I once heard a radio program on radio 4, which discussed the Experiences of Mohamed in the desert, when he spoke to the Angel Gabriel.
Mohammed was described as undergoing a trance like state where he started to sweat profusely and started to rock to and fro(as muslims practise today while they pray), he then started hearing the voice of either Allah or the angel Gabriel.
This obviously sounded like the symtoms of schizophrenia, since at that time I was working as a community mental heath assistant, caring for people who suffer from schizophrenia.
A large percentage of people who suffer from Schizophrenia have religious based phychosis, and delusions, believing they can talk to god.
Do you not believe that it could be a possiblility that Mohammed could have been Schiznophrenic due to the simple fact that it could not be diagosed as an illness but was seen by the people of that time as a characteristic of a prophet.
Therefore one mans delusion has become a world wide illusion.
2006-12-12 00:07:23 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
This theory can be applied to all the 'prophets' including Jesus. Yes the delusions involved in psychotic illnesses are often religiously based as the effects of hgh levels of dopamine can produce feelings of divine power and purpose, as it is the neuro-chemical that manages drive and motivation. Elavated dopamine have been associated with schizophrenia. Auditory hallucinations, specifically command hallucinations are also the symptoms that are most commonly associated with schizophrenia and this does also connect with the reports of prophets such as Mohammed being told what to do by Allah or Gabriel.
I do however have a lot of respect for organised religion as i have witnessed it giving individuals the courage to carry on in otherwise dead end situations.
Additional:
In response to Sinka, even with modern advances in treatments the statistics still show that at least 1 in 10 will suffer with mental illness so with the documented cases of prophets, saints etc that is not outside the statistical norms.
2006-12-12 00:37:48 · answer #1 · answered by Litmus180 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is something that could be levelled at all prophets, not just Mohammed, as they are had epiphanies which involved hearing voices/seeing visions. But I don't think it sounds like Schizophrenia. As many of these visions/messages from god often happened during long journies/in deserts, I think it may have been delusions following dehydration/exhaustion.
2006-12-12 00:19:09 · answer #2 · answered by Lucy P 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You are right!
Religion is actually a Delusional Disorder. Religion has been removed from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders) because almost all people are religious (or is it due to we live in a religion dominated world?).
Mohammed, Jesus and all other abnormal creatures are psychotic according to human knowledge. They show symptoms like hallucinations etc... Most probably they are just fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes.
2006-12-12 01:05:57 · answer #3 · answered by Ajeesh Kumar 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
..but does schizophrenia explain how an uneducated and illiterate man such as Mohammad could recite verse after verse of the Quran to his followers?
*****
I find it funny how, in answering a question that was asked sincerely asked and without provocation by posing a valid observation of an element of the issue at hand, I got to be called an idiot by someone whose avatar is a picture of Hitler with a halo? Hmmm...
2006-12-12 00:11:36 · answer #4 · answered by k² 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well. Following your logic Jesus would have suffered from schizophrenia too. He talked to God. So did Moses, Abraham and most Christian saints. Lots of schizophrenics, no?
2006-12-12 00:19:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
u making good points. maybe he was schizo.
another thought could be that as a society people don't like to believe people can speak to God or have visions, so they lable them as having a mental health issue. maybe the one's we label as crazy is really sane, its the rest of us that r crazy.
2006-12-12 01:14:23 · answer #6 · answered by Miki 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In the desert wouldn't it be more likely to be the effects of dehydration?
2006-12-12 08:58:48 · answer #7 · answered by moijesuisunepommedeterre 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A GREAT MAN indeed but he did suffer from sexual neurosis!
2006-12-12 03:09:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i so totally agree wit k!! if he had wateva disease u say then reallly how could he recite the quran like k sed!!!!
2006-12-12 00:15:08 · answer #9 · answered by somebody 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm in two minds about that.
2006-12-12 00:13:13 · answer #10 · answered by Polo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