The controversy of religion and psychosis
Journal of Religion and Theology 2018 DOI: 10.22259/2637-5907.0202003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | A dominantly Christian, Eastern-European population |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | The authors report that in a dominantly Christian, Eastern-European population, schizophrenia is not associated with enhanced religiousness and spirituality, contrary to several other studies. They state that spiritual experiences are enhanced in schizophrenia but, in remission, can be discriminated from Christian beliefs, values, and practices, and that even radical religious conversions with mystical features are distinct from clinical psychosis. They argue this necessitates distinguishing unstructured, individual spirituality from historically embedded doctrinal religiosity. |
Abstract
The relationship between religion and psychosis is one of the most important and unanswered questions in pastoral psychology, theology, and psychiatry.Several studies suggested that psychotic states, such as schizophrenia,are associated with enhanced religiousness and spirituality.In a dominantly Christian, Eastern-European population, however, this is not the case.The data clearly show enhanced spiritual experiences in schizophrenia, but, in a remitted state, these experiences can be discriminated from Christian beliefs, values, and practices.Even radical religious conversions with mystical features are distinct from clinical psychosis.These findings necessitate the distinction between unstructured, individual spirituality and historically embedded doctrinal religiosity.