I guess "mental illness" needs to be defined. It seems we may be talking about trends, copycat behavior, influence and such, rather than actual mental illness.
Jim Jones as an example. Were his followers "mentally ill" or simply misguided / suffering a lapse of judgment, having a Neptune transit, etc.
I think if you already have an inkling of mental illness and something triggers it or in the Jim Jones case, someone comes along and validates you in a way to where you finally feel "seen" then, yes.
I feel a lot of people feel lost in life and in certain cases that could lead to mental illness like depression, anxiety. Or if they were born with a mental illness like bipolarism or DID.
Most people are looking to be guided to the meaning of life and why things are the way they are. So maybe it's a lack of faith that causes the misguidance.
Some charming character comes along or some idea and you finally feel understood. You feel home. Some people wake up from the fog (if they've been fooled) or they...drink the kool-aid.
Just like insanity can be contagious, I think also faith can too.. if you're willing to be open to it. And maybe that's where it all stems from, a willingness.
I don't know. Interesting to think about.
@ridingthewaves I love your answer and this is exactly how I would interpret it too. No one knows for sure what is real and what is not because life has vast possibilities.
If someone had a relationship with another person who had a strong ifluence on their beliefes then they can take up their delusions. It is medically knows as shared psychotic disorder
@resurgam I agree with this - no one knows everything. We have all speculated so much for centuries.
Yesss, shared psychotic disorder! Could that person have had an inkling of mental illness in the first place before it became shared? Is my thought. Or would it take an extreme convincing eg proving something fanatical that happens to just be a coincidence, but enough to cause a stir?
Interesting.
@ridingthewaves I would say you have to be susceptible to it first, by not having a strong belief system or emotional resilience.
yes it is a very interesting question
@elsa definitely sounds like Neptune then. All that fog, and you see some kind of light, but that light is actually guiding you even deeper into the madness.
Kinda reminds me of angler fish attracting prey with it's light orb antennae. Which makes sense a bit, Neptune rules Pisces which are fish!
@ridingthewaves was going to respond, but decided to write a blog post. https://elsaelsa.com/astrology/temporary-insanity-happens-lapses-of-judgement/
Not sure if it made the national news, but there was a horrific ambush of police officers in Florida last week. A family called police on an unhinged "religious fanatic" neighbor who they said was trying to lure them to her home to kill them. After subduing her, deputies walked to her house to check on her family. After no response, upon entering her house her husband and two grown daughters opened fire, killing one and wounding two more, then killing themselves. The woman has shown no remorse, said she wanted to kill as many as possible. How does a whole family become murderously insane?
The answer to this question, I believe, can be seen in operant and classical conditioning.
Some may not know that their behaviors lead to them or others obtaining some sort of a mental illness, some however certainly do know.
The military deploys men after they are taught extreme tactics when engaging with the "enemy". These very tactics were learned alongside psychologists. Other tactics/trainings are deployed without their knowledge and hide in plain sight.
Families can certainly pass on some behaviors. Not everyone is susceptible. I have internally experienced a pull in some very dark directions while simultaneously knowing where this will lead. I did not succumb, others did.
The subjective experience is very real. Feelings count, so long as one is sincere about it. Energies are palpable, and one has the option to ingest and envelope oneself in it or not. Children are obviously a different matter.
Nietzsche has a fitting quote which is "...if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you".
I think in addition to the behavioural/conditioning contributors, biology may play a role; Eg The McClintock effect: where female pheromones communicate with each other and menstrual cycles are synchronised.
I think mental/emotional states are more transmissible than we may realise. Biology/ hormones are very powerful behavioural influences.
where female pheromones communicate with each other and menstrual cycles are synchronised.
There's something to this. Women go crazy, together as do men? I'm thinking of a gang mentality.
@elsa Yes, like Jana mentioned; mass psychosis.
On a personal level, who we spend time with can trigger certain states. When we pat our pets or enjoy nice company we produce happy hormones/ neurotransmitters ; such as oxytocin, dopamine & seratonin. Consequently, we feel joyful and calm.
Comparatively, when we are in the company of unsavoury/aggressive individuals, adrenalin and cortisol hormones are produced. These can make us feel anxious, restless, unsettled etc.
Longterm exposure to either positive or negative entities can impact our neurobiology.
Maintaining boundaries between ourselves and others is essential for our emotional/ mental well-being.
I think we really do need to visualise a light of protection around us at times. Also, if we feel drained after seeing someone we need to cleanse our Aura (through a visualisation exercise or a shower 🙂).