When it comes to mental illnesses, what is the Water Bottle Theory? It's a matter of perspective.Allow me to share an analogy. Schizophrenia, in the traditional sense, is odd affects of conceptual awareness and perception. From Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, here is what we know:
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a breakdown of thought processes and by poor emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction. The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood. Diagnosis is based on observed behavior and the patient's reported experiences.
So what is the Water Bottle Theory? Using human beings to represent a water bottle, many of us exist with either our caps on or off (or in between). This means in a manner of speaking, we things as either half full of air or half water. Those with the caps on represent the “normal” population the sees the water. Those with Schizophrenia have their caps off, sees the air, while those in the middle with PTSD to ADD or severe depression to bi-polar disorders can negatively be considered as having a “screw loose” sees both. In a fish-bowl like existence, these 3 perspectives co-exist at the same time in an environment we call Earth.
The main difference is when a person’s cap comes off they become more aware of their connection to the substance in and around them, which we call air, but I will call, “the Soul.” Connected to each other universally, the ones with their caps on are unaware of this faint live energy and so may discredit those who are, by labeling them mentally ill. Alzheimer’s Dementia is another form of ‘awakening’ to the surrounding substance. While it is difficult to watch and put into words, this 'awareness' can take a devastating toll on the person. He or she may become confused as their whole outer awareness of reality has somehow been transformed, right before their eyes. This simple distinction is illustrated in the popular sci-fi film called, The Matrix. In Ultimate Reality, they feel a universal sense of connection with everything and everyone and may claim to be “God”—the stuff of life. This is an accurate statement because they have remembered Who and What They Are.
The “Cap on/Cap off”: Water Bottle Theory seeks to shed light on this experience in a more favorable manner than traditionally accepted. Joseph Campbell, author of Myths to Live By sums it up best by saying:
“The mystic, endowed with native talents...and following …the instruction of a master, enters the water and finds he can swim; whereas the schizophrenic, unprepared, unguided, and ungifted, has fallen or has intentionally plunged and is drowning.”
Thanks for helping those who are drowning. For more information, email: ijoseph33@yahoo.com or call: 954.245.7752
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