So you're saying that, in tribal cultures, these sorts of experiences were beneficial and helpful to society, and to the individual. But these days, people who have these sorts of symptoms are maladapted to a modern society. It's difficult for me to accept that, knowing that I have adapted to society, and depending on who you ask, some would say I've adapted better than most.

As we discussed in the video, it seems that these types of experiences can give people perspective beyond the culture that they live in. Is there any culture that you can imagine which wouldn't benefit from greater perspective? The world has changed, but it hasn't changed so much that people aren't limited by their culture. As long as people are limited by culture, shamans will be necessary. In fact, the more that people claim that perspective outside of their culture isn't necessary - the more that they claim that their culture hasn't limited them - the more shamans are necessary.

Often people who write off psychiatry completely have a mental health problem, of varying severity.

Okay, I understand that's your opinion. You haven't addressed what I said. You're asserting that they have problems, but you're not providing any evidence. As I said, even if they are crazy, even if they are absolutely off-the-wall bonkers, and even if they are wrong about psychiatry as a whole, that doesn't necessarily mean their criticisms are inaccurate.

When really, no one knows how normal mental health struggles are more than psychiatric professionals. They see the worst of it.

That may be. I think you are missing a key distinction here. Psychiatrists see these mental states as illnesses to be treated. Yes, they may see it as "normal" (i.e. common) for people to be in these states, but it's unlikely for them to wonder: What can this individual gain from this experience? They may see the person as undergoing an experience which is common, but they will very rarely see the experience as either: normal, healthy, or beneficial.

And there is danger in romanticizing it as something that could be treated without medication.

If it's true, then it's not romanticising, is it?

Do you have to take meds regularly now?

Negative, I have never taken any psychotropic psychiatric medications.

Here's a like to my previous article on the subject, if you'd like to read it: https://steemit.com/philosophy/@churdtzu/mental-illness-how-and-what-to-learn-from-your-mind-breaking