religion in the development of mental disorder

[jiinn]

Does anyone know of any web site (or book I could look for at the library) that can explain religiosity to me?  I’m curious about the link between religion and psychosis and I don’t feel like sifting through all of the dogmatic atheists ranting about how much there is not a god, and how much smarter they are than everyone else for thinking so(although if its really informative I’ll read it).  I just want the real psychology.  I’m also not interested in religious delusions as much as I am interested in how religion effects the development of mental disorders.  See right now I seriously think that profound religious experiences during childhood and adolescence can make people vulnerable to mental disorder.  I’m betting I’m not alone in that and that there are probably a lot of people who disagree with me whose ideas I might be interested in as well.

[businmotion]

Does anyone know of any web site (or book I could look for at the library) that can explain religiosity to me?  I’m curious about the link between religion and psychosis and I don’t feel like sifting through all of the dogmatic atheists ranting about how much there is not a god, and how much smarter they are than everyone else for thinking so(although if its really informative I’ll read it).  I just want the real psychology.  I’m also not interested in religious delusions as much as I am interested in how religion effects the development of mental disorders.  See right now I seriously think that profound religious experiences during childhood and adolescence can make people vulnerable to mental disorder.  I’m betting I’m not alone in that and that there are probably a lot of people who disagree with me whose ideas I might be interested in as well.

 "Religion  is the opiate  of the people" is one of the most frequently quoted statements of Karl Marx. It was translated from the German original, "Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes"

[SWM]

the royal college of psychiatry may be a good start with this article http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/Nicki%20Crowley%20%20Psychosis%20or%20Spiritual%20Emergence.pdf

you will also want to track down some of the articles referenced in it.

stanislav grof has produced work on the psychology of spirituality.


i agree with your idea to some extent. my experience is that psychosis is an experience of altered states of consciousness that medical science can not explain yet. the confusion and distress that the individual experiences with the altered state are the problem not the altered state itself.  if an individual has understanding of their altered state then they will not be confused and distressed thus not psychotic.

early experiences of altered states will of course make an individual more likely to re-experience these states and if these states are re-experienced and they are out of context with the understanding and mental perspective of the individual, they have no way to make sense of their experience they will become distressed and confused, thus a psychotic diagnosis will be given.

this is not the case for all mental illness as some forms of mental illness do not fit into those criteria.

[Enigma]

stanislav grof has produced work on the psychology of spirituality.

My hero.


this might help: http://www.softdevlabs.com/personal/psych/disorder.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=how+religion+affects+the+development+of+mental+disorders&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=9dc&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbs=bks:1&tbo=u&ei=AQWyS7jwN4L98AaTuqmDAg&oi=book_group&ct=title&cad=bottom-3results&resnum=11&ved=0CC0QsAMwCg

[pert -5]

My hero.

Someone else you might get a kick out of, though maybe not to the point of 'heroic' status:
http://www.paradigm-sys.com/ctt_articles1.cfm

Particularly these articles:
http://www.paradigm-sys.com/ctt_articles2.cfm?id=19
http://www.paradigm-sys.com/ctt_articles2.cfm?id=43

(Although they're all good regarding the field of consciousness study.)

[jiinn]

Thank very much guys.  This is pretty much exactly what I was asking for.  Very Helpful.