Religiosity as a cause of schizophrenia and other psychoses

[SystemTV]

Is it possible that religion is causing psychoses ? Is it possible that the same is doing philosophy ? Is it possible that religion is one big false and philosophy contains only nonsenses ?
lately appeared new theory which is connecting religion and philosophy with mental illness, it is describing in text "Religion and philosophy as illness":
"
(the author of the text originates from outside of Anglosaxon lingual area)
...

1. All domain of esoterism, of yoga, of meditation can be counted to area of primeval religion. It is the same what shamanistic beliefs and practices.

2. Important part of these practices consist in obtainment of state of trance, as same as meditation [frequency of brain waves attains level Theta/Delta 0,5-7 Hz, similarly as during a sleep].
Trance is state of waking dream, in the same way one defined schizophrenia and in the same way can be defined paranoid psychosis.

3. Thus this domain doesn't lead to enlightenment, only psychosis, that is to say illness.

4. The illness appeared at the rising of religion, before tens thousands of years, and the illness appeared on following stage of development of religion and at the rising and during the development of philosophy.

5. All field of religion, philosophy - which is in fact an only certain version of religion, and most of the humanities, are self possessed by morbid condition.

6. Exist no supernatural beings, from field of religion stays only reincarnation, but understood unlike till now.

7. The law of karma is a fiction.

8. Posthumous state is the same what state of sleep - it is a state of unconsciousness, and is not a state of intelligent and goal directed activity - this is state of unactiveness.

9. Religion should disappear and give place subdomain of psychology interesting in the problem of 'posthumous state' as identical with state of sleep. There should disappear also philosophy and give place history of Science."

about psychosis:
"The british neurologist Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911) had remarked: 'find out all about dreams, and you will find out all about insenity'.
In the first years after discovery of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, researchers belived they had acquired a tool for investigation of Haughlings Jackson's premise. They supposed that schizophrenia might represent the intrusion of the dream state into wakefulness, and, therefore, there was the prospect of being able to link dream cognition to psychosis through REM sleep."

about buddhism:
"Buddhism for example consists in obtainment of the state of waking dream, which wrongly, similarly how in old shamanism, is taking as enlightenment; further it has to mean going out and the break up of elements of the mental life - in this it is visible nihilism; in fact the losing of consciousness in the state of nirvana is the same what the losing of consciousness after fall into a sleep, and the only abiding effect is developing paranoid psychosis, the same refers to other forms of yoga (the enlightenment is a fiction)..."

about origin of religion, polytheism, monotheism, theism, absolutism, philosophy:
"The beginning of religion ties in with the answer on the question about afterlife and with the rising of practices of shamanistic poisonings. These practices and technic of trance, that is to say waking dream (see p.2.), led to the development of mental illness.
The rising of polytheism was connected with some morbid condition, because previous tendention had to find some form of continuation.
The rising of monotheism ties in with the person of Akhenaton (Amenhotep IV, pharaoh of Egypt 1353–36 BC), which suffered from Marfan's syndrome and because of disorders caused by this illness modified exaggeratedly and pathologically well-known more early monolatry. Akhenaten was a real founder of monotheism.
Middle East Aryans brought, during incursions, newly arisen monotheism to India. There came into being also the first philosophical version of this abnormal doctrine which we find in Upanishad, this is conception of absolute...
The rising of philosophy in Greece distinguishes the appearance of the following ill figure, which was Pythagoras who created philosophy as the certain sort of absolutism (that is to say monotheism), so only as certain version of religion. Thenceforward, until today the most of philosophy exists exclusively as a certain sort of religion.
Morbid condition is well visible at continuators of Pythagoras, such as Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Thomas, Kant, Hegel and others. "

this remark from the article shows that criticism of religion isn't the same what leftist ideology:
"On the other hand, leftist ethics and politics leads also to bad results similarly as described earlier sickness states. Examples can be problems of homosexualism, unborn childs or ′gift′ which made for USSR democratic President of the United States Truman in the form of Atomic weapon - what was a greatest political mistake in history (Truman procrastinated so long till the competitive power accessed to the new military technology). US Democrats had, have and will have unprobably stupid presidents."

mystical enlightenment is a sick fiction, monotheism is a sick fiction, conception of absolute is a sick fiction etc., a scale of occurrence of psychoses on the religious and philosophical background is in today′s world huge, and the same was also formerly.

