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Delirium is a symptom of mental disorders. It fits under a number of different pathologies, but is most acute in schizophrenics. It represents the appearance in the patient of a thought that haunts him and in which he is 100% convinced. It is simply impossible to convince the patient. Anyone who tries to do this is regarded by the patient as an enemy.
Delusions can be of a different nature: paranoia, when a person believes that he is being persecuted, or patients are sure that everyone around them wants to harm them, or they think that a public figure is in love with them. The manifestations of delirium can be very different. The level of its manifestation depends on the social environment of the person and the personality itself. There are many categories of delusions, but one of the most common is the religious variety.
What is religious nonsense?
This symptom is understood as a person’s beliefs in the existence of angels, God, and people also hear voices from above that order them to do something or say that they are the chosen ones, the messengers of this world. In general, everything related to religion and the supernatural can be attributed here. Patients are often convinced that they are controlled by other beings. For example, that the apostle Michael or the archangel, or even the Lord himself, moved into them. Also often the sick are convinced that they are followers of Jesus.
Prevalence of religious delusions in mental patients
This indicator depends on the type of disease and the place of residence of the patient. So:
- in Japan, 7% of 330 psychologically unhealthy people suffer from persecution mania;
- in the US, about 40% of psychiatric patients are schizophrenics;
- also in America there are 16-20% of patients with megalomania and biopolar.
All of them are prone to manifestations of religious delusions.
Differences between religious and classical nonsense
Psychologically unstable people are usually born with an active right hemisphere. These are people with paranoid beliefs who are afraid of ghosts, everything mystical and otherworldly. If we compare a person with a mental illness and a patient with religious delusions, then the second differs from the first in the following ways:
- may agree that his beliefs cannot be supported by facts, they are unfounded. Psychotics, on the other hand, always stand their ground and like to embellish their story;
- enter communities and groups of people who believe in the same religious beliefs;
- there are no other symptoms, such as suicidal thoughts;
- can achieve spiritual growth and development.
In psychiatry, the question of delimiting religious delirium and normal faith is sharply raised. Sometimes ardent worshipers of the faith may show habits unusual for normal people.
What else is important to know?
In the course of a study of various psychological deviations, doctors came to the conclusion that it was schizophrenics who were more prone to the manifestation of religious delusions than patients with bipolar disorder, depression and other mental illnesses.
If the disease develops too rapidly, then other accompanying symptoms can be observed — active hallucinations, aggression, sleep disturbance, and so on. Such conditions, when the body is in a state of excitement day and night, even lead to suicidal tendencies, and sometimes everything ends in death.
Moreover, if a person is also an ardent admirer of religion, often prays and thinks that salvation is in God, then he goes even more crazy with schizophrenia, which can also lead to sad consequences.