Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Josef Parnas, Mads Gram Henriksen
Consciousness and cognition July 1, 2016 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.05.010 via PubMed
Summary
Mysticism and schizophrenia, while distinct, share significant phenomenological similarities, particularly in attitudes and experiences related to consciousness. The study identifies structural analogies between key features of mysticism and clinical aspects of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, suggesting that both phenomena involve alterations in consciousness. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of consciousness and its distortions in psychopathology.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Mysticism and schizophrenia exhibit important phenomenological affinities that implicate alterations in the structure of consciousness. |
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Abstract
Mysticism and schizophrenia are different categories of human existence and experience. Nonetheless, they exhibit important phenomenological affinities, which, however, remain largely unaddressed. In this study, we explore structural analogies between key features of mysticism and major clinical-phenomenological aspects of the schizophrenia spectrum disorders-i.e. attitudes, the nature of experience, and the 'other', mystical or psychotic reality. Not only do these features gravitate around the issue of the basic dimensions of consciousness, they crucially seem to implicate and presuppose a specific alteration of the very structure of consciousness. This finding has bearings for the understanding of consciousness and its psychopathological distortions.