[Meridian]

For calling philosophy nonsense and dangerous it does make a lot of philosophical assertions.

As for religion, I think the level of magnitude has been exaggerated extremely here. It is only reasonable to guess that religious ideas, to an extent, can create disorders in peoples minds. But it is not given that religion, not to mention philosophy (!) is the cause of psychoses. I think it is more probable that disorders in the mind can cause (often far fetched) religious ideas. Remember, to an extent psychosis can be thought of as a word we use for our idea of the wrong way the mind should function. Therefore, at least traditionally, psychosis = religion is just incorrect.


The rising of philosophy in Greece distinguishes the appearance of the following ill figure, which was Pythagoras who created philosophy as the certain sort of absolutism (that is to say monotheism), so only as certain version of religion. Thenceforward, until today the most of philosophy exists exclusively as a certain sort of religion.The author misses the point with philosophy. Ideally, the point with philosophy is that it is logical. That has been the entire point with philosophy, and what distinguishes it from religion. Many philosophers through time have been confused and talking without sense, I will give you that, but that is not to say that their pursuit has not been to follow logical reasoning where it may take them. Therefore their pursuit has not been "psychotic" or a result of sickness. To believe that shows very little understanding of philosophy.

And, by the way, Pythagoras was in no way a monotheist! What Pythagoras taught was that numbers are the 'true' reality (that is, the one that our sensory information "obfuscates").

[New Tet]

Schizophrenia is a real illness that strikes people indifferently of class, religion, race or gender (with qualifications).

It's caused by the onset of a disease in the brain that strikes, on average, at about 17 or 18 years of age in males and somewhat later in females but, generally, after the onset of late puberty.

Religion may be the cause of considerable delusion on the part of most people, granted, but it definitely is not the cause of schizophrenia as clinically defined.

Also, to express and defend the view that religion produces madness in all people insults generations of religious men and women who willingly and courageously gave their lives for the freedom of others.

Martin Luther King the son, son of slaves, was a religious man. Was he crazy?

I may be a hell-bound atheistic, good for nothing communist motherfucker but I will never, for the life of me, call a religious person crazy, unless I knew it to be so.

[ComradeMan]

Badly written.

Contains no assertions based on fact.

Makes the mistake of trying to attack a non-empirical argument in some kind of pseudo-scientific manner.

Contains inaccuracies- schizophrenia is a real mental illness not just some product of delusion.

Yoga is not a form of esoteric belief any more than karate or tai chi chuan. Both contain a spiritual dimension because of the traditions in which they evolved.

Not a great article...

[Weezer]

Is it possible that religion is causing psychoses ? Is it possible that the same is doing philosophy ? Is it possible that religion is one big false and philosophy contains only nonsenses ?
lately appeared new theory which is connecting religion and philosophy with mental illness, it is describing in text "Religion and philosophy as illness":
"
(the author of the text originates from outside of Anglosaxon lingual area)
...

1. All domain of esoterism, of yoga, of meditation can be counted to area of primeval religion. It is the same what shamanistic beliefs and practices.

2. Important part of these practices consist in obtainment of state of trance, as same as meditation [frequency of brain waves attains level Theta/Delta 0,5-7 Hz, similarly as during a sleep].
Trance is state of waking dream, in the same way one defined schizophrenia and in the same way can be defined paranoid psychosis.

