the role of psychotic disorders in religious history considered
Religion and schizophrenia The relationship between religion and schizophrenia is of particular interest to psychiatrists because of the similarities between religious experiences and psychotic episodes; religious experiences often involve auditory and/or visual hallucinations, and those with schizophrenia commonly report similar hallucinations, along with a variety of beliefs that are commonly recognized by modern medical practitioners as delusional.[1] In general, religion has been found to have "both a protective and a risk increasing effect" for schizophrenia.[2]