FIRST THINGS FIRST

There are two main issues when dealing with the initial experience of the psychotic break referred to in an 'bi-polar' prognosis .

The first, what caused the break from consensus reality and the second, what is the non-consensus reality that was experienced.

Our mental health system can usually uncover the cause of the inital break yet has no understanding of the non-consensus reality experienced.

Three people experiencing a psychotic break : 42 year old Jewish mother of three, a 22 year old single catholic college student, and a 35 year old atheist divorced war veteran. All will experience a break but they will present three totally different senarios because of their life path.

The confusion that plagues the issue is that every person will have their own expression of the experience. There is no one universal experience, although there are certain aspects of the experience common to all. These experiences common to all will become the thread of truth that will lead us out of the labyrinth. Which brings us to certain yogic traditions.

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As stated in my book, there are four main branches of yoga, Karma - action, Bhakti - devotion, Raja - scientific, and Jnana - knowledge. Which also aligns to the four major personality types as set out by Briggs and Myers.

It is the Jnana yogic path that will produce answers to the second issue that deals with the altered state of conciousness. Jnana yoga as it turns out is the most difficult path because only three percent of people are suited for it. To further the challenged we would need within that three percent an individual who has experienced the initial break and decides to take on the challenge to find the answers as their calling.