3. Thus this domain doesn't lead to enlightenment, only psychosis, that is to say illness.

4. The illness appeared at the rising of religion, before tens thousands of years, and the illness appeared on following stage of development of religion and at the rising and during the development of philosophy.

5. All field of religion, philosophy - which is in fact an only certain version of religion, and most of the humanities, are self possessed by morbid condition.

6. Exist no supernatural beings, from field of religion stays only reincarnation, but understood unlike till now.

7. The law of karma is a fiction.

8. Posthumous state is the same what state of sleep - it is a state of unconsciousness, and is not a state of intelligent and goal directed activity - this is state of unactiveness.

9. Religion should disappear and give place subdomain of psychology interesting in the problem of 'posthumous state' as identical with state of sleep. There should disappear also philosophy and give place history of Science."

about psychosis:
"The british neurologist Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911) had remarked: 'find out all about dreams, and you will find out all about insenity'.
In the first years after discovery of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, researchers belived they had acquired a tool for investigation of Haughlings Jackson's premise. They supposed that schizophrenia might represent the intrusion of the dream state into wakefulness, and, therefore, there was the prospect of being able to link dream cognition to psychosis through REM sleep."

about buddhism:
"Buddhism for example consists in obtainment of the state of waking dream, which wrongly, similarly how in old shamanism, is taking as enlightenment; further it has to mean going out and the break up of elements of the mental life - in this it is visible nihilism; in fact the losing of consciousness in the state of nirvana is the same what the losing of consciousness after fall into a sleep, and the only abiding effect is developing paranoid psychosis, the same refers to other forms of yoga (the enlightenment is a fiction)..."

about origin of religion, polytheism, monotheism, theism, absolutism, philosophy:
"The beginning of religion ties in with the answer on the question about afterlife and with the rising of practices of shamanistic poisonings. These practices and technic of trance, that is to say waking dream (see p.2.), led to the development of mental illness.
The rising of polytheism was connected with some morbid condition, because previous tendention had to find some form of continuation.
The rising of monotheism ties in with the person of Akhenaton (Amenhotep IV, pharaoh of Egypt 1353–36 BC), which suffered from Marfan's syndrome and because of disorders caused by this illness modified exaggeratedly and pathologically well-known more early monolatry. Akhenaten was a real founder of monotheism.
Middle East Aryans brought, during incursions, newly arisen monotheism to India. There came into being also the first philosophical version of this abnormal doctrine which we find in Upanishad, this is conception of absolute...
The rising of philosophy in Greece distinguishes the appearance of the following ill figure, which was Pythagoras who created philosophy as the certain sort of absolutism (that is to say monotheism), so only as certain version of religion. Thenceforward, until today the most of philosophy exists exclusively as a certain sort of religion.
Morbid condition is well visible at continuators of Pythagoras, such as Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, Thomas, Kant, Hegel and others. "

this remark from the article shows that criticism of religion isn't the same what leftist ideology:
"On the other hand, leftist ethics and politics leads also to bad results similarly as described earlier sickness states. Examples can be problems of homosexualism, unborn childs or ′gift′ which made for USSR democratic President of the United States Truman in the form of Atomic weapon - what was a greatest political mistake in history (Truman procrastinated so long till the competitive power accessed to the new military technology). US Democrats had, have and will have unprobably stupid presidents."

mystical enlightenment is a sick fiction, monotheism is a sick fiction, conception of absolute is a sick fiction etc., a scale of occurrence of psychoses on the religious and philosophical background is in today′s world huge, and the same was also formerly.

trufax

[New Tet]

trufax

What is that, Newspeak for "you're a moron"?

[mikelepore]

Rather than saying religion causes psychoses, I say that religion is a packaging together of all of the logical fallacies.

"The proposition is true because I find it comforting to believe that it's true." -- "The proposition is true because my respected teachers said that it's true." -- "The proposition is true because anyone who says that it's untrue will be punished." -- If you take every kind of logical fallacy known and assemble them all together into one system, what would you have? You have just started a religion.

