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[Religious experiences in schizophrenics].

M Ohara

Folia psychiatrica et neurologica japonica 1977 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1977.tb02682.x (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 2
Population Adults with schizophrenia
Keywords Humans Attitude to health Religion and psychology Schizophrenic psychology Christianity Adult Male Conflict, psychological
Key findings The authors report that two patients with schizophrenia had Christian religious experiences resembling conversion that continued into their spiritual lives and appeared to influence their healing process. These experiences arose from accumulated conflicts rather than suddenly, and patients' attitudes toward their illness shifted toward an "affirmative attitude with positive acceptance of one's own illness."

Abstract

Two cases of the schizophrenia are reported with phenomenological discussion of their religious experiences of Christian nature that appeared in the course of the illness. These experiences are so similar to the conversion and continue in the subsequent spiritual life of these patients and exert influences deeply upon the healing process of the illness. Their experiences of Christian nature didn't appear suddenly, but arose as consequence of a concentration of conflicts that had been accumulated up to that time similar to the phenomena of the conversion. The problem of the insight into the illness was also refered; the attitude toward the illness changed after the religious experiences into an "affirmative attitude with positive acceptance of one's own illness.".

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