Will Hall on “Mental Diversity: Psychosis As Field Evolution” at Portland Evolver Meeting 12-7-2011 (Audio)

First Aired: 12-15-2011 -- Add comment

“Madness and Mental Diversity: Psychosis, Bipolar, and Schizophrenia As Field Evolution” was a free talk on Process Work and psychosis I was invited to give at the local Evolver meeting in Portland Oregon on Dec. 7, 2011, introduced by Kent Bye. More than 50 people showed up in a beautiful private Portland home and we had a great time. You can listen to an audio file here, and below is the description of the talk.

https://www.madnessradio.net/audio-extra/WillHallMentalDiversityEvolverPortland12-7-2011.mp3

What if experiences labeled bipolar or schizophrenia are instead invitations to collaborate on mutual growth and evolution? What if “madness” is a purposeful and self-organizing potential for broader change?

Conventional frameworks view a “psychotic” disconnect from reality as a regression to an earlier developmental stage, a deficit/imbalance in normal functioning, or an excess of perception. Using Process Oriented Psychology, this Evolver special presentation will explore the meaning of “severe mental illness” and challenge us to rethink our relationship to extreme states within and around us. It will also offer a historical consideration of the psychedelic experience to help understand how it relates to psychosis.