The Meaning of Life

The dawn of the 21st Century heralds an era of intense, prolonged and widespread genetic research and the race to find the Schizophrenic Gene is underway. The debate as to whether or not there exists a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia runs parallel.

Putting aside the arguments and evidence for and against a genetic link, imagine if such a gene were discovered.

It would certainly be regarded as a faulty gene, an abnormal mutation, undesirable, much the same way as schizophrenics are viewed in real life; and as in real life the powers that be would undoubtedly attempt to prevent this facet of humanity finding expression.

Would eugenics be implemented? Would prospective parents be asked to decide the fate of their unborn child? Decisions influenced by the opinions of clinical ‘experts’ who are preconditioned to produce and promote a Sanitised World. Maybe mothers and fathers would be offered the chance to have their child genetically modified, or perhaps wean their babies on neuroleptic drugs.

Medical science is literally in our veins; are we also to allow it to enter and alter our genetic make-up; to manipulate and contort the course of human evolution, to interfere with our destiny?

I was once told of an experiment that involved the premature extraction of a butterfly from its chrysalis - when the butterfly unfurled her wings, she was devoid of colour, a neutral grey.

Could we not create a climate in which we value and validate the acute perceptiveness of the Psyche-sensitive and celebrate such states as clear and unmistakable evidence of humankind evolving here and now, unfolding before us? Forerunners: testing-testing-1-2-3.

Should we not embrace and encourage rather than despise and fear the potential we possess as humans to explore and experience the labyrinths of our psyches? For ultimately it is only by doing so that we will make new discoveries, learn about ourselves and each other, and be free to see our true colours and realise our true selves.