Has studying philosophy ever made you feel as though you might lose your sanity?

Question

I remember when I was about 25 I started really thinking about absolute universal truth and questioning reality, and I remember one day my whole reality sort of started crumbling before me, I felt the abyss of infinity, and my new perceptions of the world blinded me with truth that I could hardly manage mentally. I can just imagine the lightning storm that must have been occuring in my brain as a multitude of synapes made new connections and my neural network expanded. I think perhaps a good portion of my brain was undergoing a transformation, a realignment of sorts.
It was really hard to bring myself back to this world, hard because it is difficult to do and also because I half didn't want to. It was seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel and knowing that I had to turn back, that if I didn't I might forever lose touch with the reality that I've known. So I came back down from that plane, but I think of it often and have such difficulty functioning here amongst these illusions.

Answer 1

I know what you mean...I thought it's more like an "Alice in wonderland" or kinda like the matrix and taking the green pill or what ever color it was, and wishing you hadn't...When the ugly truth comes out, it's like all the time we were walking around in some fantasy land. I honestly wish I could of stayed dumb and happy. It was like an awaking that happened.......things got serious and then I seen the world for what it truly is - it's so sad.
It is very difficult living in this masquerade - you wonder who's behind the next mask. Is what we are living in actually real? I sometimes think that dreams are real and fake is the living functioning world we live in - does that make sense.....

Answer 2

I've been experiencing a bit of that myself. I've read several books on several different subjects in the past six months in the beginnings of my journey to find my ultimate truth. I say "my" because I think the path and the end are different for each person.

I have been having trouble some days at work focusing on tasks. It's tough when you begin to feel that the things we say and do each day are actually insignificant. Especially if you buy in to theories such as Richard Dawkins "Selfish Genes".

I've also become very disillusioned with organized religion. That sort of started with me in college and has continued now in to my "adult" life. Reading books like Sam Harris' End of Faith has really solidified my belief that organized religion must go in order to preserve the essence of humanity and harmony. At least the ideas of the major religions of the day (being Islam and Christianity). They seem to cause more strife than good anymore. I'm beginning to believe the Eastern thinkers may have had it right all along.

For now I'm reading on quantum theory and eastern philosophy. It seems to most accurately describe what is "reality". I'm taking it in smaller doses though. Jumping in so quickly overloaded my senses and I felt a need to step back so I could enjoy the "real" world I live in more while I'm here. I don't see much sense in completely deconstructing, there's too much good here to leave it all behind before it's time.

Answer 3

In my experience with this it does fade with time, but leaves us with something we wouldn't otherwise have. Since simplistic ideas or beliefs no longer work, the mind is kept open to the patterns that reality can reveal. The world then opens up, and the mind functions in the way it has evolved to operate. To me, a philosophy is something we create naturally by staying curious and in every situation keeping the mind open, even if only a crack.

The unconscious part of the mind is an amazing ally that subjects itself entirely to our will*, so when we solidify a concept it closes up shop (on the subject) and waits for further direction.
when we go through a mind shattering experience maybe it is just our unconscious mind putting us in our place so it can be free to proceed with its real work!
* To verify this think about how a memory is recalled, for example; then think about what goes on in the conscious mind when a memory can't be found. it has no idea where to look for it and can only hope the unconscious will find a way. The conscious mind controls the will but the unconscious does the work, in most cases. When a sudden emergency arises the unconscious can bypass the conscious will and cause an appropriate reaction before we have time to think about it.

Thanks for this question. It's amazing that so many of us have had similar experiences, and it seems that most have an ongoing interest in philosophy!

Answer 4

Philosophy should be something that tells you how to live and how to live well. However, philosophy died the day we became a random quirk of nature. If we are a random quirk of nature, then it is impossible to justify that life is meaningful. So, philosophy became introspective, or existentialistic, or worked in the realm of political philosophy to create cookie cutter citizens that could be controlled by society, since society was going to lose the moral basis that religion brought. Marx and Dewey and many others are typical.

What happen. Hedonism, ethnic cleansing, class warfare, polarization, and the deterioration of civilization.

I fear godless societies, that have been justified by political philosophy, like, Nazi and Marx. They have been brutal.

What about philosophy? What good is it? Does it have a body of knowledge? Or is it anarchy where anything goes? Philosophy does have an eternal body of reason based, realistic, life affirming knowledge, it is just not very public yet.

There are answers, good answers, so keep looking.

Take care!

