutyric acid, etc. Schizophrenia is believed to be a disorder of this system and can be treated with drugs such as chlorpromazine that act at the level of the neurotransmitters.
Professor Sims uses the term ‘communicated insanity’ to describe the transfer of psychotic behaviour from a deluded person (the Principal) to ‘Associates’ who come to share false beliefs. In one such relationship (folie impose), separation from the Principal is often followed by remission of symptoms in the Associates. Sims also states that it cannot be stressed too often that patients believe their delusions literally, and that such delusions differ from mere fantasy. The reality of the delusion is ‘known’ with unconcerned certainty.
What we call channeling is not a new phenomenon and is found among the inmates of mental institutions where patients ‘hear’ voices that they may ascribe to God himself, extraterrestrials, celestial beings of many kinds, and disembodied spirits. Among the latter, Indian chiefs and Egyptian princesses are popular, but Napoleon appears to have become unfashionable.
Always Did The Master Co-Ordinate The Faith Of The Soul With The wisdom-appraisals of seasoned experience.
When ‘channeling’ is a delusion of the mind induced by malfunctioning electrochemistry, at present the only immediately effective treatment appears to be with appropriate drugs. However, even in some quite severe cases, remission does occur spontaneously.
A great danger associated with ‘channeling’ is when the channel has a charismatic personality combined with acting, oratorical, and organizational skills in which case communicated insanity may become a very real problem in that such people may have a profound and harmful influence on their followers.
A well known example is the case of the Reverend Jones who, claiming to be instructed by God, induced hundreds of associates to indulge in murder and suicide. Because of the dangers involved, and since The URANTIA Book advocates a one-to-one relationship with both our Thought Adjuster and Jesus’ Spirit of Truth, it is highly questionable that one should ever divert attention to lesser beings for our guidance.
| Channeling And Communication With The Spirit World | Vol 13 No 3 May 1992 — Index | Midwayer Communications |