Page 8 - NAMAH-Apr-2021

Editorial

Apropos exclusivism in thinking

One of the greatest concerns in psychiatry is to the society than a group of delusional
the issue of delusional thinking that underlies subjects can. For actually there are many
the phenomenon of psychotic illness. A delusional subjects who live in their own
delusion is considered to be a firm, fixed, false world of fantasy. They may be a social burden
idea that cannot be corrected by reasoning in terms of maintenance but they do not
and presentation of facts to the contrary and usually burden others by their behaviour.
that is out of tune with the subject’s socio- There seems to be some truth in the once
cultural and educational background. There popular (though now discredited) anti-
might be weird delusions with homicidal psychiatric stance that it is the society which
intent which can become difficult to deal with, is primarily at fault.
as they defy all logic and are not amenable to
counselling. Such delusions constitute a threat Anyway, our concern is that humanity must
to society and have to be professionally dealt grow out of overvalued ideas. After all there
with. In extreme cases, such subjects have to is a grey zone between overvalued ideas and
be isolated from the rest of the community delusion. It also can be possible that, in
till he or she recovers meaningful insights. some instances, overvalued ideas may be
the precursor to delusional thinking. And
So far so good. But what about the otherwise one day we may acknowledge that the very
normal people who have marked overvalued presence of overvalued ideas in the ideational
ideas! Such overvalued ideas fall short of stratosphere actually facilitates, albeit
delusional thinking but nevertheless have far indirectly, delusional thinking. Just like the
more disruptive effects on the society at large. stockpiling of arms by nations can facilitate
What about the religious fundamentalist cult conflicts, which might not have happened
head who imposes fanatical ideas on those in the absence of such indirect stimulation.
innocent people who grope for an ideal to
which they can be faithful? What about the The Mother was especially concerned about
diehard atheist commentator who misguides such exclusivism in thinking which is actually
the reasoning mind? What about the political more dangerous than a simple delusional
mass leader who can effectively establish idea. All such exclusive mental ideas fall
falsehood as truth and in the process dupe short of the integrative world-view which is
large masses of citizens? These people are required to perfect ideational thinking. The
not considered to be psychiatric patients and Mother considered that it was imperative
in fact some of them may consider themselves that the New Consciousness should surpass
to be super-normal. Yet they do far more harm exclusivism:

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