That's not psychosis, but it's a habit of reasoning incorrectly. Your delusion isn't the kind where you hear voices or seeing burning bushes. It's the kind where you don't know or don't care about the correct way to evaluate whether evidence points to a conclusion.

[SystemTV]

For calling philosophy nonsense and dangerous it does make a lot of philosophical assertions.

these aren't philosophical but psychiatrical assertions


Therefore, at least traditionally, psychosis = religion is just incorrect.article is presenting a new view on religion


The author misses the point with philosophy. Ideally, the point with philosophy is that it is logical. That has been the entire point with philosophy, and what distinguishes it from religion. Many philosophers through time have been confused and talking without senseI think that problem with philosophy is that it isn't logical and contains mostly or only nonsenses, let's take works of Hegel, Kant, Platon, Aristotle and many others, these are garbages, so logic can't distinguish philosophy from religion


And, by the way, Pythagoras was in no way a monotheist!but if he said that numbers create reality, he had to be an absolutist (so practically a monotheist)


Religion may be the cause of considerable delusion on the part of most people, granted, but it definitely is not the cause of schizophrenia as clinically defined.
many psychiatrists think that religion can cause or facilitate the development of schizophrenia


Also, to express and defend the view that religion produces madness in all people insults generations of religious men and women who willingly and courageously gave their lives for the freedom of others. through, for example burning millions of innocent people on the stake and destroying South American's cultures?


Martin Luther King the son, son of slaves, was a religious man. Was he crazy?yes


Contains no assertions based on fact.
I think that cited article is basing ONLY on facts


What is that, Newspeak for "you're a moron"?
have you heard ever about such thing like a culture of discussion ?


Your delusion isn't the kind where you hear voices or seeing burning bushes so you think that Moses, or Christ didn't hear voices, didn't see angels, burning bushes and didn't spoke with god (nb. these are classical symptoms of schizophrenia)

[Meridian]

You present a horribly one dimensional point of view on religion, and especially on philosophy.


I think that problem with philosophy is that it isn't logical and contains mostly or only nonsenses, let's take works of Hegel, Kant, Platon, Aristotle and many others, these are garbages, so logic can't distinguish philosophy from religionIt is not true that philosophers don't, usually, follow logical form in their reasoning. What can make it non-sense (at times) is that philosophers base their logic on constructed language instead of basing it on the normal meaning of words. And then try to "escape the language" by predicating about the "world". But the philosophical process itself tend to be quite logical (as in: that is true, from which follows that this is true).

It is cheap and stupid of you to say that all the works of Hegel, Kant, Platon, Aristotle and many others are "garbages". To most people, and certainly those who have read the previous, it is your ideas that belong in the garbage. I am not defending or agreeing with most lines of reasoning that the noted philosophers have stood for, but I acknowledge that it is indeed that: based on reasoning.

[SystemTV]

You present a horribly one dimensional point of view on religion, and especially on philosophy.this sentence is stupid


It is not true that philosophers don't, usually, follow logical form in their reasoning. it is same logical as delusions of schizophrenics


it is your ideas that belong in the garbageyou ideas in this thread for sure belong in the garbage

[Weezer]

What is that, Newspeak for "you're a moron"?

Nah, it's a meme.

[Meridian]

this sentence is stupidAt last, you and I agree on something. Your sentence is a tautology, though.


it is same logical as delusions of schizophrenics...No.

Despite whatever your illusions may tell you, philosophers are not schizophrenics. From your shady 'reasoning' it is evident you have got no clue about logic. There may still be a cure, though. Go and learn more.

