Abstract

My paper explores Maria Lugones’ concept of “world travelling” and how we can use it for the purposes of engaging with people who have schizophrenia in order to reduce stigma. I argue that travelling to a schizophrenic person’s “world” can help us gain a better understanding of her situation and experiences and, as a result, I argue that the interpersonal interaction which world travelling facilitates can reduce the stigmatization associated with this mental illness. I argue that the effects of stigma are similar to Marilyn Frye’s notion of “arrogant perception” and arrogantly perceiving persons with mental illnesses prevents us from actively engaging with them and “loving them.” After looking at a few objections against the idea of implementing world travelling as a means of engaging persons with schizophrenia, specifically the problem of role taking and the limits of understanding another person’s subjective experiences, I conclude by arguing that world travelling is a useful anti-stigma strategy because it requires us to interact with the other person, and contact is the most effective way of overcoming stigma associated with mental illness.