Questioning Everything Propaganda
Andrey—your life, your compassion, and your work of truth will not fade into the gallows. I promise to carry your burden of revealing truth forward.
On January 15, 2016, Andrey’s relapse into psychosis began to cast shadows over his once-bright world. A man who filled his apartment with vibrant artwork and intellectual pursuits, diving deeply into topics like economics and quantum mechanics, Andrey’s unique light was threatened by the cruel tides of mental illness and societal misunderstanding.
On April 10th, we worked together to clean and rearrange his apartment in anticipation of a gathering. Andrey’s dire need for connection and companionship was palpable, but the evening ended in disappointment, with only one guest arriving. The disinterest Andrey faced left a lingering wound that surfaced as frustration and despair. In the days following, his vibrant world began to unravel, starting with the shredding of his life’s work—an act that symbolized his internal turmoil.
Andrey’s paranoia led to the destruction of both our possessions: his laptop, his TV, and even his cherished research, along with my LaserDisc collection. His paranoia was further fueled by a series of suspicious incidents. One day, upon returning to his apartment, we found his door ajar, with a half-eaten cookie in a brown bag between the door and the doorframe—a detail impossible given that we had locked the door securely before stepping out for no more than 20 minutes. To his horror, Andrey also discovered his private diary and files on psychotronics missing from his duffle bag. I witnessed his panic and disbelief firsthand.
The following day, I brought Andrey an EMF meter to detect potential radio transmitters, as his concerns about surveillance had escalated. He spent hours meticulously scanning every foot of his apartment, driven by a need to uncover anything that might validate his fears. These events propelled his paranoia to unbearable heights, creating a cascade of mistrust and fear that compounded his mental decline.
Adding to this spiral were the influences of two individuals, Tim and Tom. Tim emerged during Andrey’s involvement with Occupy Chicago, convincing him to pursue grand projects like petitioning for a modern Homestead Act and reparations for slavery. Both endeavors were wildly ambitious and ultimately burned Andrey out, leaving him exhausted and disillusioned. Tim’s secretive and controlling nature, combined with an FBI file linking him to past criminal activities, fueled Andrey’s suspicions and paranoia. Tom’s influence, while less direct, also reinforced Andrey’s growing mistrust, contributing to his eventual isolation.
Andrey’s struggles with identity and sexuality added another layer of complexity. According to a close family member, he experimented with homosexuality after losing confidence in heterosexual relationships due to the impacts of schizophrenia. This exploration, however, was fraught with internal conflict, societal stigma, and the challenges of navigating relationships while managing his condition.
His journey—both physical and mental—was marked by encounters that revealed the complexity of his condition. From a sexual incident that sparked deep introspection about identity and fluidity to his relentless pursuit of understanding conspiracies and psychotronics, Andrey navigated an intricate web of challenges. Despite his struggle, he remained fiercely intelligent, his mind a battlefield of profound, contradictory, and delusional thoughts.
Andrey’s psychotic episodes were both harrowing and revealing. The voices he heard and the delusions he developed were his mind’s way of coping with an overwhelming reality. Whether or not psychotronic harassment was a factor, as Andrey sometimes believed, the outcomes mirrored the chaos of untreated schizophrenia. His fixation on reaching Area 51, spurred by his voices, was a dangerous manifestation of his condition. While his path grew perilous, I felt I could not abandon him.
Understanding Andrey required patience, compassion, and a willingness to listen without judgment. Holding his hand during an intense episode, I realized the importance of simply being present. In those moments, my role was not to fix but to ground him—to be a steady presence in his storm.
One of the most tragic aspects of Andrey’s story is the systemic failure to provide timely mental health support. Despite his clear need for therapy and treatment, bureaucratic hurdles, such as the two-year wait for Medicare enrollment, left him vulnerable. Andrey’s life could have taken a different trajectory if access to care had been immediate and consistent.
Andrey’s journey also reveals the tension between creativity and treatment. After excelling in a study on Abilify, Andrey requested to continue the medication, but his doctor refused. Feeling unheard and believing that his prior medications suppressed his creativity and clarity, Andrey chose to stop treatment altogether. This decision set the stage for his eventual walk to California, a symbolic yet heartbreaking attempt to reclaim autonomy over his mind and life.
The absence of professional support compounded his feelings of unworthiness and isolation. Andrey’s struggles with his sexuality, exacerbated by societal stigma, added another layer of complexity. He oscillated between shame and acceptance, navigating his identity in a world that offered little guidance or understanding.
Loving someone with a mental illness requires resilience. Andrey often distanced himself, sometimes perceiving love and concern as threats. Yet, indirect responses—a sign he was processing—were moments of hope. Consistency became my anchor: the steadfast expression of care, even when faced with opposition or silence.
Andrey’s family sought to aid him through friends in California, but after losing trust in those individuals, he became increasingly isolated. Tragically, in 2024, Andrey was found unresponsive in an alley in Culver City. This heartbreaking outcome underscores the importance of persistent advocacy and support for those in crisis.
Advocating for Andrey also meant navigating complex systems and reaching out to communities for support. From engaging with local radio networks to notifying authorities near Area 51 of his condition as he approached, each action was driven by the hope of ensuring his safety and dignity.
As I reflect on our shared experiences, I’ve dedicated myself to continuing the work Andrey and I envisioned. His meticulous documentation and recall of sources were his strengths, while abstract thinking was mine. Together, we recognized the darker forces at play in society—a mutual understanding born of intuition and evidence.
Recently, I began a blog inspired by our shared concerns. In just two days, I’ve written over 15 articles addressing pressing issues, grounding my insights in the lessons learned with Andrey. This blog, with some articles once password-protected, serves as a testament to our combined efforts. It reflects his wisdom to be more prudent and my dedication to carrying a mission of light forward with vigilance and care.
Andrey’s story underscores the importance of understanding, patience, and systemic change. Mental illness is not a solitary battle but one that requires a collective effort from friends, family, and society. We must dismantle the barriers to care and embrace those who struggle with compassion and unwavering support.
To Andrey: Your journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. May your story inspire others to extend grace and understanding to those navigating the turbulent waters of mental illness, sometimes acknowledging and partnering against conspiracies, especially those targeting individuals at the intersection of psychosis.
As I move forward, I carry Andrey’s ambition with me, a beacon of both caution and hope. For every challenge he faced, there remains the possibility of change—for individuals and the systems that failed him. Andrey’s life is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, the light of compassion can shine through. I will write a separate post soon, to be linked [The Case for Schizophrenia], on the social and political ramifications of why schizophrenia leads to homelessness, with interventions becoming nearly impossible as the impact of this condition manifests after a person becomes a legal adult, where consent to treatment becomes complex.
If you knew Andrey and would like to share a story, leave a testament, or share a photo, please click [Read More] to do so on a memorial page set up by his family.