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

I don't know whether schizophrenia is more common amongst religious people than non-religious people, but I doubt your claims have any basis in fact. Of course, there are all sorts of possible causes of schizophrenia which aren't completely scientific, but I'd tend to agree with R.D. Laing more than I would with these ideas. Religious belief can be a symptom of schizophrenia, however. Especially if it's a sudden conversion and the person believes that they are ''talking to God''.


about buddhism:
"Buddhism for example consists in obtainment of the state of waking dream, which wrongly, similarly how in old shamanism, is taking as enlightenment; further it has to mean going out and the break up of elements of the mental life - in this it is visible nihilism; in fact the losing of consciousness in the state of nirvana is the same what the losing of consciousness after fall into a sleep, and the only abiding effect is developing paranoid psychosis, the same refers to other forms of yoga (the enlightenment is a fiction)..."

This is a misunderstanding of buddhism. Buddhism is the only religion I can tolerate so I feel the need to stand up for it here. The ultimate aim of buddhism is not to achieve a state of waking dream - rather, it's aim is to achieve an awakening. That's the opposite of a trance. There is nothing mystical about enlightenment. At its most basic, buddhism stands for the clearing away of all psychoses and delusions and seeing the world for what it really is. That analysis couldn't be more wrong. In addition, yoga and meditation and other related practices have been shown to improve mental health, sometimes dramatically.

[SystemTV]

philosophers are not schizophrenics.
philosophy is abnormal field - but I didn't say that philosophers are schizophrenics, I have said that their logic is same as logic of delusions of schizophrenics (I could count philosophers to psychotics, not exactly schizophrenics)


you have got no clue about logicyou haven't any idea what is this logic


There may still be a curefor you there still is a cure, you should go to psychiatrist


The ultimate aim of buddhism is not to achieve a state of waking dream - rather, it's aim is to achieve an awakening
they say awakening but they do a sleep


buddhism stands for the clearing away of all psychoses and delusions and seeing the world for what it really isthey say true reality but they don't distinguish fantasy from reality, delusions from facts


That analysis couldn't be more wrong...yoga and meditation and other related practices have been shown to improve mental health, sometimes dramatically.balderdash

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

they say awakening but they do a sleep

they say true reality but they don't distinguish fantasy from reality, delusions from facts

balderdash

What do you mean ''they do a sleep''? Some of the buddhists I've met have to be the most down-to-earth, balanced people in the world. I also have no idea what 'delusions' you're talking about. We all have delusions, generally buddhists have no more of them than atheists. There is no way you can compare (religious) inability to distinguish fantasy from reality to schizophrenic inability to distinguish fantasy from reality.

And as for that being ''balderdash'', ask some psychologists because it's supported by a lot of evidence - scientific and personal.

[VientoLibre]

1. All domain of esoterism, of yoga, of meditation can be counted to area of primeval religion. It is the same what shamanistic beliefs and practices.

There are too many varieties of yoga and meditation to even begin to validate the broadness of this statement. Simply making a statement doesn't make an argument; nowhere in this post is there an explanation of your statement.


2. Important part of these practices consist in obtainment of state of trance, as same as meditation [frequency of brain waves attains level Theta/Delta 0,5-7 Hz, similarly as during a sleep].
Trance is state of waking dream, in the same way one defined schizophrenia and in the same way can be defined paranoid psychosis.
You have constructed this syllogism in the following way:
a. Meditation puts one in a state of trance.
b. Trance is a waking dream.
c. Schizophrenia is a waking dream.
d. Schizophrenia is paranoid psychosis.
d. Therefore, meditate induces paranoid psychosis.
However, the argument falls apart because the phrase "waking dream" is used ambiguously.


3. Thus this domain doesn't lead to enlightenment, only psychosis, that is to say illness.Your argument is,
a. Meditation puts a person in a state of trance,
b. A state of trance is a waking dream.
c. Schizophrenia is the state of being in a waking dream.
d. Therefore, if you meditate, you will become psychotic.
This argument also clearly fails because the ambiguous (and incorrect) use of the phrase "waking dream." Also, violates the slippery slope fallacy.


