did people have schizophrania back in ancient times?

Question

cause i think mental illnesses have always been around to spur religious visions

Answer 1

Yes .. they just called them Mad people...

Its only with our medical science looking into different diseases do we call them different names.

Answer 2

Well, first of all, did you know that about 90% of "mentally ill" people who were diagnosed with schizophrenia 50 years ago would NOT be diagnosed with schizophrenia today?

"Schizophrenia" is (was) a very vague term, and it is still evolving as we discover more about psychology. This is the DSM-IV's criteria for schizophrenia:

a) At least 2 of the following symptoms lasting at least 1 month*,
(*there are some minor exceptions):

* delusions,
* hallucinations,
* disorganized speech (incoherence or frequent derailment),
* grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, or
* negative symptoms (flat affect, avolition*, alogia*, or ahedonia*) *(lack of motivation, lack of logical thinking, and lack of pleasure or enjoyment in usually pleasant activities)

b) During the course of the disturbance, functioning in one or more areas such as work, social relations, and self-care has deteriorated markedly from premorbid levels (in the case of a child or adolescent, failure to reach expected level of social or academic development).

c) Signs of the disorder must be present for at least 6 months.

d) Schizoaffective and mood disorders with psychotic features must be ruled out.

e) The disturbance is not substance-induced or caused by organic factors.

Now, I'm certain that other cultures have not clustered mental disturbances in such a way. However, it is very likely that there are people in all cultures who would meet this criteria, whether the culture recognizes it or not, or whether they notice only the delusions and call it "visions," or notice only the disorganized speech and call it "possession." Many societies, such as India, have a definition of "possession" that doesn't fit our criteria for schizophrenia at all. Likely there are completely different clusters of psychological manifestations that various societies label as various things.

However, although there of course have been mental disorders as long as there has been man (and animals get mental disorders,too), schizophrenia itself might not be universal. Studies have indicated a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia, so perhaps there are some societies where that gene just isn't in the pool? This last bit is my own wild guess.

The main message is- different cultures view mental illness in different ways, and see symptoms in different clusters, and essentially come up with their own labels for anything that THAT culture does not consider "normal."

Answer 3

Voices, visions falling down. I think it was related to a lot of it. Much in the way that the mentally ill were chosen to be Shamans by other primitive tribes in the world.

Answer 4

I think that in the days when people lived in tribes and had Shaman that people who were prone to this type of mental activity were seen as being in touch with the other world and were trained to be Shaman. Who knows maybe they still are in touch with another world, but modern medicine and Psychology label them as mentally ill.

Answer 5

Yes. people has the same mental illnesses we have noe. the only difference was it was acceppted. an epileptic was viewed as someone who could talk to spirits. abipolar person is like that because of the devil, a schizo may be a person who is possessed. back then, there wernt scientific explinations for these things, so people analyzed them the best way they could, usually revering that person.

Answer 6

you should read about what the ancient cavemen did to induce religious visions. they would create sacred caves at the end of underwater passages to make sure they ran out of air and became woozy while getting to the caves, they made sure the cave lacked oxygen to KEEP them woozy, they lit a bunch of flickering candles to make the world spin, and smoked up a bunch of plants. all resulting in a delightfully trippy experience.

nobody ever learnt how to get high better than the cro-magnons. they were the kings of toking.

Answer 7

Yes. And visions are not the same thing as a schizophrenic hallucination. As someone who works in the mental health field, I can assure you that they are entirely different.

Answer 8

Yes. It was called demon possession. Who are we to say that the schizophrenics today aren't demon possessed as well? That has my vote.

Mark 5
The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man
1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" 8 For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" 9 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13 He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. 14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. 18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Answer 9

Check out king Saul. 1Sam.13:1 and foward to the way he treated David and his own son Jonathan.

Answer 10

yes , they heard voices in their heads to kill others and steal there lands. i don't believe any one has ever heard gods voice.angels yes, demi-gods yes, demons yes.

the goddess is trillions of light years big, so each letter is bigger than a galaxy, so to hear those words , you have to have a very big mind, and ears.