ABSTRACT
The psychiatric treatment of psychosis is based on the belief that it is the result of an irremediable neurological defect whose mental manifestations are not just aberrant but have little relationship to development and are psychologically meaningless. Such treatment reflects the medical model in which illnesses are manifestations of psychologically alien forces and treatment involves suppression and control with medication. It reinforces the primordial conscious mentation that is characteristic of psychosis to begin with. While the patient may be “tranquillized” and become less of a social problem, the person is led to believe that the potentially understandable and meaningful parts of his or her mind are meaningless products of an alien disease to be suppressed, and to be hidden from others as well, lest they conclude the person is crazy. In other words, while the superficial manifestations of psychosis change, the fundamental structure of the psychotic solution that involves contextually inappropriate perpetuation of primordial conscious mental activity and is antithetical to self-understanding not only remains, but is reinforced. Detailed examples of such treatment are provided.
