Fire Burning in My Head

The author, a Professor of Clinical of Psychology, describes how the creative energy of madness can be used to enrich one's life. The book provides psychiatric as well as ethical, political, and sociocultural contexts for understanding mental disorders in general and the author's own case in particular.

Written by a professor of clinical psychology, this book is accessible to thoughtful readers interested in the relation between spirituality and mental disorders. It comprises two main parts: The first part tells the story of how a psychologist-cum-patient performs a self-study of "madness" in great detail. It belongs to the long tradition of ideographic studies that attend to the uniqueness of each individual. The author says: "During episodes, manic symptoms are manifest. Yet, I become more colorful, sensitive, generous, and loving. I see beauty everywhere and delight in the simple things of life. I glimpse into mystical magnanimity. All these inform me that my quest for spirituality is wedded to madness. Now, I can bear testimony that on balance the creative energy of madness may enrich rather than damage one's life. It is possible to retain a measure of madness in dignified living and of dignity even in a state of madness." Adhering to the nomothetic tradition of knowledge generation, the second part gives extensive coverage to various aspects of mental disorders from a scientific perspective, including the ethical, political, and sociocultural contexts in which mental disorders occur. It resolves apparent contradictions between dualities, such as normality and abnormality, individualism and collectivism, and Eastern and Western values. In the end, the reader may learn that it is possible to harness the creative energy of madness to enrich one's spiritual lifea topic that can hardly be found in psychiatric texts.

Autorentext

David Y. F. Ho has held professorial appointments in psychology and cultural studies in Asia and North America. He has authored numerous contributions in psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and education; and was the first Asian to have served as President of the International Council of Psychologists.

Inhalt

Contents: Part 1. Discoveries from a Self-Study of Madness: Tales from My Two Worlds -Episodes of Madness: All of Exuberance, None of Depression - Madness Has Enriched My Life - From Psychiatry to Spirituality - Glimpses of Enlightenment in the Midst of Madness - In Search of Transcultural Spirituality-in-Communion - Epilogue. I'm Getting There - Part 2. Transcending the Clash of Opposites: Thematic Group 1. Normality Versus Abnormality: Madness as Creative Energy: Self-Observations - Psychiatric Diagnosis and its Pitfalls - Psychopathology of Religious Luminaries - Thematic Group 2. Individual Versus Collective Madness: Societal Mental Health Crises in America and China - Values Underlying Mental Health Practice - The Trump Phenomenon and the Politics of an Unholy Alliance - Thematic Group 3. Eastern Versus Western Culture: Two Ways of Life: Chinese and American - Growing Up in the People's Republic of China: Culture, Ideology, and Policy - Family Pathology in Literature: Reinterpreting the Oedipal Myth - Thematic Group 4. Spirituality Versus Spiritual Emptiness: Transforming Madness for Dignified Existence - Spirituality and Spiritual Emptiness: Toward Transcultural Applicability - References - Appendix A. Multidimensional Evaluation of Spirituality (MES) - Appendix B. Strategies of Coping - Appendix C. Highlights of 22 Episodes of Madness, and a Free Association - Appendix D. Expressive Dance to Music: A Royal Road to Holistic Health - Appendix E. The Undiscovered Illness: The Opposite of Depression