Hyperreligiosity | |
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Specialty | Psychiatry, Neurology |
Hyperreligiosity is a psychiatric disturbance in which a person experiences intense religious beliefs or episodes that interfere with normal functioning. Hyperreligiosity generally includes abnormal beliefs and a focus on religious content or even atheistic content, [1] which interferes with work and social functioning. Hyperreligiosity may occur in a variety of disorders including epilepsy, [2] [3] psychotic disorders and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. [4] Hyperreligiosity is a symptom of Geschwind syndrome, which is associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. [5]
Hyperreligiosity is characterized by an increased tendency to report supernatural or mystical experiences, spiritual delusions, rigid legalistic thoughts,[ citation needed] and extravagant expression of piety. [6] [7] Hyperreligiosity may also include religious hallucinations. Hyperreligiosity can also be expressed as intense atheistic beliefs. [1]
Hyperreligiosity may be associated with epilepsy – in particular temporal lobe epilepsy involving complex partial seizures – mania, [8] frontotemporal lobar degeneration, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, [9] hallucinogen-related psychosis [10] and psychotic disorder. In persons with epilepsy episodic hyperreligosity may occur during seizures [11] or postictally, but is usually a chronic personality feature that occurs interictally. [3] Hyperreligiosity was associated in one small study with decreased right hippocampal volume. [6] Increased activity in the left temporal regions has been associated with hyperreligiosity in psychotic disorders. [12] Pharmacological evidence points towards dysfunction in the ventral dopaminergic pathway. [13]
Epilepsy related cases may respond to antiepileptics. [14]
Studies that claim to show no difference in emotional makeup between temporal lobe and other epileptic patients (Guerrant et al., 1962; Stevens, 1966) have been reinterpreted (Blumer, 1975) to indicate that there is, in fact, a difference: those with temporal lobe epilepsy are more likely to have more serious forms of emotional disturbance. This "typical personality" of temporal lobe epileptic patient has been described in roughly similar terms over many years (Blumer & Benson, 1975; Geschwind, 1975, 1977; Blumer, 1999; Devinsky & Schachter, 2009). These patients are said to have a deepening of emotions; they ascribe great significance to commonplace events. This can be manifested as a tendency to take a cosmic view; hyperreligiosity (or intensely professed atheism) is said to be common.
Clinically, they are said to have more mood swings, euphoria, grandiosity, hyperreligiosity, and multimodal hallucinations, and more prominent positive than negative symptoms.
Hyperreligiosity | |
---|---|
Specialty | Psychiatry, Neurology |
Hyperreligiosity is a psychiatric disturbance in which a person experiences intense religious beliefs or episodes that interfere with normal functioning. Hyperreligiosity generally includes abnormal beliefs and a focus on religious content or even atheistic content, [1] which interferes with work and social functioning. Hyperreligiosity may occur in a variety of disorders including epilepsy, [2] [3] psychotic disorders and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. [4] Hyperreligiosity is a symptom of Geschwind syndrome, which is associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. [5]
Hyperreligiosity is characterized by an increased tendency to report supernatural or mystical experiences, spiritual delusions, rigid legalistic thoughts,[ citation needed] and extravagant expression of piety. [6] [7] Hyperreligiosity may also include religious hallucinations. Hyperreligiosity can also be expressed as intense atheistic beliefs. [1]
Hyperreligiosity may be associated with epilepsy – in particular temporal lobe epilepsy involving complex partial seizures – mania, [8] frontotemporal lobar degeneration, anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, [9] hallucinogen-related psychosis [10] and psychotic disorder. In persons with epilepsy episodic hyperreligosity may occur during seizures [11] or postictally, but is usually a chronic personality feature that occurs interictally. [3] Hyperreligiosity was associated in one small study with decreased right hippocampal volume. [6] Increased activity in the left temporal regions has been associated with hyperreligiosity in psychotic disorders. [12] Pharmacological evidence points towards dysfunction in the ventral dopaminergic pathway. [13]
Epilepsy related cases may respond to antiepileptics. [14]
Studies that claim to show no difference in emotional makeup between temporal lobe and other epileptic patients (Guerrant et al., 1962; Stevens, 1966) have been reinterpreted (Blumer, 1975) to indicate that there is, in fact, a difference: those with temporal lobe epilepsy are more likely to have more serious forms of emotional disturbance. This "typical personality" of temporal lobe epileptic patient has been described in roughly similar terms over many years (Blumer & Benson, 1975; Geschwind, 1975, 1977; Blumer, 1999; Devinsky & Schachter, 2009). These patients are said to have a deepening of emotions; they ascribe great significance to commonplace events. This can be manifested as a tendency to take a cosmic view; hyperreligiosity (or intensely professed atheism) is said to be common.
Clinically, they are said to have more mood swings, euphoria, grandiosity, hyperreligiosity, and multimodal hallucinations, and more prominent positive than negative symptoms.