Nevermind

[mediamogul]

Yeah the dsm does, want a page reference? I will look it up in the morning. And during my mmpi2 I mentioned this w a psychiatrist and they concurred said experience in religious context have no diagnosis. It just happens.

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Thank u Sophia for sharing I'm still reading it.....

That's out of "cultural sensitivity" but it's a far cry from claiming that the DSM-IV recognizes religious experiences as valid. They can't be diagnosed on their own but when they are comorbid with other symptoms can be part of a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder.

For instance when someone thinks that god is speaking to them it may be a symptom of schizophrenia if other symptoms are present or if it is a command hallucination (telling them to do things). If someone told me that god was speaking to them or that they saw demons it would certainly be cause for concern. I'm not saying this to be mean but when was the last time you saw your psychiatrist? Those symptoms would normally be very alarming for a trained mental health professional.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

I mentioned this w a psychiatrist and they concurred said experience in religious context have no diagnosis. It just happens.

That is called 'hearsay' or anecdotal evidence' and has no value in the current discussion. Your claim about DSM-IV is relevant if it can be substantiated. Please cite your authority verbatim, giving full details of author,title,publisher and date.

OF COURSE the claim that all (or even most) religious experiences are delusions is fatuous nonsense, unsupported by credible evidence. However, some experiences can be (and usually are) seen as signs of a severe mental illness,such as schizophrenia. I refer to such things as hearing voices and seeing visions,aka auditory and visual hallucinations..

[Handprint]

Okay so no one read or enjoyed my story. bummer.

This thread is kind of a waste. No one is really saying anything relevant other than repeatedly claiming the OP has amental illness. How many people need to say it before it is true?

[Norfolk And Chance]

At least 148.

[Jackalope]

You can hallucinate anything if you are mental enough.

You don't even have to be mental.

Hypnagogic hallucinations are quite common even in those that aren't suffering from any kind of clinical mental illness.

Most of the time the sensations are fairly subtle, but I had one event that could have been mistaken for an "alien abduction" type event, if not for the fact that a) my bed partner witnessed nothing happening other than my reaction, and b) after the fact, I was aware of what had really transpired.

Then again, I'm mad as a hatter - but it's worth noting that at the time, I was otherwise asymptomatic, and my illness does not usually feature realistic hallucinations. My therapist and shrink both concluded it was hypnagogia, and unrelated.

Ever been awake but sleepy and closed your eyes and "seen" something that appeared to be similar to looking through a kaleidoscope (or anything else that wasn't the insides of your eyelids)? That's a form of hypnagogia.

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And u smart guys should know the DSM-IV recognizes said experiences as religious and not subject to any mental disorder.....

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And Phil no I've done the whole mmpi2 sha-bang, no such diagnosis

A lot of people would argue that religious experiences are mental delusions suffered by mentally ill (and also religious) people.

They aren't recognized as illness in and of themselves in the DSM-IV, other features have to be present. Which, I note, some of our visitors seem to exhibit.

@Hunter9035: The results of the MMPI don't really mean shit in terms of a diagnosis. It's one tool.

[Norfolk And Chance]

OF COURSE the claim that all (or even most) religious experiences are delusions is fatuous nonsense, unsupported by credible evidence.

If you think that god, spirits, ghouls and nasties are probably not real, then it leaves very limited options to what the experiences can be. Suggesting mental delusion certainly is not fatuous.

However, some experiences can be (and usually are) seen as signs of a severe mental illness,such as schizophrenia. I refer to such things as hearing voices and seeing visions,aka auditory and visual hallucinations..

That covers religious experiences too, how do you separate them then? You can't really, and is it not likely that they are one and the same?

[Jackalope]

Okay so no one read or enjoyed my story. bummer.

This thread is kind of a waste. No one is really saying anything relevant other than repeatedly claiming the OP has amental illness. How many people need to say it before it is true?

I don't believe anyone here is qualified to give a diagnosis based on what's presented.

However, barring any evidence (clinical or material), I'm pretty comfortable in saying that the OP's experience wasn't "real".

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That covers religious experiences too, how do you separate them then? You can't really, and is it not likely that they are one and the same?

It's possible - but seriously, take a peek at the DSM-IV criteria. Schizophrenia (for example) has other diagnostic criteria that must be met. There are many causes of hallucinations, not all related to mental disorder. It is an indicator, and certainly something a professional should be consulted on if a real answer is wanted.

[Hunter9035]

To differentiate between a healthy religious experience and a mental disorder http://www.hoje.org.br/site/arq/artigos/...ep2010.pdf
See right bracket of pg 177 for relevance to this topic

[Doubting Thomas]

I guess I must just be well-adjusted then. I've never been troubled by demons or ghosts, even back when I was religious and still believed in them.

[Faith No More]

Or maybe your soul just isn't very tasty?