Do you think that religion is a form of psychosis?

Question

I think it is. Any person who is delusional enough to believe in irrational myths has got to have some form of mental disorder. Agree?

the belief in supernatural is all in the imagination

Answer 1

Nope not a psychosis to me as my best friend has been dead twice and was on her way to heaven. Try talking to someone who has been to heaven and was brought back to life and I'll bet you can't convince them that it was an irrational myth.

Answer 2

A lot of atheists like to say that.
A lot of people with psychosis have religious delusions or hallucinations. Some folks even believe in some things that other people might think is crazy, like speaking in tongues, demonic possesion, and so on. But it isn't considered mental illness as long as long as it can be considered appropriate for the culture someone lives in.
You could call anything mental illness if you want to. You could say somebody is mentally ill for having different political beliefs than you; it would be pretty much the same thing. You can believe whatever you want, but it doesn't make it a fact.

Answer 3

I disagree. Almost all of the greatest minds of our time believed in a higher power. From Einstien to Hawkings.... their beliefs were engendered because of their knowledge that there is something, an X factor if you will.... which spawns all mathmatics.... which causes the big bang.... which brings life on this planet (and others?).

Does it make you a follower to have faith? Does it make you crazy? It depends on your definition.

Many organized religions do have a "don't think for yourself philosophy" and no one will deny that countless attrocities have been committed in the name of God, Christ, Allah, Yehova, Yawe and a host of other dieties, but I don't believe that faith by itself is a bad thing.

I can say that most of us practice MODERATION in all things including religion and that a belief in a higher power can help us through the rough patches in life and can enrich experiences and provide a moral compass for our children and ourselves. Having faith isn't expensive and it's alot less damaging than Valium (yet no less effective in most cases).

Near death experiences... the fact that the body loses actual weight after dying.... tends to make the arguement for a soul pretty compelling.... God is a natural extension of that arguement. And every group of people on earth has developed a belief system which includes some form of higher power.

After all, people didn't believe in molecules until the end of the 1800's because they couldn't be seen... that didn't make them any less real. Does belief in a microbe make you crazy?

A belief in a moral tale, a Bible, a Koran, a Torah, a Ganesh Statue is just that.... it's a belief, a comfort zone (some people need more than others).... it's faith in something you can't see or touch. It's not psychosis to have this.... it's comforting.

Best,

Adam

Answer 4

Yes and no . . . yes religion can be truly a
confusing issue to many, it's not something
you wanna discuss on a friday night at the
local bar and grille. lol. but to go as far as
saying it's a form of psychosis is a little bit
on the wrong track, any one can be radical about any cause they believe in and that in it self is dangerous. I use to be catholic now i'm atheist. but in either instance i've never been psychotic. As for believing in myths i guess it's a matter of opinons but opinons can be manipulated through many different ways and cause all kinds of night mares such as was seen in waco and the recent 911 insodent all because of radical beliefs, on the other hand it can bring a comfort to those in need of some kind of reassurance when there at a lower than low point in there life . . .

Answer 5

That's an interesting question!
I know there are a lot of religious people around here and that's fine, but it's true that when you're mentally instable, you'll search for something to "clamp" to.
For instance, Jehova's witnesses are constantly recruiting people. They do this by telling about the Apocolypse and the strict word of God.
If you're mentally instable, you're much more vulnerable to this kind of talk. That's because you can't determine "life" for your own.
The great thinkers of our history must have been really self-confident, to make up their own truth and spread it.
And self-confidence isn't necesarilly a bad thing. It keeps you focussed on what really matters in life. No foolishness.

Mentally instable people should follow a philosophy-course. This way they can determine for thereselves what is important in life and that "fear" is only ignorance.

So I wouldn't say religion is a form a psychosis. Psychosis causes you to be a follower, instead of a leader (that can be "your own leader" as well).

Answer 6

symbols form all that you and i can know and then agree upon, therefore reality is simply what you and i agree to be reality, some have a hatred for their human self and use the sensation of aspiration to glory in unformed and insane beliefs. Does that make them wrong? this you and i cannot know, if you look at the outcome of a given thought pattern and the outcome is gruesome, it would be wisdom to question the value of such a belief. There is no firm consensus on what sanity is, if it is that you believe in similar unknowns as others and act on them in the same manner as others and the majority of others do as well, this is the current form of acceptable thought which is of course sane! Or not?

Answer 7

I will answer the supposed rationalist with a set of questions. If you are really rational, how do you define where the universe around you came from? If you refer to the big bang, I would challenge you to answer where the infinite point energy came from for that beginning to occur.

Secondly, where did people come from? If you say from the primordial slime over millions of years ago, I would have to say that you think that you came from a rock. (Where all the supposed chemical came from.) That seems extremely intelligent. I thought that spontaneous genesis was disproved rather well in the 1800's.

Finally, if religion is psychosis, why then do people who practice it regularly have: healthier lives, longer lives, and have higher feelings of well being on every survey ever conducted on the subject? People who are mentally ill should have the opposite effects occur.

Your pathetic statements here just show your level of ignorance. For the fools shall be wise in their own eyes.

Answer 8

The belief in religion and a supreme being is called faith. It is not a form of psychosis. Psychosis means the person is not in touch with reality, seeing things are not there, hearing things, NOT having the faith and hope that after death there is more than oblivion.

Answer 9

I dont belive it is a mental disorder. Religion creates a set of rules to try to create a sence of right and wrong in a society. This can be either good or bad. Sometimes people have the need to feel guided in their lives. As, I said religion can be used for good or bad, but its not a mental disorder.

Answer 10

Religion is a form of meditation. Churches, temples are built to create an atmosphere for meditation. Music is religion. Yoga is religion. Jogging is religion. People need a simple story. The Bible is a simple story that changes with each generation.. There is only one man and one woman on this Earth today. We just have different names You see, all of the answers one needs to know are in oneself. People need a raft. The Bible is a tangible raft. that's all it is. No big deal. Do not make more of it than the simplicity it is. Iraq War is politics, not religion.
As Pope Paul stated, he knows that there is no man in the sky. Just meditate

Answer 11

well then i am the most psychotic person you will meet because i pray everyday and believe in god. what makes you think that the lord and the word of the bible is a myth? have you had some bad experiances with these things? i could be possible that you might have some post traumatic stress syndrome from that. maybe you should seek some therapy for your anger. did you not like being told that because you don't belive in god that you are psychotic? well those of us who do believe in god don't like to be called that either. your beliefs are fine with you i do not judge you don't judge us because of ours. thank you and no i don't agree