Spiritual Madness

When you carefully monitor the "ordinary" folks - if a concept like this even exists at all - you will find that they certainly change colors according to the situation they are in. Say, monitor a man who is in love with a woman, or when he explains something to his boss, or when he is paying with a child; in each case a different aspect of his personality structure will be activated. He will breathe differently; he has different thoughts; even his complexion will change as his blood circulation speeds up or slows down. Yet, in all these situations our man will be held together by the same notion of self; it is always the same perception of the "I", just experiencing different situations.

I had these thoughts when I wondered why spiritual travelers sometimes appear mad. Many good people I interact with in the spiritual community at times appear like they are melting down. So why exactly is that the case? Are we spiritual travelers simply more emotional and sensitive, and thus simply appear more volatile? Or does perhaps all the tinkering with our ego push us sometimes over the edge?

The other day I was commenting on Sri Ramakrishna's awakening process when he at one point took a sword with the intention to commit suicide to join with his Goddess ( http://zeitgeistinma.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-journey-home.html) True, he got his desired effect and induced Durga Maa to present Herself to him, but how exactly would a psychologist have viewed this situation? He would have locked him up in the loony bin, wouldn't he? 

From my own experience, it takes incredible maturity and self-awareness not be caught in a whirlpool of emotions, doubts and self-righteousness as the ego starts questioning itself. Relax, you always have your spiritual path to fall on to. The journey of your Home-coming has been planned eons ago, so never mind a little irrationality as you cross the bridge. If you melt down it will likely be in the presence of people who get you and care for you; and your awakening process will be meaningful to them too.

So once you cross the bridge and things get a little weird, just keep going. Soon you will be one of the few sane ones out there.