Ninety Years of Multiple Psychotic-Like and Spiritual Experiences in a Doctor Honoris Causa: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Rodolfo Furlan Damiano, Liliane Machado, Alexandre Andrade Loch, Alexander Moreira-Almeida, Leonardo Machado
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease June 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001290 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 90-year-old famous Brazilian medium |
| Keywords | Humans Hallucinations Spirituality Psychotic disorders Universities Famous persons Brazil Male Functional status |
| Key findings | A 90-year-old Brazilian medium reported psychotic-like, dissociative, and spiritual experiences but coped well without psychiatric or psychological assistance, published more than 200 books, and ran a nonprofit caring for 5,000 people daily. The authors argue that research must distinguish pathological from nonpathological psychotic experiences to avoid overmedicalization and iatrogenic treatments. |
Abstract
Abstract: Psychotic experiences are common experiences shared by a considerable part of the world's population. Moreover, most of the individuals who report these experiences also report those called spiritual and dissociative phenomena. In specific culture and religious backgrounds, these experiences are frequently seen as a part of normal human experiences, usually called mediumship. We report a case of a famous Brazilian medium with 90 years of experiencing psychotic-like, dissociative and/or spiritual experiences, but coped well with the experiences and never sought psychiatric or psychological assistance. The medium received several honorific prizes, such as doctor honoris causa from different institutions, published more than 200 books, and ran a nonprofit organization that takes care of 5000 people daily. Finally, we review the literature on this topic and stress the urge for more research aiming to distinguish pathological and nonpathological psychotic experiences to avoid overmedicalization and iatrogenic treatments.
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