Psychopatologiczne przejawy życia religijnego

Abstract

Religion is consistently considered to be an integral part of human life. The relationship between religiosity and psychopathology has been explored in many ways. The article concentrates on psychopathological symptoms of religious life and tries to investigate which factors are responsible for pathological behaviour in this field. It starts with describing the main methodological issues of abnormal psychology i.e. the concept of pathology and definitions of abnormality. The discussion of the terms “madness” and “insanity” leads us on to those areas of thinking and behaving that appear to deviate from normal modes of functioning. However, deciding what proper and appropriate examples of psychopathology are is not easy. As we noted, someone’s deviating behaviour from accepted norms and patterns does not mean that the person is suffering from a mental or psychiatric illness. Then, the article provides an insight into four major fields of psychopathology of religious life: neurotic concept of God, pathological guilt, religious-moral compulsions and scruples, and relationships between mental illnesses and religious behaviour. Each issue is precisely analysed from a psychological and psychiatric point of view. References to religious aspects of human life are also made. Having researched these areas we come to the conclusion that in most cases individuals showing pathological religious behaviour were insane already and have simply chosen to express their troubles in a religious way, using ideas from their religions, just as other patients may use the latest scientific or technological findings to justify their pathological thinking. Mental health is associated with intrinsic religiosity, but not so much with extrinsic. Surveys of literature find that it might by attributed to a strong impact made by the system of religious beliefs. The conclusions support clinical observations that the primary factor in explaining pathological functioning in religious patients is not their personal religious commitment but their underlying psychopathology.