4. The illness appeared at the rising of religion, before tens thousands of years, and the illness appeared on following stage of development of religion and at the rising and during the development of philosophy.
You have not presented any historical data to back this statement up.

5. All field of religion, philosophy - which is in fact an only certain version of religion, and most of the humanities, are self possessed by morbid condition.In this statement, you incorrectly assume that religion and philosophy are the same thing; however, you haven't shown any argument for this. "Self possessed by morbid condition" needs to be clarified. Currently, it's ineffective.


6. Exist no supernatural beings, from field of religion stays only reincarnation, but understood unlike till now.I'm sorry, please clarify.

7. The law of karma is a fiction.This argument violates the red herring fallacy because not all religions believe in karma, and philosophers certainly don't.


8. Posthumous state is the same what state of sleep - it is a state of unconsciousness, and is not a state of intelligent and goal directed activity - this is state of unactiveness.This statement fails because if an individual chooses to meditate to achieve a goal, then the process of meditation is clearly... intelligent and goal directed.


9. Religion should disappear and give place subdomain of psychology interesting in the problem of 'posthumous state' as identical with state of sleep. There should disappear also philosophy and give place history of Science."What?


about psychosis:
"The british neurologist Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911) had remarked: 'find out all about dreams, and you will find out all about insenity'.
In the first years after discovery of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, researchers belived they had acquired a tool for investigation of Haughlings Jackson's premise. They supposed that schizophrenia might represent the intrusion of the dream state into wakefulness, and, therefore, there was the prospect of being able to link dream cognition to psychosis through REM sleep.".
This statement violates the fallacy of of "Appeal to Popularity." Instead of showing proof of this theory, you, instead, state a bunch of theories and qualify them by saying that it's relevant because of the presence of "researchers."


about buddhism:
"Buddhism for example consists in obtainment of the state of waking dream, which wrongly, similarly how in old shamanism, is taking as enlightenment; further it has to mean going out and the break up of elements of the mental life - in this it is visible nihilism; in fact the losing of consciousness in the state of nirvana is the same what the losing of consciousness after fall into a sleep, and the only abiding effect is developing paranoid psychosis, the same refers to other forms of yoga (the enlightenment is a fiction)..."
This statement fails because you have no knowledge of Buddhism. The term "Nirvana" does not refer to a loss of consciousness, but rather, is a metaphor to describe a state of nonattachment. The goal of Buddhism is not to obtain a state of waking dream (nowhere mentioned in any Buddhist teachings), but rather, to put an end to suffering.



mystical enlightenment is a sick fiction, monotheism is a sick fiction, conception of absolute is a sick fiction etc., a scale of occurrence of psychoses on the religious and philosophical background is in today′s world huge, and the same was also formerly.

Your whole post is poorly constructed and riddled with prejudices.

[New Tet]

I

7. The law of karma is a fiction.



This is what informs my idea of 'Karma':


'Karma' is an Eastern religious concept in contradistinction to 'faith' espoused by Abrahamic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic) religions (Judaism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism), Christianity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity), and Islam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam)), which view all human dramas as the will of God as opposed to present - and past - life actions. In theistic schools of Hinduism, humans have free will to choose good or evil and suffer the consequences, which require the will of God to implement karma's consequences, unlike Buddhism or Jainism which do not accord any role to a supreme God or gods. In Eastern beliefs, the karmic effects of all deeds are viewed as actively shaping past, present, and future experiences. The results or 'fruits' of actions are called karma-phala.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma#cite_note-2)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma

And this is Boy George's idea of 'Karma':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw

[SystemTV]

what 'delusions' you're talking about
psychotic delusions


There is no way you can compare (religious) inability to distinguish fantasy from reality to schizophrenic inability to distinguish fantasy from reality.it is the same inability


And as for that being ''balderdash'', ask some psychologistsand you ask this psychiatrists -

