Craziness in Pop Culture

Pop culture, especially horror and action-drama, love to have the protagonist experiencing things that others don't believe. We are presented with their overwhelming sensory experiences as they are accused of being crazy or of faking it. They fight and fight against it, often alienating former allies until they are able to prove their unusual experiences are valid and not imaginary or symptoms of psychosis. They win out against all odds and the hero has earned the right to a million "I told you so!"s and a massive sense of vindication.

Flightplan - no one believes Jodi Foster's daughter was on the airplane

The Eye - everyone thinks Jessica Alba has schizophrenia or some other disease-based mental illness rather than seeing through the eyes of the donor she received the transplant from

Mirrors - Keifer Sutherland is assumed to be hallucinating

Nightmare on Elm Street - Heather Langenkamp isn't dreaming of Freddie Kruger, she is insane like her mother was

Pete's Dragon - Elliot was an imaginary playmate

Supernatural - over and over the people are assumed crazy or pretending instead of the actual supernatural causes

In reality though, it doesn't matter what could be causing the experiences the person is having. They are labeled as experiencing a disease-based mental illness. They are told over and over that what they are experiencing isn't real. They are never believed. Eventually they learn to shut up or they get medicated or they get put away where their "delusions" and "hallucinations" can't upset anyone, make them uncomfortable, or cause the person to take desperate measures to try to alleviate their own suffering.

But what if? What if that schizophrenic man's senses pick up something more or different most people's do? What if the crazy cat-lady has an ability to communicate with her beloved pets in a way that most people aren't capable? What if the woman who sees the spirit of her dead daughter can see through the veil to an alternate reality that is opaque to most people? What if the joke of a psychic isn't a fraud or insane but actually has use of senses unavailable to most people? What if that man who thinks he is Jesus Christ is reliving the memory and sensory experiences from 2000+ years ago that most people will never experience?

And no one will ever believe them sincerely. They will be ridiculed or patronized or "diagnosed" and eventually, one way or another, they will be silenced. How ironic that the source of our fantasy life allows for so much more openmindedness, tolerance, and ultimate resolution than real life can ever afford.

Maybe, just maybe, the next time you see that man muttering to himself, you can consider the possibility that his world is actually BIGGER than yours, not restricted by a disability...