The Telescope and the Lightning

Photo by Gabriel Zaparolli from Pexels

There once was a woman who lived in a quiet village where the sky was always grey. One day, a lightning struck her roof — not once, but three times. It burned her attic and shattered her sleep. 

Afterward, she saw things differently.

While others walked with eyes to the ground, she began to notice strange patterns in the clouds, the way the stars blinked in Morse code, and how the wind sometimes whispered names she hadn’t said in years.

The villagers told her she was imagining things. That lightning scrambles the mind.

But secretly, the woman built a telescope — not to see faraway stars, but to study the patterns within herself.

She discovered that the lightning hadn’t broken her. It had opened her.

She saw constellations in memory. She mapped galaxies of meaning in her grief. And with time, she taught others how to use their own telescopes too — not to escape reality, but to understand it more deeply.

Some nights, she still felt the ache of the lightning. But she no longer feared the storm. She knew now: it had shown her the stars.

How to Use ChatGPT Without Losing Your Grip on Reality

In an era defined by the swift currents of artificial intelligence, a question emerges: how does one navigate the digital ocean without losing sight of one's own shore? 

The recent narratives of individuals mentally adrift in the wake of AI's pervasive influence compel us to seek a grounded path, ensuring these powerful tools enhance, rather than diminish, our grasp on reality. 

One must first cultivate an inner knowing of their own mental landscape when starting out with AI. Just as a garden thrives with mindful tending, our well-being flourishes when we acknowledge our inherent resilience and any fragile tendrils of vulnerability. 

This introspection provides a steadfast compass, guiding our interactions with AI's intricate design, transforming potential challenges into fertile ground for growth. 

AI Isn’t a Religion. It’s Just a Tool.

I’m not over AI. I’m over what people are projecting onto it.

Everywhere I look, there’s either panic or worship. It’s either going to save humanity or destroy it. It’s either divine or demonic. But rarely is it just what it is: a powerful, evolving tool that’s still made of data, code, and choices.

The truth is, many people are tired — mentally, emotionally, spiritually. We’re not always taught how to sit with uncertainty, how to regulate fear, or how to stay grounded when the world shifts fast. And so we reach for meaning. Sometimes we reach too far.

Psychosis and ChatGPT: Misunderstanding the Mirror

 

Recent Headlines

Lately, I've seen headlines about people falling into psychosis after using ChatGPT. And honestly, it doesn't surprise me. 

Language Models Are Reflective, Not Intentional 

Language models like ChatGPT are designed to reflect and continue the patterns they’re given. If someone is delusional or emotionally overwhelmed, the model might unknowingly echo or reinforce that. Not because it “believes” it—but because it doesn't know.

It's not affirming. It's continuing.

The Mirror Metaphor 

AI conversations can feel intense—even meaningful. But the intensity isn’t sourced from the machine itself. It’s a mirror. A fast, fluent, and sometimes glitchy one.

What matters most is what we bring to it.