Sources of Madness
Why did I lose my mind and what did I gain in the process?
Presented by John Herold, MA
Using personal lived experience as well as ideas from Process Work, John Herold will explore different possible causes of an extreme state of consciousness that landed him in a hospital involuntarily and was diagnosed as bipolar disorder. He will address big and important questions:
- Where did this experience come from?
- Why did it happen?
- What does it mean?
- Was it just a brain thing or are there additional factors to consider?
- What were the benefits?
We will explore multiple perspectives, including:
- Biochemical: Extreme states are caused by imbalances in our brains — brought about by factors like overdoses, genetics and diseases.
- Psychological: Extreme states happen when marginalized experiences, sensations and feelings refuse to be ignored any longer.
- Field/Physics: Extreme states occur when mainstream society won’t acknowledge its own sense of madness.
- Teleological: Extreme states are purposeful and are here for the benefit of the broader culture.
John Herold
John Herold is a facilitator, advocate, speaker and trainer from Gig Harbor, Washington. He is the founder and director of Puget Sound Hearing Voices, now in its third year of weekly meetings. John is passionate about spreading non-pathologizing ways of understanding experiences that often get called mental illness. He completed his master’s in Process Work last July and recently received an Inspirational Person Award from Intervoice: The International Hearing Voices Network. Learn more about John at www.johnherold.net and www.pugetsoundhearingvoices.org.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 7 – 9 PM
Unite Oregon
700 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, OR
(across from PCC Cascade Campus)
Click here for map
FREE! (Donations Welcome $0 – $20 suggested)
For questions, contact RethinkingPsychiatry@gmail.com or message us on our Facebook Page.
