Psychological characteristics of religious delusions →

-SPRINGER (Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology) “We found that religious delusions were more likely to be accompanied by grandiose delusions, and high levels of positive symptomatology, including hallucinations, passivity phenomena, and unusual behaviour. Within a cognitive model of religious delusions, persistence of distress and disability and poorer outcomes may, therefore, be driven by high levels of ongoing evidence for the delusion in the form of anomalous experiences. It is possible, if the experiences have religious significance, that the person engages in particular behaviours to bring these experiences on. The high levels of bizarre behaviour found in our sample would be consistent with this suggestion. Bizarre behaviour may also act to alienate the person and reduce opportunities for social support and potential disconfirmation through social contact; or form a safety behaviour, preventing testing out of concerns. Odd behaviours may also act directly to confirm delusions by generating unusual or adverse reactions from others. High levels of grandiosity may limit the person’s ability to reflect upon, and consider, both their actions, and their explanations of experiences. Grandiose delusions may have positive implications which mean the person is reluctant to change them.”

Religious delusions: Definition, diagnosis and clinical implications →

-QUARTERY JOURNAL OF THE HELLENIC PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION “Religious delusions may be presented in various ways and their contents differ. The following categories can be distinguished regarding the content of religious delusions: (1) Delusions of persecution (by the devil, demonic entities etc.) (2) Grandiose identity delusions (Messiah Syndrome, undertaking special mission) (3) Delusions of guilt or devaluation (unforgivable sins) (4) Delusions of control or passivity phenomena (5) Delusional misidentification syndrome or antichrist delusion (the delusional misidentification of oneself or others as the Antichrist, which, although relatively rare, is of particular clinical significance, because it is often accompanied by violent, mostly hetero-destructive, behaviors”
”Perhaps the most noticeable difference between a healthy religious person and a person with religious delusions is that the healthy person may consider that he/ she has a personal relationship with God, but this is in line with the teachings of his/her religion and in the way it is accepted to exist. In religiosity there is a religious connection with the “sacred” element, but it is generalizable. The believers do not consider that they have any special relationship with God, but that everyone is connected in some way with the divine. On the other hand, patients with delusions believe that they have a unique or privileged relationship with God, or even that they are the religious entities themselves. The self is the center of their religious delusions.”

Co-occurrence of religious, superstitious and delusional-type beliefs (Cooccurrence des croyances religieuses, superstitieuses et de type délirant) →

-ERUDIT “For example, a man is suddenly paralyzed after a car accident the same day his termination letter was posted. The two events are independent. Despite everything, a religious person could see the will of God in this repetition of misfortunes, assigning meaning and cause to the occurrence of two otherwise unrelated events. A superstitious person could explain these events because this day was Friday the 13th, a day culturally associated with good or bad luck depending on the region of the world. A person with delusional ideas could explain this series of misfortunes by a plot against him.”

NIH- Shared Psychotic Disorder →

-NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE: NATIONAL CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION
”Shared psychotic disorder (folie à deux) is a rare disorder characterized by sharing a specific delusion among two or more people in a close relationship. The inducer (primary) who has a psychotic disorder with delusions influences another individual or more (induced, secondary) based on a delusional belief. It is commonly seen among two individuals, but in rare cases, can include larger groups.”

NIH: Understanding delusions →

-NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE: NATIONAL CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION

“Delusion of persecution: It is the most frequent content of delusion. It was distinguished from other types of delusion and other forms of melancholia by Lasegue (1852). The interfering agent may be animate or inanimate, other people or machines; may be system, organizations or institutions rather than individuals. Sometimes the patient experiences persecution as a vague influence without knowing who is responsible. May occur in conditions like: Schizophrenia, Affective psychosis: Manic, Depressive type, and Organic states: Acute, chronic. Persecutory overvalued ideas are a prominent facet of the litiginous type of paranoid personality disorder.”