Psychological Aspects
In society at large the true relevance of the Caul is often misunderstood, and the little that is known about it is often mixed with superstition and old wives’ tales. This often gives rise to Caulbearers themselves misunderstanding exactly what drives them and what they sense. They will often learn through hard experience that others often react to them strangely, by avoiding them or acting in peculiar ways, without them actually understanding why. They may have had their caul destroyed at birth, as has been the policy of many maternity hospitals, but particularly those run by religious groups.
A person may have their caul, or it may have been kept for them without their knowledge, depending on the degree of understanding of relatives or midwives on the matter. There are many permutations, but the Caulbearer may often attempt to find out why they feel the way they do to no avail.
They may regularly perceive things that they cannot relate to others for fear of ridicule or misunderstanding. It is not uncommon to find Caulbearers who become addicted to alcohol or other substances, in a vain attempt to block out a world that fails to understand them.
There is a very high risk of suicide due to the same circumstances: and often the unfortunate Caulbearer may become dependent on medicines which are prescribed to treat a mistaken diagnosis of psychosis or schizophrenia.
It was once a common experience for Caulbearers to be brought to a priest to have rites of exorcism performed on them, due to their parents desire to drive out the influence which they often believed to be causing the Caulbearer’s problems in adjusting to a supposedly normal life. Such things should be completely avoided, especially in the case of children, so as not to cause further feelings of rejection, which may further drive them into a state of mental anguish.
It is for these reasons, in particular, that this site is provided as a basic source of information so that such unnecessary suffering, which is often due to ignorance and misunderstanding, may be avoided in future.