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 00:09:19 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
I firmly believe that the poor man was a paranoid schizophrenic. Unfortunately nobody new the existence of that state of mind so long ago and it was attributed to something divine. You try it today and see how long it is before you are trussed up in a straight jacket and locked away in a secure institution. Ignorance is the breeding ground for all religions.
2006-12-12 00:18:31 · answer #1 · answered by ANON 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A sincere question deserves a sincere answer.
Here goes:
as in the old times afflictions we now call diseases were not diagnosed the way we do now, people had a different outlook on persons who were "different": even in the middle ages women who looked and/or behaved out of the ordinary were called whitches and they got executed.
Now we put people whom we diagnose as "schizophrenics" in institutions.. and call them nuts. As you are working with these people, you will certainly know they are not "nuts" 24/7, and not ALL they say or think is crazy. They sometimes even have great insight in things, providing you can (I know, it takes some effort to take them seriously!) sort of decipher their uncommon ways of communication.
So... even IF Mohammed (or Jesus, for that matter) would now be diagnosed as schizophrenics, they might have come up with some real good ideas that were understood then as so hugely "special" that those ideas were labeled as coming from God.
The whole idea of there being a God (or Allah) is a completely different discussion.. it's a BELIEF, that is experienced as a reality by believers, but which might as well be the need to have a superior power that rules us all.. as in: "if there is no God/Allah my life has no sense", which might be a too scary thought to entertain.
In short: who cares if Mohammed or Jesus or any other "prophet" were mentally ill and/or had a direct connection with higher powers, if there are any. I think one should listen to what they had to say, judge them by their deeds and learn from that for one's own life, if one believes in higher powers or not.
As for people who work with the mentally ill: one should take them as seriously as possible and "listen" to what they are trying to say. You may be surprised to find a world that is not all that "crazy" at all...
2006-12-12 00:35:40 · answer #2 · answered by icqanne 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does it really matter if he was? It is like asking if Jesus owned the sandals that he wore. The words from Mohamed are not the problem, it is the words of the tribal leaders who added their own input to the Koran that caused today's problems, just like the split in the christian church that started in the 3rd century has caused so many problems around the world since then. Reconciliation of the true teachings of Christ is the only way to world peace and unity.
2006-12-12 00:25:13 · answer #3 · answered by tmarschall 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Send this question into the Times!!! I would love to see if they print it.
2006-12-12 00:16:40 · answer #4 · answered by jimmysaxo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Im inclined to believe that all religious nuts are.
2006-12-12 00:12:04 · answer #5 · answered by globiaeon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of Course NOT . I prefer not to reply on you and others who try to insult prophets who were sent by ALLAH (GOD)
2006-12-12 00:15:14 · answer #6 · answered by montathra 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
always have enough information before posting such questions.
AND RESPECT
2006-12-12 00:18:53 · answer #7 · answered by MO 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Thanks for asking that. I want to look into myself.
2006-12-12 00:13:00 · answer #8 · answered by shadouse 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