Does the Bible mention schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is mentioned nowhere explicitly in the Bible. Schizophrenia is a psychological
disorder characterized most commonly by hearing voices and having hallucinations, delusions,
disorganized thinking, and, at times, paranoia. Often mistaken for what was once called split
personality/multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia is not associated with dissociative
identity disorder. The symptoms can range from mild to severe and chronic. In most cases it is a
debilitating affliction that causes disruption to one’s quality of life and ability to function. It is
considered a psychotic disorder by the mental health field and is usually treated with
psychotropic medications. The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown, as there is no physical
test that can determine the source of the problem. The behavioral manifestations are the primary
criteria for a diagnosis. Speculation about schizophrenia’s cause has led to a debate over how
Christians should view the disorder in light of scriptural truths.
Medical research has theorized there are conditions present in the brain causing schizophrenia.
Some research suggests that there are abnormalities similar to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
The cause of these problems is still unknown; they could be a result of the disorder rather than a
precipitating cause. However, genetics is theorized to play a role. Another variable is drug abuse.
Many illicit drugs produce the same symptoms as schizophrenia. It is possible these drugs leave
permanent brain dysfunction and lead to problems with thinking and perception.
There are also those who believe schizophrenia is spiritual in nature, as in demon possession.
This idea comes from the Bible’s accounts of people whose symptoms appear to mirror
schizophrenia. While demon possession is possible in some cases, it is unlikely to be the cause
for the majority. When the biblical accounts are carefully compared to cases of schizophrenia,
the symptoms do not truly look the same (see Luke 4:41).
As with all mental health issues, schizophrenia might have several causes that are unique to each
person. Although symptoms may be the same, the causes can differ. That is why it is important
not to pigeonhole people with the diagnosis into “spiritual” or “physical” categories.
Believers should be filled with compassion for those suffering from schizophrenia. We can think
of it as a prison of the mind. People with schizophrenia and their families typically lack support
from both the Christian and medical communities because neither has all the answers. The
church should minister to everyone, including persons with schizophrenia and their families.
Those who struggle with mental illness should be considered part of a mission field. They need
the gospel to help them understand where God fits into the picture and that there is hope in Jesus.
Although the Bible does not specifically address brain or psychological problems, it does refer to
people being healed of all types of maladies. The Lord works not only through miracles, but also
through medications, surgeries, counseling, and environmental changes. He does not want
anyone to remain in hopeless suffering, and He calls all to come to Him with their burdens to
find life (Matthew 11:28-30). The Lord also calls His children to extend love and the gospel to
those who hurt, especially those who are the most vulnerable (James 2:1-4). The Bible says
anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). Those who suffer
with schizophrenia can have hope in Jesus for life more abundant (John 10:9-11). The Lord can
use all things for their good.
Spirituality in Recovery
For many people religion is one way that we understand the world and give meaning to our lives
and certainly people with schizophrenia are no different. Religion and spirituality often play an
important part in many people’s experiences of schizophrenia. For some sufferers religious
delusions or intense religiously-based irrational thinking may be a component of their symptoms,
for instance they may believe that they have been sent by God to become a great prophet.
However for other people religion and spirituality play an important role in their recovery
process. They may find that their spiritual beliefs and practices help them to make sense of the
world in a way that they could not when they were suffering from psychotic delusions and that
membership of a supportive faith community provides vital fellowship when faced by the
everyday problems of living with a serious mental health condition.
In this information sheet Rob Foster, a practicing Christian, gives his take on how his faith
helped him interpret and live with his mental health condition. In our related information sheets
other writers give their own accounts of how their spiritual and religious beliefs have helped
them from the point of view of other religious and spiritual traditions.
Why is spirituality important?
It is a modern definition of our status as higher beings that humans are intellectual and emotional
beings who seek a harmonious balance between the two however, most humans tend to be
dominated by either quality. Although this is true, some humans have achieved cognitive control
over these using the traditional third characteristic of humanity: that is that we are also spiritual
beings. Spirituality can be embraced as an underpinning belief system that provides the cognitive
power to unite and control both intellectual processes and the resultant emotional response and
general mood.
How does schizophrenia affect us?
Although the exact physical causes of schizophrenia are not yet fully understood, the categories
of symptoms are well established. Schizophrenia is a ‘multi lateral’ condition as it has three
distinct categories of symptoms, namely positive, negative and cognitive. The positive symptoms
include the psychotic symptoms such as paranoid delusions, hallucinations, hearing voices etc.
The negative are an absence of basic and complex emotions, urges or feelings such as an
inability to experience pleasure, lack of motivation, lack of speech, absence of desire or arousal.
The cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia is less well known and includes
dementia, poor working memory, impaired analytical and interpretive ability regarding new
information with inability to then use it and attention deficit.
If we go back to the definition of the nature of human beings as emotional and intellectual
beings, schizophrenia breaks down both these aspects of human existence and consciousness.
The positive and cognitive symptoms deconstruct or impair intellect, higher reasoning, sensory
data including the quality, reliability and function of memories and the negative symptoms
destroy the emotional aspect of being human. Thus schizophrenia can attack our very perception
of being human.
This is where the third and illusive aspect of human existence and consciousness can not only
restore a person with schizophrenia’s reputation as a human and higher being but actually allow
them to transcend those without mental illness who confine themselves to intellect and emotion
either in conflict or with one aspect dominant over the other. This not only limits imagination but
also the perception of themselves and reality.
