First published in 1974, this pioneering work reframes acute psychotic episodes in the context of visionary experience & describes the resulting innovative methods of handling them. In his extensive experience with patients on hospital wards, Dr. Perry discovered that, when he gave the wholehearted attention to the ideation in these episodes, the images & emotions not only became more coherent but also embarked upon a somewhat orderly process aiming toward a fundamental reorganization of the self. Further, in case after case, symbolic expressions occurred with striking similarity, imagery with recognizable parallels in ancient myth & ritual forms. These findings led Dr. Perry to reshape his view of the psychotic episode as a "renewal process" overwhelming the individual in a prolonged "visionary state," even suggesting that the experience - rather than pathological - was nature's attempt to heal. This book recounts experiences of individuals undergoing such upheavals, discussing at length the sense of messianic callings & programs, the renewal of self & its relation to creativity & finally a philosophy & method of treatment.