Kuijpers HJ, van der Heijden FM, Tuinier S, Verhoeven WM.
from Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands

they wrote article: Meditation induced psychosis in Psychopatology 2007;40(6):461-4. Epub 2007 Sep 11.

description of it:
BACKGROUND: Meditation is a self-regulatory psychological strategy that is frequently applied in Western as well as non-Western countries for different purposes; little is known about adverse events. SAMPLING AND METHODS: A male patient is described who developed an acute and transient psychosis with polymorphic symptomatology after meditating. A literature search for psychotic states related to meditation was carried out on PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo. RESULTS: In the case presented a diagnosis of acute polymorphic psychotic disorder was made. Other case reports dealt with either a relapse of a pre-existent psychotic disorder or with a brief psychotic reaction in patients without a psychiatric history. CONCLUSION: Meditation can act as a stressor in vulnerable patients who may develop a transient psychosis with polymorphic symptomatology. The syndrome is not culture bound but sometimes classified in culture-bound taxonomies like Qi-gong Psychotic Reaction.


There are too many varieties of yoga and meditation to even begin to validate the broadness of this statement
I don't think so


of your statementI must again repeat that not mine, I only put here some citations


the argument falls apart because the phrase "waking dream" is used ambiguously. No, in both case it has the same meaning

rest of your post is balderdash


This is what informs my idea of 'Karma'
but author of cited text holds that law of karma doesn't exist

[VientoLibre]

rest of your post is balderdash

Ok, Hubert Farnsworth, you win. You've officially trumped me with your vast intellect. :laugh:

[*Viva La Revolucion*]

it is the same inability

Not really. Schizophrenia is a mental illness with very specific diagnostic criteria and characteristics. I'm an atheist, but I know that there is still a chance that certain elements of certain religions are correct and I'm wrong; even if you see holding religious belief as delusional, it's not delusional in the psychiatric sense. Schizophrenic delusions usually accompany other symptoms such as hallucinations. Also, meditation doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with religion or spirituality, it can be used as a practical method of coping, improving concentration and various other things.


and you ask this psychiatrists -

Kuijpers HJ, van der Heijden FM, Tuinier S, Verhoeven WM.
from Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands

they wrote article: Meditation induced psychosis in Psychopatology 2007;40(6):461-4. Epub 2007 Sep 11.

description of it:
BACKGROUND: Meditation is a self-regulatory psychological strategy that is frequently applied in Western as well as non-Western countries for different purposes; little is known about adverse events. SAMPLING AND METHODS: A male patient is described who developed an acute and transient psychosis with polymorphic symptomatology after meditating. A literature search for psychotic states related to meditation was carried out on PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo. RESULTS: In the case presented a diagnosis of acute polymorphic psychotic disorder was made. Other case reports dealt with either a relapse of a pre-existent psychotic disorder or with a brief psychotic reaction in patients without a psychiatric history. CONCLUSION: Meditation can act as a stressor in vulnerable patients who may develop a transient psychosis with polymorphic symptomatology. The syndrome is not culture bound but sometimes classified in culture-bound taxonomies like Qi-gong Psychotic Reaction.

But these people have not carried out their own comprehensive study with controls. In the case studies there could be other influencing factors. To be honest, I don't think there's enough evidence there to be able to claim anything. Yes, many types of meditation induce altered states - and that is their point - but it would be inaccurate to say that the altered states are schizophrenic in nature, or that they're not positive rather than negative. Meditation is used in clinical and non-clinical settings across the world and if it had serious adverse affects then I'm sure there would be more evidence by now. Adverse reactions can also be dependent on setting. There is also a difference between meditating at home for health reasons and meditating in a monastery or in extremely intense conditions - intensity of any kind can trigger adverse reactions.

[Orange Juche]

A self induced state of waking dream and psychosis are two vastly different things. Psychosis and schizophrenia are uncontrolled mental disorders, inducing a state of waking dream is just that... something by ones own actions to influence their mind.