Henry Maudsley on Swedenborg's messianic psychosis.
BACKGROUND
Creativity, religiosity and madness have long been thought to be aetiologically interrelated.


METHODS
Henry Maudsley's little known pathography of the 17th century Swedish philosopher and polymath, Emanuel Swedenborg, was examined.


RESULTS
Swedenborg developed a messianic psychosis in middle life, considered by Maudsley to be a monomania, possibly due to epilepsy. Many of Swedenborg's contemporaries thought of him, however, as a religious eccentric. Under criticism from Swedenborg's followers, Maudsley avoided further reference to Swedenborg, and the pathography was lost from view.


CONCLUSIONS
Renewed interest is deserved in the contentious issues of the nature of religiosity and its relationship to psychotic experience.
Johnson
J
J
University Hospital of South Manchester.
D004739:England; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010684:Philosophy / Q000266:history*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000266:history*; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D013548:Sweden