title: Religious content of hallucinations in paranoid schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different environmental factors are thought to be responsible for 15-20% of schizophrenia pathogenesis. Religion has long been considered a major force in human life, regardless of economic, social or political affiliation. How the perception of religion has changed over time, especially in the context of mental illness, was the focal point of this long-term comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random selection of 100 case histories from the years 1932, 1952, 1972 and 1992 was selected. By reviewing the subject history and medical notes, information on the presence of religious hallucinations and/or delusions were collected and grouped.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Religious topics were demonstrated in 46.8% of the test population. Whereas there was a clear diversity of religious-themed delusions, "God", "Christ", "Mary", "Satan/devil" and "hell" all figured prominently across all reviewed years. There is a progressive decrease in the number of religious topics in paranoid schizophrenia. The transfer of holiness from historical saints onto a subject was observed. Evil dominates over good in productive symptoms in paranoid schizophrenia. The phenomenon of apocalyptic subjects in paranoid hallucinations and delusions increased after the Second World War.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Religious topics of hallucinations and delusions change over time and relate to objective historical events and reflect changes in religiosity in society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krzystanek
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krysta
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klasik
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krupka-Matuszczyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D003702:Delusions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012922:Social Change; D047789:World War II