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Story · Ajahn Brahm

Dismembered heads that could not be doubted

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Understanding Arguments | Ajahn Brahm | 15-04-2011

1 min read

Content note: mental illness; graphic imagery

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

I remember reading an article of a person describing their battle with schizophrenia and and just how they came out the other side just wise free living a beautiful life and they said that it was so extreme that sometimes they would see like heads dismembered heads rolling around the floor in front of them Visions which were totally irrationally logical which couldn't actually exist but to them it was obviously true that they had no way that they could doubt the logic the reason of a dismembered head rolling in front of them on the ground and I can understand that how that works once you have a certain world view once you really think that that's that that is actually the truth

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 12:23 (to 13:22)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A man who recovered from schizophrenia described visions that couldn't exist yet felt impossible to doubt. Ajahn Brahm sees a milder version in all of us: once we decide someone is an enemy, we notice only what proves it. Hold your views loosely. Let friends challenge you.

In brief (our summary)

An article Brahm read describes someone who lived through schizophrenia and came out wise and free: at the extreme they saw dismembered heads rolling on the floor, visions that could not exist, yet within that worldview there was no way to doubt them.

Teaching point

Once a worldview locks in, even the impossible can feel obviously true — which is why we need challenge from outside.

When this story may help

  • questioning beliefs
  • mental health

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Understanding Arguments | Ajahn Brahm | 15-04-2011 · 2011-04-16 · ▶ watch from 12:23 to 13:22 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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