I have been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder. I have suffered from about 4 or 5 psychotic episodes in the last 6 years, the most recent one at the beginning of this year which lasted about 2 and half months. I'm now recovered and taking medication.
Each time I have suffered a psychotic episode, my delusions have always been associated with religion and spirituality. During my earlier psychotic episodes I used to think that I was being chased by demons and the devil. During my latest psychotic episode I thought that I was God's chosen one and I thought that I could make the World a better place by praying all the time.
I have noticed that many people who have suffered from psychosis often have delusions or hallucinations that are associated with religion. What I want to know is why it is common for psychotic episodes to have religious associations.
The other thing is when I come out of a psychotic episode, I sometimes feel that what I have experienced is that during my psychotic episode I have entered into a different level of reality. As though there are different Worlds out there and that my illness is not just associated to a chemical imbalance in my brain but also related the paranormal? Does anyone else relate to this? Sometimes I feel that science cannot explain all things.
At the end of the day their are infinite things that our invisbile to the eye, so why trip out your mind if this a reoccuring thought maybe you might have somethink like OCD, You gota exercise your minds creative ability so you dont go back to the same thoughts , draw somethink, read a book.
If your feeling realy blue then their might be somethink up chat to your doctor if its seriouse.
I don't dwell on these thoughts all the time. I was just curious as to why so many psychotic episodes are related to religion and if other people could identify with the different levels of reality.
OCD is when u have constant reoccuring thoughts in your head. Umm to tell you the trugh i went through a short religouse phase but i think takeing magic mushrooms nearly everyday other a 2 month peroiod might have had somethink to do with it.
I would never advise you to take mushrooms though of the magical nature highly dainjourse especialy to those with a psyhcotic predoispion.
Yeah its been well documated though thats theirs a strong link between psychosis and magical/spiritual/relgiouse sensation.
But then if u think about it at christmass u get the same kinda special sensation even though it wears other time.
I heard a statistic back in the 90's that 93 percent of people in mental hospitals are religous... i can testify that that percentage is probably pretty acurate. I ended up in one due to religion...... the bible says not to take things to extremes, in proverbs i believe... many mentally ill people probaby did that to end up that way. I was in a hospital in nashville one time and during a group therapy session, a young black dude interrupted everyone to tell them about Jesus. My goodness, do i need a person in a mental hospital telling me about Jesus, looks like he did a lot for this guy? Not knocking Jesus. I'm still religious to a point. I've found though that pulling away from all the works, sacrifice, oriented parts of religion, like prayer, praise, evangelism, well to the extremity that i was doing it, helped in curing my schizophrenia. Unfortunately, works seems to be a lot of what religion is all about... trying to make persons like yourselves, making disciples, which usually ends up proscelyting (spelling). Anyway, i was a leader in our church, getting to speak on many occasions, some in the pulpit and much of it in group settings, when all this happened to me. I think, at some point, people begin to evauate their speaker and teacher. I think i lost the hearts of the people, which maybe a disconnection with people is all the neurons not connecting. I was in college and stayed way to long for most people's tastes and didn't get out and find a job like a congregation expects out of their leader. Some of this is my fault, but i bought into a full-time ministry-give your life over to christ and just do his thing full time- and forget about everything else. Luke 14 definitely can't mean that. If you don't know what Luke 14 says, basically it says, 'deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow Jesus'. Many people read this and deny all the gifts and talents God gave them.... and go into 100 percent religious-think.
This dude that came into our church several months ago, you could tell he was a hard worker, basically gave it all up and wanted to be a preacher from what i could tell....soon he ended up discouraged, lost his job, and left the church. I see this all the time, mainly out of young people.
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