I was young when I had my psychotic episodes. I was in my twenties, and had the first one when I was 21. I’ve rarely heard people describing what these experiences are like to recover from. The episodes themselves are quite phenomenal. Although they are terrifying they left me with incredibly rich tales that I … Continue reading Recovering from Psychosis

I’m doing a course at uni. It’s a philosophy course where we are studying evolution. And in the first week I was given some Richard Dawkins to read. Dawkins is a funny character. I’ve always wondered why he is so angry. Anyhow, I think I’ve worked out why. It’s because he’s bewildered at how most … Continue reading A Gene’s Eye View

“Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general.” - Harvey Blume[I] Reading through the 2nd Edition of The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness[ii], what strikes me is the fact that there is an entire section devoted to altered states of consciousness. This includes chapters on drug … Continue reading Reframing Mental Illness: Neurodiversity and a new road to recovery

Another scandal (if that is the appropriate word) has occurred in the philosophy community with a high-profile male academic being reported for sexual misconduct. And my heart sinks when I see these articles – I can barely read them because it feels so sordid to hear the details of people’s lives when this type of … Continue reading Further reflections on the sexual dynamics of teacher/student relationships

March 12, 2017. It occurred to me why I want to explore the interface between science and religion – why I want to explore our thirst to understand the world coupled with our desire for the transcendental.  It is this interface that results in the conflict we have between our knowledge about reality, and how … Continue reading Two types of truth and the schism between them

February 2, 2017. Yesterday I had a panic attack. I haven’t had many of these in my life – at least, not as bad as this one. Jeff was with me and he looked after me. He has seen this happen before so he kept his head and this helped me to stay in control – but it … Continue reading Panic Attacks

January 7, 2017. As a mature age student studying philosophy, I’ve watched school leavers struggle to adapt to tertiary education, and the silence of some students bewilders me. When I’m in a tutorial blurting out my thoughts I wonder – does this encourage these kids to speak up or intimidate them? I don’t think I … Continue reading Diversity in philosophy: Why the girls won’t speak

December 2, 2016. Brentyn sent me a Dharma book recently. He’s been living in Ohio for the past few years and during the election campaign, he was in a fever. I told him not to worry, that Trump would never get in. But he was worried and he was right to be. He included a … Continue reading The disenfranchised and the demagogue: Reflections on the US presidential election

November 27, 2016 I’m so cut up. Every time I see a photo of that 13-year-old boy. His young and innocent face. All I can think is ‘you didn’t make it. It’s not fair'. And I remember being a teenager, and I remember being suicidal. But I survived. And I am just so heartbroken that Tyrone didn’t. … Continue reading Too young to die: Why our children need the Safe Schools program