What is spirituality?
Spirituality can include faith in a particular religion, the ability to feel or perceive a God like
presence in one’s daily life or the emanations from such an entity, a feeling of oneness with the
universe, an altered perception of time, loss of self-consciousness replaced with self-reflection, a
perception of reality and ones self within it can be altered. There is a commonality between the
outcome of religious or spiritual practices such as prayer or meditation as both states can achieve
this overall spirituality and greater cognitive power and are thus able to improve control over
emotions, mood, imagination, instinctive feelings and rational judgement.
This means that this overall sense of faith or spirituality appears to be the emergent property of
many functions in the brain. This state allows certain emotional states to become almost
instinctive, usually an achievement of an enlightened state of joy and peace that can simply not
be generated by standard intellectual or emotional stimulation and range. This then creates a
positive feedback loop not only stimulating profoundly optimistic cognitive processes and
outcomes which then reinforce not just this almost enlightened mood but also one’s faith or
spiritual philosophy thus empowering further the conscious cognitive ability to contemplate God
or the universe and switch on or turn up areas of the brain involved in the perceptual and
interpretive functions along with the emotional centres.
So spirituality can function as both a foundation upon which every thought, feeling and action is
based and an emergent property of the perfect harmonious unity of thought and feeling that cycle
in ever increasing circles in perpetual motion.
How does Christian faith help in recovery?
To a Christian, faith in God’s love and infinite goodness is the foundation of their beliefs and
practices and it is this strength of faith that is the key to recovery in schizophrenia. All people
with schizophrenia will be familiar with the positive symptoms including voices, hallucinations
and paranoid delusions. Using faith in God’s love and goodness can help break the cycle of
symptoms: thought then feeling. As a Christian, holding on to the faith that no matter what you
see, hear or think, on the basis of God’s love and goodness means everything will ultimately
result in a happy conclusion. Let this notion dominate every thought process and intercept every
faulty signal in the brain with this burning faith and the resultant emotional response will be a
warm positive feedback.
This is almost a form of personal cognitive behavioural therapy and eventually this becomes the
brain’s learned response. Fear subsides and no longer drives thought and imagination, instead a
happy optimism influences thought and becomes the normal automatic response. This allows
strength of will and even confidence to return and this can signal the start of a good sturdy
recovery. Christians should always remember that to the darkness, Jesus came as the light to free
us from sin and death with signs of faith and words of hope, He touched untouchables with love
and washed the guilty clean.
This whole process is strengthened and fuelled by study of the Gospels. Start with Mark’s
Gospel and read His words daily. Pray and have faith always to trust in God and know Him
through knowing Christ. Remember, the key to enabling your sustained recovery is faith, faith
what you know of God through Christ, faith in prayer and faith in the scriptures.
This form of “self CBT” using faith untangles and dismantles the faulty paranoid circuitry that
forms the basis and delusion. In addition the positive symptoms diminish as we no longer allow
them to drive our emotional and behavioural responses.
What does our understanding of the brain science tell us about spirituality?
It has been observed using brain imaging techniques that the activity in certain areas of the brain
in spiritual or religious states is much more active than normal. In particular the frontal lobe
during prayer shows much more activity than usual and there is a resultant activation of other
areas of the brain in unison in a way which does not usually occur through other means.
Secondly, activity in areas of the brain such as the thalamus, which is involved with perceptions
of reality, is increased. The sustained moods or these heightened instinctive emotional states that
form part of the essence of spirituality such as peace, joy and universal love can be explained by
the concept of neuroplasticity. This is the way in which brain cells make new connections in
response to new information and stimuli. It can be the way in which the brain can repair itself by
learning new ways of thinking about things when faced with adverse conditions.
When certain pathways in the brain are regularly and intensely used and activated, the brain
creates a permanent circuit. These circuits or pathways are able to link thought, belief, judgement
and emotional response thus enabling spiritual concepts like absolute faith, feeling God’s love,
the deconstruction of internal self versus external reality replaced by that feeling of oneness with
the universe or the constant inner warmth of positive feedback from adhering to a set of values.
Conclusion and hypothesis
So it can be seen that faith in something greater than man unlocks or activates God- given
functions within all of us to achieve a higher state so we may truly hear the word to God, feel His
love as though it were tangible and perceived on some energetic level that resonates our energy
so we become beacons of faith and love.
To know without doubt that no matter what happens the ultimate goal is goodness through
boundless love and in it mercy, and this is the only thing in life we should trust absolutely. The
resultant spiritual highs go beyond anything our intellect or normal emotional range can
generate. Faith truly allows a new level of being and a sustained recovery and it converts an
often terrified, asocial and self-perceived invalid into a peaceful, joyous human created in the
image of God, brimming with Christian values towards others and the situations they face in
their own lives. The final point; faith brings order out of chaos.
References
Religious and Spiritual Practices- a neurochemical perspective- Dr Andrew Newberg 2006
Where God and Science Meet- Patrick McNamara 12006
Neurophysiology of Religious Experience- Elaine Hull
Evidence for progression of brain structural abnormalities in schizophrenia- Dennis Valikoulis,
Stephen J Wood, Patrick D McGorry, Christos Pantelis
