Could belief in an afterlife, etc. lead to psychosis?

[Jimmy]

Is it rational? Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being or is it considered a normal and healthy thought? Also, could things like believing in Christ, his resurrection and second coming have the potential to lead to mental illness as well?

 

[Valjean]

Not psychotic. Maybe delusional.
Yes, it can seriously affect one psychologically and socially. Yes it's considered normal because many people believe it.

 

[Jimmy]

Not psychotic. Maybe delusional.
Yes, it can seriously affect one psychologically and socially. Yes it's considered normal because many people believe it.

Hmm. That sounds bleak.

 

[Jimmy]

Not psychotic. Maybe delusional.
Yes, it can seriously affect one psychologically and socially. Yes it's considered normal because many people believe it.

Isn’t psychotic and delusional the same thing? Also how come many people who believe in an afterlife have families, jobs, are decent people and don’t have psychological or mental illnesses?

 

[The Hammer]

Isn’t psychotic and delusional the same thing?

I don't think they're the same.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Is it rational? Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being or is it considered normal because many people believe in it?

Its not irrational at all.

You used to be dead , now you are here alive.

It's not psychotic, it's reality. Welcome to the afterlife as it is now.

Of course it could be delusional if you're thinking of an afterlife that you can be something of your choosing when in reality you just can't tell because the future event hasn't happened yet.

 

[Viker]

No.




(Sorry for the extra long reply)

 

[SalixIncendium]

Well, there are a few questions to unpack here...

Title question: Is it psychotic? No. Believing what a majority believe in the absence of evidence is not psychotic.

Is it rational?

No. I don't consider believing in something without reason in the absence of evidence rational.

Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being or is it considered normal because many people believe in it?

Normality is based on culture and societal standards. That said, people who believe in an afterlife would consider it "normal" where others that do not believe in an afterlife wouldn't.

I think for most people, there is no significant impact to their mental well-being, but there is potential dependent upon what people believe about an afterlife, especially when the afterlife is wholly dependent upon one's conduct in this life.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Isn’t psychotic and delusional the same thing?

No.

This is like asking if apple trees and apples are the same thing.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Is it rational? Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being or is it considered normal because many people believe in it?

Is belief in an afterlife psychotic? No, not as I understand psychotic.
Is ir rational? Depends on how you understand rational.
Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being? Yes, as it can influence how you live your life.
Is it considered normal because many people believe in it? Normal has no objective standard, so yes, it depends on how many people believe in it.

 

[SalixIncendium]

You used to be dead...

I was never dead.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Is it rational? Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being or is it considered normal because many people believe in it?

No, it is certainly not psychotic - but I think it is delusional.

It might be rational if one has already accepted the evidence as to the validity of a particular religious belief (that which makes sense to oneself), but when this is stacked up against so many other similar but different beliefs perhaps it is not that rational. Although with so many of these religious beliefs having some kind of belief in an afterlife it perhaps is more rational than irrational, but numbers believing are not that important as to such being more likely. The numbers having a particular religion are probably more the dice of history rolling than much else, such as superiority.

For many of us no doubt there is an issue as to such beliefs affecting one's life (and others) - as to how one might treat others or in expectations as to this life and/or as to any future life. Without such beliefs, many will try to live this life (the one and only) such that the consequences of such are important for oneself and others, without relying on some future justice or enticements. So perhaps trying to make this world better for all and not just for themselves. Also, given that suicide is very common, many might be doing such in an expectation of some better future life or as to exiting an existing painful one. If there is no such afterlife then only the latter is actually valid.

 

[Madsaac]

Personally speaking I think it's irrational and how you come to believe in the afterlife, may be considered irrational.

I don't think it would generally it would have too much of an effect on your mental state.

 

[Quintessence]

Isn't it sort of the wrong question to ask "is it rational" when humans are fundamentally driven by emotional needs - particularly with this aspect of existential meaning and purpose? Being rational isn't the point of human life just in general. It's being happy or content with oneself and one's lot in life. Which is a pretty rational need. The two are always found together in humans.

 

[Jimmy]

Isn't it sort of the wrong question to ask "is it rational" when humans are fundamentally driven by emotional needs - particularly with this aspect of existential meaning and purpose? Being rational isn't the point of human life just in general. It's being happy or content with oneself and one's lot in life. Which is a pretty rational need. The two are always found together in humans.

I’m talking about ones mental well being. Being mentally ill from believing such things.

 

[Jimmy]

I was never dead.

^^^This^^^

 

[Jimmy]

No, it is certainly not psychotic - but I think it is delusional.

It might be rational if one has already accepted the evidence as to the validity of a particular religious belief (that which makes sense to oneself), but when this is stacked up against so many other similar but different beliefs perhaps it is not that rational. Although with so many of these religious beliefs having some kind of belief in an afterlife it perhaps is more rational than irrational, but numbers believing are not that important as to such being more likely. The numbers having a particular religion are probably more the dice of history rolling than much else, such as superiority.

For many of us no doubt there is an issue as to such beliefs affecting one's life (and others) - as to how one might treat others or in expectations as to this life and/or as to any future life. Without such beliefs, many will try to live this life (the one and only) such that the consequences of such are important for oneself and others, without relying on some future justice or enticements. So perhaps trying to make this world better for all and not just for themselves. Also, given that suicide is very common, many might be doing such in an expectation of some better future life or as to exiting an existing painful one. If there is no such afterlife then only the latter is actually valid.

I think many many people, religious or not live their life as a nice person not because they’re concerned about the consequences in the afterlife, but they’re concerned about consequences in their real life.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I was never dead.

Technically true. It's easier though to explain to those who don't see the big picture.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Is it rational? Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being or is it considered normal because many people believe in it?

No. People really need to stop misusing mental health terms. It's not "delusional", either.

As for "irrational", human beings are mostly irrational in general so it doesn't matter.

 

[ppp]

Is it rational? Does it have the potential to seriously affect your mental well being or is it considered normal because many people believe in it?

Rational? No. Normal? Obviously. Potential to affect your emotional well being...no more or less than anything else that is important to your emotional core or sense of self.

Psychotic? WTF?