God’s Crooked Lines: Paranoia or Reality?

  They say that Torcuato Luca de Teno pretended to be suffering from a depressive psychosis in order to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. He succeeded and spent about 18 days at the Nuestra Señora de la Fuentecilla Hospital in Mexico, where there were about 800 residents. In the end, they ‘caught’ him and discovered him to be sane, but not before the seasoned journalist had obtained the story of his life. His experience taught him about the complex micro-universe of mental health centers in the 1970s, as well as the praiseworthy work of doctors, nurses, and caregivers. Professionals who…