The signs of religious psychosis aren’t always as obvious as you might expect, but they’re still things that are well worth paying attention to.
Ordinary coincidences feel like coded messages from God
The clock says 11:11 three days in a row and a stranger uses a certain word. These completely normal coincidences become a sign of something deeper for someone suffering from religious psychosis. They interpret each one as a message from God.
Wondering whether these are signs is one thing, and it’s completely normal. Being certain that they are signs is another. It doesn’t take long for this kind of person to start spending hours collecting clues or changing plans because of them. It’s not so harmless anymore.
They begin reading sacred meaning into unrelated news stories
Everything in the news seems to be connected to this person. At least, that’s what someone going through religious psychosis believes. They see a report about an earthquake as being connected to an argument they had that morning.Â
A politician’s speech becomes a warning meant only for them. While it might seem strange to other people, someone experiencing religious psychosis thinks it’s completely reasonable. Yes, they see public events like they’re connected directly to them. Logic doesn’t exist, apparently.
They lose the ability to consider another interpretation
Most people have the ability to admit that, actually, they might be wrong about something. Not people going through religious psychosis, though. It doesn’t matter that someone else gives them a reasonable explanation because they’re fully convinced of their belief.
No amount of clear evidence matters, no amount of disagreement can get through. Their beliefs about the world have become fixed. That’s not to say someone being stubborn about religion is going through psychosis. It’s just that asking a question shouldn’t be treated like an attack.
They stop sleeping because they feel spiritually energized
It looks like enthusiasm. They stay up praying and writing pages of ‘revelations.’ It all seems like they’re just really passionate about religion. But it happens one night after another, and they keep insisting that they’re not tired. That’s a red flag.
A massively reduced need for sleep tends to happen during mania, sometimes including psychosis. They seriously believe that sleep is unnecessary for them, and they might even claim it’s something they’ve spiritually moved beyond. Newsflash, everybody needs sleep.
They see intrusive thoughts as messages from an outside power
We all get unwanted thoughts now and again, even ones that we’d never dream of acting on. The majority of people can recognize that these thoughts come from our own minds. It’s different when you’re going through religious psychosis.
That whole sense of ownership changes, and you start interpreting disturbing thoughts as commands from God or angels. You start thinking that some unseen force is placing these words directly into your head. That’s never good.
They repeatedly test whether God will protect them
Religious tests can be more dangerous than you might realize. People experiencing psychosis sometimes start doing dangerous things because they believe God will protect them. They might quit wearing a seat belt, for example, since they think God will save them from danger.
Any and all kinds of basic safety precautions aren’t important to them anymore. Not because they’re trying to be reckless, but because they think it’s a test of faith. They’ll start taking serious risks due to their belief that they’re protected or chosen in some way. Near misses only strengthen that belief.
They abruptly reject medical care as spiritually forbidden
It’s a similar issue with medical care. They might’ve trusted doctors in the past, sure, but now they’ve decided that medication blocks God’s voice. Maybe they believe that seeking medical treatment is spiritually wrong somehow, and that it shows they lack faith.Â
It doesn’t mean that anyone who refuses medical care is going through psychosis. It’s an issue when they were fine before, but now they’ve changed, especially when it comes with other unusual beliefs or confusion.
They withdraw because other people feel spiritually unsafe
They skip one gathering and stop calling a certain friend. They might go on to say that a loved one’s presence feels spiritually wrong, and somehow, the list of people they’re avoiding gets longer.Â
Practically everyone around them apparently brings bad energy or is corrupt in some way. More than simply craving quiet time, this type of person is building their life around rejecting people that spiritually harm them. Nobody’s safe enough to be around.
Their personality and functioning change alongside the beliefs
Pay attention to what’s happening to the rest of their life, rather than just what they’re saying. You might realize that their bills are going unpaid and their work’s getting ignored. Their most basic routines may begin disappearing, too.Â
A single, unusual belief isn’t enough to tell you that they’re going through psychosis. But a sudden, clear drop in hygiene and everyday functioning is a much stronger sign that something’s up.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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