We all do what we want, anyway. But, what you 'want' can be a subconscious- rebellious decision, or a conscious one . Conscious, autonomous decisions don't come paired with justifications. I suppose that's a different level of freedom.

http://thedoublemessage.com/
What year did you write your book? Was it available in 1985?

My initial thought (before going to bed after a very long day), is that the fear of going insane causes more suffering than "going insane," which according to R'D. Laing (read him?) is a form of natural healing -- which in our modern culture is more a feared place to be stuck in than a transcendence, and so a self-fulfilling expectation.
http://www.amazon.com/Divided-Self-Existential-Madness-Psychology/dp/0140135375/ref=pd_sim_b_4

The politics of experience is a good intro.

Enjoying the dialog.

These days I'm more into screen writing and small book publishing.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3198377/
Might have my first feature go into production soon, depending on negotiations between my producer and backers.