How can I tell the difference between spiritual experience and psychosis symptoms?

This question sits at the heart of what many people face, and I won't pretend there's a clean answer. What I've learned from the Yoga Sutras is that genuine practice—whether spiritual or psychological—tends to increase your capacity to function, relate, and choose. Psychosis, by contrast, often narrows your world. It takes your agency. Here's what matters: Does the experience bring clarity or confusion? Can you still tend to your relationships, your body, your basic needs? Are you moving toward understanding, or away from connection? Spiritual experiences tend to deepen over time in ways that integrate with life. Psychotic breaks fragment it. One creates coherence; the other creates fracture. That doesn't make either experience less *real*—it's about impact. The practical move: Talk to someone trained in both psychology and contemplative practice. Not everyone can hold both perspectives, but those who can offer something valuable. And trust your own observation. You know when something is helping you grow versus when it's pulling you under. That knowing matters more than any label.