TL;DR
Robert Escriva, a Cornell CS PhD, published a PDF titled 'Engineering Schizophrenia' that adapts debugging methods from distributed systems to managing schizophrenic delusions. He frames the work as a practical, ongoing process rather than a memoir and is inviting discussion and collaboration.
What happened
On Hacker News a software engineer and researcher, Robert Escriva, announced a short book in PDF form that documents his attempt to apply techniques from distributed and complex systems debugging to the experience of psychosis. Escriva, who holds a PhD from Cornell's Computer Science department (2017), says a psychotic episode three years ago prompted him to translate engineering practices into tools for recognizing and mitigating his own delusions. He describes the manuscript as a guide and a warning for people who ask what happens if their brain begins to fail, and emphasizes that the work reflects an ongoing process rather than a completed recovery narrative. Escriva also expressed the belief that parts of this process could be automated using methods borrowed from machine-based systems, and he asked the technical and survivor communities for feedback. In comments, at least one reader shared a personal recovery story and cited a mentor and resource in the field.
Why it matters
- Brings a cross-disciplinary engineering perspective to lived experiences of psychosis, which could expand conversations about self-management.
- Suggests that techniques from computing might inform new approaches to tracking or responding to mental-health crises.
- Invites technical and lived-experience communities to collaborate on practical tools and methods.
- Raises questions about the role of automation and engineering principles in supporting human cognition under stress.
Key facts
- Author: Robert Escriva, PhD in Computer Science from Cornell (2017).
- Trigger: Escriva reports a psychotic episode three years prior to the post.
- Work: He published a PDF titled 'Engineering Schizophrenia' that adapts distributed-systems debugging to his own experience of delusions.
- Framing: The book is presented as a guide and a warning, not a healing memoir.
- Automation: Escriva states he believes the process may be automate-able using techniques applied to machine systems.
- Community ask: He is soliciting discussion and collaboration from others who recognize the stakes of the human mind.
- Commentary: A responder described a decade-long history of hearing voices and reports long-term recovery without medication beginning in 2012, citing Dr. Paris Williams' 'Rethinking Madness' as influential.
- Source: Announcement and comments appeared on Hacker News (Show HN), posted 2026-01-11.
What to watch next
- Responses and follow-up discussion on the original Hacker News thread and related forums.
- Development of any tools or prototypes to automate parts of the approach (not confirmed in the source).
- Peer review, clinical engagement, or formal evaluation of the techniques described (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Schizophrenia: A psychiatric diagnosis characterized by a range of symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and impaired social functioning; manifestation and course vary widely between individuals.
- Psychosis: A mental state in which a person has impaired contact with reality, often involving hallucinations or delusions.
- Distributed systems: A computing paradigm in which components located on networked computers communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages.
- Byzantine fault: A class of failures in distributed systems where components may fail and give conflicting or deceptive information to different parts of the system, making reliable coordination difficult.
- Debugging: The process of identifying, diagnosing, and fixing problems or unexpected behaviors in a system.
Reader FAQ
Who wrote 'Engineering Schizophrenia'?
Robert Escriva, who holds a PhD in Computer Science from Cornell (2017).
What is the book about?
It documents the author's efforts to apply distributed-systems debugging techniques to his own schizophrenic delusions and presents a practical, ongoing process rather than a traditional memoir.
Is the book available as a PDF?
Yes—Escriva announced the work as a PDF in his post.
Has this approach been clinically validated?
Not confirmed in the source.
Is the author seeking collaboration?
Yes—he explicitly asked for others to engage in discussion on the topic.
Hi HN! My name's Robert Escriva. I got my PhD from Cornell's Computer Science department back in 2017. And three years ago I had a psychotic episode that irreversibly shook…
Sources
- Show HN: Engineering Schizophrenia: Trusting Yourself Through Byzantine Faults
- I'm schizohprenic and I need help – rescrv.net
- Decoding Schizophrenia: How AI-Enhanced fMRI Unlocks …
- Optimization of Multidimensional Clinical Information …
Related posts
- Interactive California Budget: Year-by-Year Revenue and Expenditure Projections
- Pigeon’s Device (2009): Sparse Archive Entry on PigeonsNest.co.uk
- American Dialect Society Names ‘Slop’ as 2025 Word of the Year