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Simplistic thought is not useful if you are trying to understand the world. Simplistic thought is prevalent among the Earth's people. Many people's thinking is guided by others who are self-appointed authorities, or who have education and authoritative jobs and who are therefore deemed wise.

Most people are afraid to think for themselves. My father encouraged independent thinking in my early upbringing, and this trait didn't always help me. But it made me the person I am today. I am not afraid to think and to draw my own conclusions. I've discovered that when I'm not psychotic, much of my thinking turns out to be conventional, and parallel to that of many others.

It helps people with psychotic tendencies if we can improve our ability to listen. At the same time, it helps if we have a system that can allow us to learn to think more clearly. Such a system doesn't necessarily have to be created by ourselves, it can be something we've studied--so long as the system works. And remember that any system you or other people develop will have limits--it won't apply to all things. 

Perhaps the first step to liberating oneself from a delusion is to become aware that a thought might seem unusual. And we should remember that when a delusion takes hold, it may seem very real to us at the time. Conspiracy theories should be at the top of our list for systems of thought likely to be delusional. Another type of thought we should question is that of comparing ourselves to Jesus or some other religious figure. Conspiracy theories should be nullified in the thinking. Delusions of grandeur should also be negated. 

Notice I've not said, "eliminated." The human mind doesn't normally delete thoughts, I believe. Thoughts become deleted through memory loss, something that usually doesn't help people. In the absence of memory loss, we can create new thoughts that supersede the previous ones. It is akin to putting new paint on top of old paint. (In the case of paint, you could scrape off or sandblast the old paint if you wanted. But the human mind doesn't really delete thoughts, as I've said.) 

The way to pinpoint a delusion and weaken its influence can vary. Medication is certainly helpful. But medication by itself may not be enough. We can sometimes do a scan on our minds to discover delusions. This is like a virus scan on a computer. To do this, we need some criteria for comparison.  

The criteria could be written in a paper notebook. It isn't advisable to write anything private on a computer. An example of one criterion: "Is this the kind of thinking that most people have?" If the answer is "no," it suggests that the thought could be a delusion. Another criterion: "Does this thought make me special or unusual?" If the answer is "yes," then the thought could be a delusion. 

It is fine to be unconventional and unique--I'm not arguing with that. However, even among those who are special and unique, there are norms. We are all human beings, none of us can defy the laws of physics or of nature. Essentially, we are all the same--made of the same stuff. There is no shortage of those who believe themselves to be the most brilliant or greatest in some way. Yet, if you're going to believe that about yourself, it must be substantiated. And it is okay, and good, to be essentially the same as most people. 

There are more criteria that you can use to evaluate thoughts. I don't have the space here to make a long list. However, experience is a good guide. You could ask yourself: "Is this the kind of thinking I had a year ago when I was stabilized?" or, "Is this the same kind of thinking I had when I was headed for the hospital on the previous round of psychosis?" 

Once you get some of the delusions corrected in your thinking, it can lead to becoming more grounded, and your mind will begin to sync more with "normal" thought.  

Being connected to other human beings, hopefully people who are not also delusional, is essential. Some churches or other spiritual groups promulgate collective delusional thought. In this case, you're syncing your mind to a collective delusional system. Being in connection and communication with a variety of people with varied perspectives helps. Some psychiatrists may completely disbelieve in all religion. Yet they are grounded in the five physical senses, and this kind of perspective can help, even if you do not fully agree with it. 

What is sanity? If you ask a billion people that question, you might get a billion different answers. However, you need to have the ability to function among people, and this entails sharing most commonly held beliefs.