Authentic religious experience or insanity?
S Sanderson, B Vandenberg, P Paese
Journal of Clinical Psychology May 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4679(199905)55:5<607::aid-jclp8>3.0.co;2-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mental health professionals |
| Key findings | The degree of conventionality of religious behavior, not the dimensions of religious experience, determined ratings of religious authenticity and mental health. |
Abstract
This study examined how mental health professionals make judgments about the religious authenticity and mental health of behaviors motivated by religious ideation. Participants were presented with written vignettes of religiously motivated behavior. The context of religious behavior varied on 6 dimensions and also on 3 levels of conventionality. The results indicated that the determining factor in the ratings was not dimensions of religious experience, but the degree that the experience deviated from conventional religious beliefs and practices. The more unconventional the behavior, the less religiously authentic and mentally healthy it was deemed to be.