Abstract
Abstract By religious experiences I mean states of mind which their subjects invest with supernatural or preternatural meaning (interpreting the experiences as related to such agencies as spirits, gods, devils, or magical influences). Defined in this way, we can immediately see a significant kinship between psychiatric disorders and religious experiences. Functional psychoses, including both schizophrenia and manic-depressive psychoses are often interpreted by patients in this way (Boisen, 1936; Custance, 1951). Swedenborg, George Fox, and many other religious leaders experienced states of mind which they believed were of supernatural origin. But, for the psychiatrist, these are very difficult to distinguish from psychotic states. For example, reactions to bereavement include melancholia in some individuals (Freud, 1925/1917) and mystical experiences among others (Aberbach, 1987). Also, Westerners who have been subject to mystical or other types of religious experiences commonly believe them to indicate mental illness and, for this reason, avoid speaking of them (Prince, 1979).
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