Spiritual Psychosis (an actual informative post)
I’ve been scuttling across the interwebs once more and have found a topic that I feel is very important to discuss - spiritual psychosis.
Spiritual psychosis is a term that I’ve seen used online recently. Mostly by one particular creator who has no qualifications or background when it comes to psychology or psychiatry. The word gets used liberally but they never talk about what spiritual psychosis actually is, what the causes and symptoms are, and they provide no helpful resources for those who may be experiencing symtoms themselves or know someone who is.
I believe this is irresponsible because it can lead to people flinging the term around at people who they don’t agree with, without realising that spiritual psychosis, like any other form of psychosis, is dangerous to the individual and potentially others around them.
As someone with a psychology degree and a keen interest in spirituality and mental health, I thought I’d make this post to educate people on what spiritual psychosis actually is, what to look out for, as well as links to resources.
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional. I will link some sources to everything I mention in this article, as well as some resources if you find yourself or someone you know experiencing psychosis and need urgent help.
So let’s start with a definition. The NHS website defines psychosis as when someone loses some contact with reality. Some of the main symptoms include hallucinations that can be auditory (hearing voices) or visual (seeing things that aren’t there), delusions (a fixed belief that won’t change despite evidence to the contrary), paranoia (the belief you are being harmed despite there being little to no evidence of such), and disorganised thinking and speech (thoughts are fragmented and speech is difficult to understand).
Spiritual psychosis involves these symptoms, but tends to have a focus on spiritual or religious beliefs. For example, someone in this state may believe they are the reincarnation of a deity. To them, these beliefs and experiences are very real.
So, what causes spiritual psychosis? According to AMFMtreatment.com there can be external and internal causes that can contribute to this. Trauma or a stressful life event may lead to an episode of psychosis, or if the person has existing intense spiritual or religious beliefs. Also, it’s more likely to occur in those with a genetic predisposition to psychotic disorders. Now, a genetic predisposition or a traumatic event on their own may not soley trigger spiritual psychosis. Rather, a complex combination of external and internal factors leads to spiritual psychosis.
I just wanted to write a brief distinction here about the distinction between spiritual belief and spiritual psychosis, as there are people with intense beliefs that you may believe are experiencing some form of psychosis or other mental illness but they may not be.
Psychosis deeply impacts those who suffer through it. It can prevent someone from maintaining existing relationships or forming relationships of any kind. If they are paranoid that everyone is out to get them, then they could isolate themselves from other people. Those suffering from auditory hallucinations may hear voices telling them that people are sinners and need to be brought to justice (which in their mind could mean harm). Isolation from other human beings is not healthy - as we are social animals who thrive on the relationships with others. On top of that, it may be hard for someone experiencing psychosis to hold down a job, which means no money. No income means they wouldn’t be able to afford rent or a mortgage… which means homelessness becomes a very real possibility. A meta analysis conducted by Ayano et Al (2019) found that there is a high prevalence of psychosis amongst homeless people (with it being even more prevalent in developing countries). After reviewing 31 studies that involved 51,925 homeless people, Ayano et al found psychotic disorders were the most common mental illnesses in the homeless population, and that it was also linked to a greater risk of disability and substance abuse.
It goes without saying, but psychosis is not to be taken lightly. Someone can have intense spiritual beliefs, but those beliefs do not negatively impact their lives (like those who have spiritual psychosis). Spiritual psychosis is certainly not a term to use carelessly, as it implies a person is going through such an ordeal that they may end up homeless, at risk of physical ill health and even premature death. As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, I have seen a witchy content creator repeatedly use this term (with no actual helpful information attached to it). There are two reasons for this. First, to discredit other creators and their respective communities by making it out like they are deep in mental illness and should not be listened to. Secondly, to make spiritual psychosis seem much more likely to happen and to scare new and inexperienced dragon witches into following her ‘teachings’. In the end, I find the throwing around of a very serious mental illness sickening and unethical. This can have actual negative consequences offline. If a person is labelled as experiencing spiritual psychosis, a well meaning viewer may inform emergency services, and then it turns out the person isn’t suffering from psychosis at all. This takes away time and resources for those who are actually having a psychotic episode and need actual, urgent help.
The witch who irresponsibly uses the term spiritual psychosis to paint others in a bad light is Azura DragonFaether. She is a witch who converted to an Abrahamic faith and is attempting to rewrite history by claiming to be the founder of various Draconic paths (whilst redefining the term founder). This is another example of someone from an abrahamic faith oppressing the voice of pagans. If you want to support the dragon community, who largely say that Azura does not speak for them, then please sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/azura-dragonfaether-does-not-speak-for-the-dragon-community
I’ve covered the basics of what can cause spiritual psychosis, the symptoms and the negative impacts it can have on a person, as well as the potential consequences of flinging the term around like an insult. It would be wrong of me not to include advice on what to do if you find yourself with someone who is experiencing psychosis, spiritual or otherwise. Mind.org recommends the folllwing:
- Stay calm. Maintain eye contact and make sure your body language is relaxed.
- try not to take their reactions personally. What they are experiencing is very real to them
- Use plain language and short sentences. This is particularly useful if they are struggling with disordered thoughts or speech. Give them time to respond.
- Try and make the surroundings safe, and give them space if they think they need it. Take them to a quiet area if possible.
- Try and help them focus on what is going on right now.
- Support them with how they are feeling. Do not confirm or challenge their reality.
If the person is having hallucinations or delusions about harming themselves or others, they need urgent help. Here’s a list of emergency contacts for various countries:
In many European countries you can call 112 to connect with local emergency services, however you may want to check which countries use this number. I cannot include the contact numbers for every country, so please familiarise yourself with your country’s emergency number - you may need it for other emergencies!
Thanks for reading my post. Below is the list of sources I’ve referenced in making this post.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/psychosis/overview/
https://amfmtreatment.com/blog/understanding-religious-psychosis-symptoms-causes-treatment/
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychosis/what-is-spiritual-psychosis-exploring-symptoms-and-treatment/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6880407/
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/psychosis/helping-someone-whos-experiencing-psychosis/
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