Schizophrenia Patient or Spiritually Advanced Personality? A Qualitative Case Analysis.
Journal of Religion and Health October 1, 2015 Hemant Bhargav, Aarti Jagannathan, Nagarathna Raghuram et al.
Spiritual experiences and psychotic symptoms can appear similar, both involving alterations in the sense of self. Spiritual growth involves systematically reducing the ego to merge with universal consciousness, while psychosis stems from personality derangement. Clinical practice lacks clear guidelines for distinguishing them. This case presentation of a 34-year-old unmarried man with complaints of lacking a sense of self since childhood, existential questioning, social withdrawal, and occupational dysfunction uses qualitative analysis and discussions referencing ancient texts and modern psychology. The diagnosis was schizophrenia, not spiritual advancement, and the report tabulates clinically useful distinguishing features.