A:  I checked The Urantia Book for the word “psychosis,” but it is not to be found. However, there are some passages that we might think about when we are discussing mental illness or mental deficiency.

But first off—I am not a mental health professional—neither can I diagnose or advise you how to treat anything like that, but I do Google a lot to find out more about things. I advise you to do the same thing, in order to find out for yourself what the latest scientific thought is concerning this problem of psychosis. If this is a personal issue, I would advise that you speak to a professional. But in the short-term, I can share what I have found out about psychosis. I did this in order to be sure that I understood what you were asking about.

In order for me to frame my reply from Urantia Book teachings, we have to understand that we are not living on a “normal” planet. Since we have already been graced by the bestowal of Christ Michael on our planet, we are considered a “Post-Bestowal Son” planet. And that means that we are in the age after the bestowal. But if you read this section from The Urantia Book, it will be easy for you to see that we are not like other planets who are also “Post-Bestowal Son.”

One of the characteristics of Post-bestowal Son ages on normal planets:

52:5.9 During this era the problems of disease and delinquency are virtually solved. Degeneracy has already been largely eliminated by selective reproduction. Disease has been practically mastered through the high resistant qualities of the Adamic strains and by the intelligent and world-wide application of the discoveries of the physical sciences of preceding ages. The average length of life, during this period, climbs well above the equivalent of three hundred years of Urantia time.

You can easily see that we face enormous challenges that normal planets do not face, since we are far from this vision. Gratefully, the bestowal of Jesus did rid our planet of rebel spirits which, at that time, were responsible for a number of cases of mental illness. Thanks to that blessing, one thing we can be sure of is that mental illness is not the result of evil spirits in the mind.

Our evolutionary development (specifically, our physical development) has been greatly impacted by the default of Adam and Eve . Had their mission been successful, I believe that we would enjoy far more mental health than we do, as many of these severe mental difficulties are identified by modern science as genetic imbalances; one might assume that these likely would have been corrected by a greater endowment of Adamic blood. As it is, many of us suffer from a host of ailments, both physical and mental.

Keeping all of this in mind, I hope it is clear to you that mental illness is not a punishment from God—it appears to be a result of a combination of faulty genetics and/or environmental problems that have accrued even as far back as the Lucifer rebellion. And of course, if you are a Urantia Book student, you might remember that God does not purposely afflict his children.

But, now to The Urantia Book teachings that give all sufferers new hope and new direction:

We can pray for deliverance—this could be an occasion for what you called “spiritual overhaul…”:

91:6.2 Prayer is not a technique for curing real and organic diseases, but it has contributed enormously to the enjoyment of abundant health and to the cure of numerous mental, emotional, and nervous ailments. And even in actual bacterial disease, prayer has many times added to the efficacy of other remedial procedures. Prayer has turned many an irritable and complaining invalid into a paragon of patience and made him an inspiration to all other human sufferers.

We can make a choice:

65:8.5 In the cosmic evolutionary laboratories mind is always dominant over matter, and spirit is ever correlated with mind. Failure of these diverse endowments to synchronize and co-ordinate may cause time delays, but if the individual really knows God and desires to find him and become like him, then survival is assured regardless of the handicaps of time. Physical status may handicap mind, and mental perversity may delay spiritual attainment, but none of these obstacles can defeat the whole-souled choice of will.

We can nurture hope:

47:4.8 Mansonia number two more specifically provides for the removal of all phases of intellectual conflict and for the cure of all varieties of mental disharmony. The effort to master the significance of morontia mota, begun on the first mansion world, is here more earnestly continued. The development on mansonia number two compares with the intellectual status of the post-Magisterial Son culture of the ideal evolutionary worlds.

So, even though one may be afflicted with these kinds of problems, if one has a desire for God, a faith in eternal life, and a love for the good, true and beautiful, then, one may have hope that they can rise above these challenges, even while in this material life. And in our next life, the last remnants of these mental problems will be cured once and for all…this is an evidence of God’s mercy.

Hopefully, the takeaway for you from this reply is that God is not punishing a person who suffers from psychosis; further, that the sufferer may still be able to enjoy an improved existence here through prayer, and through dedication to God. If this is a personal issue, ask, and allow him to direct your paths to material help as well…

Our merciful Father in heaven is well-aware of the handicaps under which we labor here on Urantia. He is merciful and fair in all his dealing with his earth children. And he is not willing that any should perish…he accepts us with all of our flaws and helps us emerge victorious over all of them.

Thanks again for writing to us with this question. I hope that my reply has been helpful for you.

”