Dream State: The Storm Within
What becomes possible from here?
The life behind the books
I’m Justin McDermott, a writer, artist and peer navigator in Victoria. My work grows from voices, psychosis, recovery and the relationships and everyday practices that helped me find a way back.
Dream State: The Storm Within tells the lived story. When Meaning Becomes Absolute explores meaning, psychosis and agency. The Humans We Become asks how love, responsibility and our relationships shape what we can become.
The memoir is available now in paperback and Kindle. Books two and three are planned for 11 February 2027.
Explore the trilogy · Meet Justin · Your Own Compass peer navigation
Learning how to carry meaning without being carried away by it.
Reader Reviews
"When Meaning Becomes Sovereign: A Philosophy of Meaning, Psychosis, Care and Return, by Justin McDermott, is a must-read for anyone interested in creative ways to navigate challenging times in life, including psychosis — clinicians and people with lived experience alike. Through metaphor, McDermott holds the reader's attention with a narrative that relocates complex experiences back into the domain of human experience rather than pathology. In doing so, he gives us a sense of talking about something universal — something that pertains to some degree to all of us. He also offers insight into how to emerge from these difficult experiences, which, however painful, are pregnant with meaning and can become sites of learning. Far from a self-help register, his is an invitation: to be inspired, and to develop your own creative process."
— Dr Luis Gustavo Vechi, PhD; Clin Psychologist
Dream State: The Storm Within is an eloquent and engaging account of Justin's profound psychological struggle to know himself. Written with honesty, originality and wisdom, Justin vividly conveys the magical "dream state" that is called psychosis. He extracts the gifts of this experience and shows how expanded states of awareness can be a powerful catalyst for human spiritual and personal growth.
— Louisa D Pearce, Social Worker and Author
Deeply compelling and awe-inspiring, Justin's story is one of resilience, courage, and hope. Each chapter offers powerful insights into navigating mental distress, homelessness, addiction, and profound loss, culminating in an inspiring story of survival, healing, and growth.
With remarkable honesty and vulnerability, Justin shares deeply personal reflections that invite the reader to walk beside him through changing weather and seasons of life. His words are infused with hope, reminding us that even in life's darkest moments, light can still be found.
Powerfully motivating and moving, this is more than a memoir; it is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, the search for meaning amid adversity, and strength through connection, community, and self-discovery.
— Rachael King, Lived Experience
‘A courageous memoir, brave and so very relatable in so many ways that I can only imagine touches all in unique ways. It tugs at your heart, and Justin writes with beautifully descriptive, emotive and poetic language, entrusting you with his inner and outer landscape and life journey.’
— Kirsty White, Psychiatric Nurse