Engineering Schizophrenia: Trusting yourself through Byzantine faults
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 up my world. Since then I've been applying a skill I learned in grad school---namely, debugging distributed and complex systems---to my own mind. What I've found I've put into a [book (pdf)](https://rescrv.net/engineering-schizophrenia.pdf) on engineering, my particular schizophrenic delusions, and how people who suffer as I once did can find a way through the fog to the other side. This is not a healing…
In plain words
A book by Robert Escriva that applies distributed systems debugging techniques to understanding schizophrenia and psychotic episodes. Written for people experiencing mental health crises or questioning their cognitive reliability, it offers a process-based guide rather than a cure. The work combines the author's computer science background with personal experience managing delusions, intended to help others navigate similar mental health challenges through systematic thinking and self-examination.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
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 up my world. Since then I've been applying a skill I learned in grad school---namely, debugging distributed and complex systems---to my own mind. What I've found I've put into a [book (pdf)](https://rescrv.net/engineering-schizophrenia.pdf) on engineering, my particular schizophrenic delusions, and how people who suffer as I once did can find a way through the fog to the other side. This is not a healing memoir; it is a guide and a warning for all those who never stopped to ask, "What happens if my brain begins to fail me?" I am writing because what I've found is not a destination, but a process. It is an ongoing process for me and for people like me. I also believe it is automate-able using the same techniques we apply to machine-based systems. I am looking for others who recognize the stakes of the human mind to engage in discussion on the topic. Happy hacking, Robert
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