Answer 5

Sort of.

At first, studying philosophy was really fun. Each time I began to think of something I'd never thought of before, it was like a brand new rollercoaster ride.

(or maybe a spaceship ride--imagine floating to an unknown destination of unknown distance, feeling very isolated, wondering if you were going in the right direction, arriving somewhere you never could have predicted, and finally questioning whether you really needed to go there.)

I never seriously questioned my sanity (except in a purely theoretical way), but I did question whether it was actually a good idea for me to study philosophy. I felt like I was becoming something that I didn't want to be... obsessed with being right all the time. Solving abstract problems instead of doing enjoyable things with my life.

It's hard enough to keep my ego in check and get my sh*t together without immersing myself in an academic atmosphere and trying to solve the "greatest mysteries".

Ultimately I ended up pursuing other things, but secretly I still love to philosophize. Although it probably has some negative side effects, I love the fact that learning a new "strange yet apparently true" theory is like being transported into another world.

Answer 6

The tricky part of studying philosophy is in separating the truly wise and profound stuff from the belly-button introspection.

Also, beware of "Eureka" moments or of feeling like you've stumbled upon some deep truth. These are just emotions, and can cause people to latch onto some pretty silly notions that don't hold up in reality. Mystics and pseudoscientists are very convinced of their correctness, even though what they believe may be full of logical fallacies or contradicted by evidence. In other words, just because you FEEL like you've reached enlightenment, doesn't mean you have!

As for your original question, I would say that reading "Thus Spake Zarathustra" by Friedrich Nietzsche was pretty sanity-testing for me. I rather admire his concept of the "uber-man" or superman, that we are far less limited in our potential to be more than we think we are. But his actual prose and writing style are, let's just say, very trying. Think Shakespeare on an acid trip.

Answer 7

Half the time I think philosophy as a whole is a cruel means of driving an typically normal individual to ask stupid questions while consuming large quantities of coffee. On the other hand, it's an addiction I can't seem to quite my self of, hence the reason I'm answering this question.
But hey, I'm only 21. I still have years worth of realignment to experience. Here's to asking all the wrong questions and finding that right answers!

Answer 8

I like this topic. I studied philosophy in college and have studied the bible for the meaning of life and the questions of how to obtain happiness and contentment in life.

I think it is good to think on these deeper things. I think it is a life long journey and a continual search for truth and meaning that goes on in the soul. It feeds the mind and the heart to search out truth.

Life is complicated on one side and simple on the other. A good hard days work can make you happy - even though we seek out constant comfort in American society and can be very unhappy. I'm not a drinker, but sometimes a few drinks and laughing with my friends is a great break.

You need to have balance in life. Work hard - play hard. Think deep thoughts sometimes and then enjoy the stupidity of a movie like Dumb and Dumber.

Answer 9

Oh my, has it ever! Luckily it was just a passing phase of readjustment. For several months many years ago there was so much input and so many odd experiences that I truly began to doubt my sanity. As it is now, I take it as it comes and while I always seek more insights, I've learned not to be so cocky as to think I can handle too much at once.

While it is so beautiful to see and experience what lies out there it also creates such a sense of imbalance that it is difficult to function in the mundane world again for a bit.

Answer 10

Firstly - sorry no spell check, its down again

I very much know what you are talking about.

It has happened to me several times and in several diferent forms, some natural and some induced. But that first time, the real one when I first saw what it is we all seek to see, that will stay with me forever.

There have been times when it has definately chalenged my sanity. The first year after I started observing my internal dialogue was one of the craziest times of my life, and certainly the most paranoid. That calmed down in time. It always seems to, in time I had new realiseations that allwed me to move on from the last and hopefuly keep moving forward.

For me now the journey, the ilusions as you call it, has become part of the fun. Shying from them or worse judging them really wont get you anywhere. Being thankful for them, that really will get you closer to living the reality you want. Dont look internaly for what your outside world senses can provide in abundance if you use them.

I will leave you with this. Why is it that we look inside ourselves, ponder and meditate on how to bring ouselves closer a oneness with the universe, knowledge of it and to feel part of all its glory as if it were a seperate thing to us? Surely it is more effective to look outwardly to our senses, the tools we have to conect with the universe for knowledge of it and to feel oneness with it. That and, how is it possible to feel seperate from all the greatness of the universe when you are the universe as a wave is the sea?

I hope that makes sense to you.

Have a good time with what you have been given, that's why you were given it......