Christianity and Schizophrenia. Does it lead there?

[Muffled]

Abstract...

Did Christianity lead to schizophrenia? Psychosis, psychology and self reference

I think Christianity and theistic religions in general does lead people towards schizophrenia.

If a religion where God talks to or some disembodied voices talk to you, such as Angels or whatever, is there a risk involved in developing mental illness should it become too consuming?

I believe there is a risk whenever a person is spiritually receptive. I believe people who meditate are also at risk.

 

[Muffled]

Existence of papers like these make psychology difficult to take seriously.

I believe tunnel vision is definitely a mental illness and psychologists can develop it as easily as anyone else.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I believe there is a risk whenever a person is spiritually receptive. I believe people who meditate are also at risk.

That is true. In Buddhism there is a term called mayko where phenomenal sensations and experiences arises as a result of meditations. It's discounted by clergy and lay practitioners who understand the nature by which tactile sensations arise that come across as exceptional, but some who are not aware may play into it more when they start hearing voices, smells, disembodiment, amongst other variations.

 

[Muffled]

In Christianity, God doesn't talk to people in their minds except perhaps in one or two instances during their lifetimes, and it is done in a manner that usually is encountered during a sleep state.

God has already said all that he shall to us in the Bible. That he may respond to prayers within moments, minutes, so that at times you know - it only could have been as a result of your prayer, is not speaking to us in words, but deeds.

After prayer, we might also be guided to find the scripture that speaks to our problem we prayed about. Thus, we read what his edicts and desires are for us - this also is not hearing voices in our heads. When during my younger years, as a foreigner where I lived, my family (wife and kids, and me) ran into problems of employment which is common for people who may not be fluent in the language of the country they live in, when we prayed for help with these material needs, it always was such that when one job ran out, another one was provided in timely fashion. That also has nothing to do with hearing voices, but is again a direct prayer answer thing.

Again, the attacks that non Christians keep on heaping on us for our faith is astounding. I would think that people who claim that things make themselves and create themselves would be more likely to end up having people in white frocks assisting them in secure places than Christians.

Don't much appreciate this kind of uninformed putting down of our faith.

What, Buddhism with its beliefs of demons and attaining the state of Buddha sure seems to be a bit out there in the fantasy world, being reborn in some other form with this cycle going on for eons. A little too much to someone like me who thinks that death is total destruction. Who seems more anchored in reality here?!

I believe this statement is false. It must be based on a particular person's experience. I believe it is similar to the idea hta God doesn't speak to people because he doesn't speak to me. It is called the fallacy of reasoning from the particular to the general.

I believe there is no evidence to support that concept.

 

[Muffled]

That is true. In Buddhism there is a term called mayko where phenomenal sensations and experiences arises as a result of meditations. It's discounted by clergy and lay practitioners who understand the nature by which tactile sensations arise that come across as exceptional, but some who are not aware may play into it more when they start hearing voices, smells, disembodiment, amongst other variations.

I believe that is a lame excuse akin to physicians who discount healing by saying that the person got well naturally.

 

[Muffled]

The theory of Sluggishly Progressive Schizophrenia was the justification the Soviets used to locked up political dissidents in mental hospitals including people of religious belief. This continues to be a problem in China and Cuba. I'm not sympathetic with attempts to characterise religious belief as a mental illness, because it is a pseudo-scientific disguise for anti-religious bigotry built on unsubstantiated assumptions of the "sanity" and moral superiority of western, secular liberals.

The measure of sanity in the West is conformity and is why it is popular to characterise criminals as suffering from "psychopathic" tendencies whilst treating the same behaviour by the members of the state apparatus as sane. Whilst there are very real anomalies in human behaviour which pose a physical threat to members of society, using psychological criteria in this way is a "cheap" argument to appeal to people's prejudices about mental illness because we continue to live in a society in which the fear of expressing our emotions is normal.

It is possible that Individual Christians may have mental illness and some may have played an important historical role in its origin and development, but the overwhelming majority of Christians are and (presumably) were quite sane and acted on the basis of the most advanced scientific knowledge of their time. This doesn't mean there isn't a relationship between beliefs and personality traits (or disorders) but it deserves to be qualified as a highly uncertain area of study with far-reaching ethical implications if it were demonstrated to be true.

I remember when cults were strong and there was an effort by family members to deprogram them. In a sense the cult members were being thought of as having a mental illness. My efforts to deprogram my JW brother-in-law have been in vain. Maybe I just don't have the right technique to overcome psychological barriers.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I believe that is a lame excuse akin to physicians who discount healing by saying that the person got well naturally.

No. Because we're already talking about otherwise healthy people. Not those who have schizophrenia to begin with. For people who are mentally ill with conditions like schizophrenia, Christian, Buddhist, or otherwise, there would need to be a coming to terms with the sensations and voices prior to practices for engaging in any kind of worship should the latter be a theist setting.

 

[Grandliseur]

I believe this statement is false. It must be based on a particular person's experience. I believe it is similar to the idea hta God doesn't speak to people because he doesn't speak to me. It is called the fallacy of reasoning from the particular to the general.

I believe there is no evidence to support that concept.

First off, in no way can I, or do I, control what God does or wants to do. All I can do is go from what is revealed about how God works in scriptures. If God wants to speak to someone, I do not think he will ask my permission!

I have had a few dreams that came true, and once during a particular difficult time, I had a voice speaking to me while I kind of slept and was in trouble with what I was contemplating. It simply asked me if this really was what I wanted to do. Fortunately, it brought me to my senses.

I have had about 4 encounters with demons, one of them witnesses by many, another by physical evidence, the other two are just personal claims.

 

[Muffled]

First off, in no way can I, or do I, control what God does or wants to do. All I can do is go from what is revealed about how God works in scriptures. If God wants to speak to someone, I do not think he will ask my permission!

I have had a few dreams that came true, and once during a particular difficult time, I had a voice speaking to me while I kind of slept and was in trouble with what I was contemplating. It simply asked me if this really was what I wanted to do. Fortunately, it brought me to my senses.

I have had about 4 encounters with demons, one of them witnesses by many, another by physical evidence, the other two are just personal claims.

I believe then you should pay attention to this one:
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.

I believe I have had two encounters one without and one within. I am not going to count my wife's as my own since I wasn't personally involved.

 

[Muffled]

No. Because we're already talking about otherwise healthy people. Not those who have schizophrenia to begin with. For people who are mentally ill with conditions like schizophrenia, Christian, Buddhist, or otherwise, there would need to be a coming to terms with the sensations and voices prior to practices for engaging in any kind of worship should the latter be a theist setting.

I don't believe you responded to what I was saying. I am saying one may not discount experiences simply because one has a different opinion.