What is the connection betwen Religion and schizophrenia?

[monkeymind]

Robert Sapolsky explaining how mild versions of schizophrenia and OCD underlie religion.

Yeah, I know, I'll try not to post any more of Sapolsky's  videos....

Added: The discussion begins at about 23 minutes.

[monkeymind]

(SORRY) the lecture that I thought I was posting is actually this one:

Evolution, religion, schizophrenia and the schizotypal personality  and schizophrenia
http://boingboing.net/2009/06/06/evolution-religion-s.html


Still the other video is informative, although little direct comments about religion and its connection to schizophrenia. But...
The statement at 36 minutes is that the number one auditory hallucination is a voice from Jesus and the number 2 is from Satan.

[Nick]

They're both nuts.

[joebbowers]

Said it before and I'll say it again. Religion is a mental disorder. We sugarcoat it by calling it a dillusion, but that barely scratches the surface.

[monkeymind]

Just Google religion and schizophrenia and see all the hits you'll get. As the second video points out at about 10 minutes, the standard diagnosis for schizotypalism is what he calls metamagical thinking. New Age fringe stuff like mental telepathy and UFOs and letaral belief in 7 day world creation, or resurrection.

[Hatter23]

Said it before and I'll say it again. Religion is a mental disorder. We sugarcoat it by calling it a dillusion, but that barely scratches the surface.

I don't think it is a sugar coating at all. In fact, I've gotten a great deal of shit for calling it that.

A delusion is a belief that does not corresponds to reality and is resistant to evidence.

Religion meets those criteria. It is a socially acceptable and encouraged delusion, but just a delusion.

It isn't physical, or chemical, or a psychosis....so no other mental disorders match up. Other mental disorders often result in delusions....therefore there's a link.

Wheras Aspergers and Autism have a correlation link to Atheism( and of all things...being a rail fan). I don't understand why, but the correlation exists.

[monkeymind]

Depends on context whose religion or culture we're talking about when we think of right or wrong thinking (or practice).

From video 2
John Deverau said "Primitive religion is organized Schizophrenia." (apx 19min)

Jim Jones and David Karesh got it wrong. Therefore = cult
If you get it right you are honored.
Charles Manson = wrong...psychotic (23 min)

I guess Part Robertson or Mitt Romney is an example of getting it right?

"Our society is unique in outlawing the irrational." Sapolsky (20  min)

[bgb]

I heard a preacher once say that angels appeared in his windshield driving home one day.  They told him to start a church at the Mall of America.  I couldn't help myself and started laughing.  He said Satan owned my heart.  No I said the University of South Dakota does right after I die. '
It's going to get worse before it gets better.

[monkeymind]

In his summary, Sapolsky says he is NOT saying that you have to be crazy to be religious., or that most people who are religious are suspect, he is saying that it is fascinating the common traits between schizotypal people and religious people, and the common traits between people with OCD and religious rituals MAY have an underlying biology.

[monkeymind]

From video 2:

Top three common  traits between Schizotypal personalities and religious people.

Loose associations (no sequential or loss of sequential logic)
Trouble with abstraction
concreteness of thought

Top four common traits between people with OCD and ritualistic religious practices

Cleansing
Food preparation and eating
Entering and leaving buildings
Numerology

Temporal Lobe Personality (may or may not be associated with someone that has temporal lobe epilepsy)
Becomes serious and humorless
Neophobia (Doesn’t like new things)
Hypergraphia (writes obsessively)
Obsessively interested in religion or philosophy. (Not necessarily religious just interested in the subject--could be an atheist)

[ungod]

"Our society is unique in outlawing the irrational." Sapolsky (20  min)

Outlawing the irrational? Get Real! You mean, enshrining the irrational as a "Right" - i.e. "freedom of Religion" = the RIGHT to be deceived!

[monkeymind]

"Our society is unique in outlawing the irrational." Sapolsky (20  min)

Outlawing the irrational? Get Real! You mean, enshrining the irrational as a "Right" - i.e. "freedom of Religion" = the RIGHT to be deceived!

Take it in context:

John Deverau said "Primitive religion is organized Schizophrenia." (apx 19min)

Jim Jones and David Karesh got it wrong. Therefore = cult
If you get it right you are honored.
Charles Manson = wrong...psychotic (23 min)

I guess Part Robertson or Mitt Romney is an example of getting it right?

"Our society is unique in outlawing the irrational." Sapolsky (20  min)

The whole talk was about the similarities between schizotypical personalities and the religious- COD and ritualistic religious practices.

Get it right and you are honored. Get it wrong and you are either a cult or psychotic.