A cautionary tale

Just thought I'd bump this old thread to announce that I've created an article on Alexis-Vincent-Charles Berbiguier de Terre-Neuve du Thym at Wikipedia. It even has a picture of the fellow from his book.

The Wikipedia is really an amazing project, one that I'd recommend to anyone who likes to pontificate. It's a free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. I would point out, though, that the Tarot article is currently a dog's breakfast in need of major reorganization.

I'm tormented by imps as well. They steal my keys, misplace my cards, sprinkle PCP in my coffee or tea so I can't sleep and I just sit there staring at nothing. They make me late to work EVERY day with their mischeif. That and I am a victim of demon posession once a month; every 28 days or so.

And they brought this thread to your attention?

Welcome to Aeclectic.

If people would like to read a truly fascinating story of a man experiencing schizophrenia they might like to try
Memoirs of my nervous illness Paul Schreber, trans. I Macalpine and R.A. Hunter, (Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1988); originally published in 1903.

Schreber was a highly intellgent man who experienced his first psychotic break in 1894, the year after he was appointed as a Judge in a superior state court in Dresden.

He developed paranoid schizophrenia and was to spend thirteen years in insane aylums. His book was written towards the end of his last hospitaliation and is regarded as a classic. It is amazing and leaves the reader breathless and a little overwhelmed with sadness.

For a brilliant book on schizophrenia in the context of philosophy, art and literature, one cannot do better than Louis Sass's Madness and Modernism, Harvard University Press, 1992.

I found the Schreber though Sass.

hey, now, everyone, lets not write off "imps" as a sign of mental illness....if there's anything ive learned thus far in life, its that anything is possible....

and I mean ANYTHING

and remember centuries and centuries ago it was a standard peice of knowledge that the world was flat

and whoever said it wasnt----- was "crazy"

and who turned out to be right???

Tehehe.

Imp-ossible
Magical
Problematic

A somewhat readable translation summary

http://translate.google.com/transla...er+de+Terre+neuve+du+Thym.&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8

I realize the illustration shows a silly impression and the two letters noted make the French gentleman sound rather delusional.

I actually received a book today by a fanciful illustrator written in French and thought I'd use it in odd moments to brush up on my 'schoolgirlish' memories of French. It's titled fancifully about being a witness to fairies, but the illustrator, Alika Lindbergh, was actually more inclined to draw biological specimens and then fancifully paint portraits or illustrations to her husbands scientific theories. I just realized the tone of her biography doesn't sound anything like what this poor gentleman suffered...

Regards,

Cerulean

bleudiamond said:

and remember centuries and centuries ago it was a standard peice of knowledge that the world was flat

Click to expand...

You mean it's NOT?

last time i checked it was more rounded, yes.


...lol

bleudiamond said:

last time i checked it was more rounded, yes.

Click to expand...

Oh, that. Blame it on global warning. All the rain those hurricanes have stirred up have started to wear away some of the sharp edges.