Between Spirit and Synapse: Reconciling Christian Theology and Neuroscience in Schizophrenia and Demon Possession
This article integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine the intersection between religious experience and psychosis. Drawing on empirical data from a study of 130 Christian individuals with and without schizophrenia, as well as a detailed qualitative case study of ‘Yvonne’ (a pseu...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2026
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| In: |
Pastoral psychology
Year: 2026, Volume: 75, Issue: 1, Pages: 119-129 |
| Further subjects: | B
Psychosis
B Integration B Dopamine B Demon possession B Schizophrenia B Religiosity |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine the intersection between religious experience and psychosis. Drawing on empirical data from a study of 130 Christian individuals with and without schizophrenia, as well as a detailed qualitative case study of ‘Yvonne’ (a pseudonym used to protect the identity of the case subject), this paper offers a framework for practitioners seeking to interpret religiously themed psychotic phenomena through both theological and clinical lenses. The study found that religiosity can both protect against and exacerbate psychotic distress, depending on its interpretation and the community’s response. Yvonne’s narrative, marked by episodes interpreted alternately as spiritual warfare and as psychotic expression, illustrates the continuum between religious experience and psychosis. The proposed model of biopsychospiritual integration situates dopamine dysregulation and attribution theory within a theological anthropology that views religious and biological processes as interdependent dimensions of the same human reality of experience. Biopsychospiritual implications are discussed for clinicians, theologians, and pastoral caregivers seeking to foster culturally and spiritually informed mental health care. |
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| ISSN: | 1573-6679 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Pastoral psychology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s11089-025-01291-7 |
