Psychopathology and Spiritual Experiences: Criteria for Differential Assessment

Abstract

Introduction

There is a plurality of differing opinions defining borders between mental disorders and spiritual experiences. This research proposes criteria for clarifying those boundaries.

Objectives

Summarize practical criteria for clinicians to assess psychopathological symptoms with spiritual content and to attain a differential diagnosis from healthy spiritual experiences.

Aims

Merge different approaches from psychopathology, psychology of religion and religious studies to attain practical criteria.

Methods

Literature review using a phenomenological and critical approach.

Results

1. Severe psychiatric symptoms with religious content: (1) are usually in the context of personal impoverishment; (2) appear odd in cultural environments and within a person's biography; (3) do not enhance action or, in the phenomenological tradition, (4) these symptoms come from a weakening of the “intentional arc”. 2. A guiding map is suggested to evaluate spiritual expressions and their relationships with mild or moderate mental disorders and with mental health and personal growth. This map is developed by combining different traditions from the psychology of religion. 3. Psychiatric and psychological judgment of religious/spiritual experiences should be self-limited. There is a judgment about its content and about its validity or truth, which is only possible within the different spiritual traditions.

Conclusions

Psychopathology establishes principles to discriminate some psychotic symptoms from healthy spiritual experiences. Psychology of religion offers some general rules to guide the psychological evaluation of spiritual beliefs and their influence on mental well-being and personal growth. This review opens fields for future research in relating psychopathology and the study of religious experience.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.