ABSTRACT
This chapter is about the experience of altered reality linked with mental health states such as psychosis and schizophrenia. When considering what the concept of altered reality means, it is important to first define reality, which according to the Oxford English Dictionary (2015) is
This raises a number of issues as existence can be created internally or through shared consensus with others. Shared consensus though can differ widely concerning different political, religious or personal affiliations. There is also a historical dimension concerning what is deemed to be real with new knowledge replacing previously held facts, for example, the old belief amongst sailors that the world was flat. A key aspect concerns acceptance and validation of experience by sizeable or influential groups. An illustration of this concerns the apparitions of the Virgin Mary experienced by a 14-year-old girl, Bernadette Soubirous. This experience was taken seriously by the Catholic church resulting in the establishment of a major shrine at Lourdes. Societal views about people who see the world differently to the majority are often far from supportive though. The ex-sports presenter David Icke, for example, has been met with scorn, derision and abuse within the media for his controversial and ‘unworldly’ beliefs about reptilian beings yet at the same time sells out major world venues with his shows and hosts a discussion forum containing millions of posts. It is important to acknowledge the broad variation in responses to different people’s views and experiences. Creative and artistic individuals can be praised for their abstract or creative view of the world, and indeed may even purposely seek altered states through chemical means. Notable examples include the writers Carlos Castenada and Aldous Huxley or the Pink Floyd musician Syd Barrett. For some people, if supported by religious or political views their experiences can be regarded as visionary or even miraculous. The majority of people however who experience altered reality are dismissed, made fun of or abused and offered various interventions in an attempt to remove or change their worldly views or experiences. This chapter is mainly about this latter group, individuals who have their altered states of reality classified through medical diagnoses such as psychosis and schizophrenia. It is important to note
though that psychotic symptoms can occur in a number of other mental health states, for example, depression and dementia.
