Curtis Hart, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Religion and Health and lecturer in public health at Weill Cornell Medical College, told Real Clear Science that he stands behind Irmak’s paper and has no plans to retract it. “The article was published in hopes that it would provoke discussion,” he said. “The journal does not agree that demons are a real entity.”
Hart might see the paper’s inclusion as an interesting way to ignite debate, but his peers in the medical community question if it’s a useful one. Dr. Joshua Kantrowitz, director of Columbia University’s Lieber Schizophrenia Research Clinic, dismisses Irmack’s argument as “pretty unfortunate.”
“With respect, this is a way to attract eyes to their journal and not necessarily a legitimate scientific debate,” he says. “People with schizophrenia are prescribed antipsychotics, and they work for most. As the article correctly cites, they don’t work for everybody, but I think it’s a pretty big leap to jump to the explanation offered. There didn’t seem to be much actual evidence or science behind what the author was saying.”
Journal Under Fire For Linking Schizophrenia to Demonic Possession
Showing posts with label Schizophrenia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Schizophrenia. Show all posts
Friday, June 20, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
ADDENDUM::RealClearScience - Published Paper Blames Schizophrenia on Demons
THE EDITOR OF the Journal of Religion and Health is Dr. Curtis Hart, a lecturer in public health at Weill Cornell Medical College. RealClearScience reached out to him for comment.
"The article was published in hopes that it would provoke discussion," he said. "The Journal does not agree that demons are a real entity."
There are currently no plans to retract the paper, but two rebuttals are already slated for a future issue, Curtis added. The journal's publisher, Springer, recently made headlines by withdrawing 16 gibberish papers spotted by an independent computer scientist. The nonsense papers were created with a computer program, SciGen.
RCS gave Irmak a chance to defend his paper.
"There is no scientific evidence to support the existence of demons," he admitted. "This is like the argument of creation or evolution. It is a matter of belief and I think the existence of demons cannot be proved by scientific methods."
For the record, there is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence in support of evolution, which is not at all a matter of belief.
Irmak also insisted that readers of his paper watch the Academy Award-winning film A Beautiful Mind, which chronicles the life of genius mathematician John Nash, who suffers from schizophrenia.
"I think the creatures who disturb John Nash are demons," he said.
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/06/published_scientific_paper_blames_schizophrenia_on_demons.html
RealClearScience - Published Paper Blames Schizophrenia on Demons
Saturday, June 7, 2014
New paper says maybe mental condition really IS demons | Doubtful News
Kudos to Sharon Hill over at Doubtful News for this gem,,,
A few thoughts to ponder,,,
A point that HIll makes, "[w]hen people believe this is religious cause, it will encourage exorcisms. Exorcisms are downright deadly." To which Improbable Research, cited by Hill, ends with this question, "The new theory raises an enigmatic question : if medication helps patients, is it acting on the patients themselves, or on the demons which possess them?
It is my question of which came first, religious belief or mental illness? In my humble opinion, the belief that one is demonically possessed is often a symptom of schizophrenia. "My feelings and movements are controlled by others in a certain way” and “They put thoughts in my head that are not mine.” Compare also to what some say in regards to aliens and demonology, Bill Alnor for example in a 2009 lecture [from my other blog].
A second point, if one looks at the references cited by the paper talked about by HIll some of the references are to sources specifically about the Near Eastern or Islamic belief jinn.
Whether Christian or Islamic, belief in demonic possession will lead to catastrophic results as I have many times highlighted.
New paper says maybe mental condition really IS demons | Doubtful News
Long ago, before modern medical understanding, people thought that various conditions such as mental illness and brain disorders like seizures were caused by demons. Those days have long past. Maybe not in the religious-minded. Note that this article comes from High Council of Science, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey. Turkey is a hotbed of Muslim fundamentalism.I was half tempted to pay the $40 to purchase this paper until reading K Friesen's comment,
The Journal is peer-reviewed including reports on “contemporary modes of religious and spiritual thought with particular emphasis on their relevance to current medical and psychological research.” Articles deal with mental and physical health in relation to religion and spirituality of all kinds. Therefore, that might explain why such a piece is published – that even contemporary (backwards) religions are returning to pre-scientific explanations.
I can’t fathom how such a paper would contain anything but speculation. The medical data nor any other scientific evidence anywhere in no way supports the reality of supernatural entities as a cause of human harm. Belief, however, causes havoc.
,,,it is definitely not peer reviewed. For that matter, there is scarcely anything in the paper – no methods, numbers, statistics, nothing even about “spiritual treatment”. The five pages of this paper (three if you don’t include the abstract and references) basically describe the symptomatology of schizophrenia and delusional disorders, talk a little bit about what a “demonic” experience might be like. To be a bit balanced, this article is under a subheading of “Psychological Exploration”Sorry forty bucks for five pages of dreck is not worth the price no matter how "enlightening" it may be.
A few thoughts to ponder,,,
A point that HIll makes, "[w]hen people believe this is religious cause, it will encourage exorcisms. Exorcisms are downright deadly." To which Improbable Research, cited by Hill, ends with this question, "The new theory raises an enigmatic question : if medication helps patients, is it acting on the patients themselves, or on the demons which possess them?
It is my question of which came first, religious belief or mental illness? In my humble opinion, the belief that one is demonically possessed is often a symptom of schizophrenia. "My feelings and movements are controlled by others in a certain way” and “They put thoughts in my head that are not mine.” Compare also to what some say in regards to aliens and demonology, Bill Alnor for example in a 2009 lecture [from my other blog].
A second point, if one looks at the references cited by the paper talked about by HIll some of the references are to sources specifically about the Near Eastern or Islamic belief jinn.
Whether Christian or Islamic, belief in demonic possession will lead to catastrophic results as I have many times highlighted.
New paper says maybe mental condition really IS demons | Doubtful News
Friday, February 21, 2014
Rethinking schizophrenia: Taming demons without drugs - 06 February 2014 - New Scientist
A very dense article but some interesting findings and alternatives presented. I would love to see more research done and this become a valid possibility here in the States.I would like to see if there could be any cross over in treating bipolar disorder as well as I noticed some similarities with my journey to be med free (14 years and counting). I highly recommend giving this a serious read if you or someone in your family (or friends) deal with schizophrenia. Print it out and take it to your therapist or doc.
Bullimore's experience may be an extreme case, but we have long known that the drugs used to treat schizophrenia are very far from ideal. The downsides have always been seen as a necessary price to pay for relief from the condition's devastating symptoms, but now that idea is being called into question. Not only are the side effects of these drugs worse than we thought; the benefits are also smaller. Although people need to be taken off their drugs slowly and carefully to avoid a relapse, it looks as though outcomes are better in the long run if medication is kept to a minimum.
Now, there is growing interest in less damaging ways of helping people with the condition – including talking therapies and even forms of brain training. "People are starting to think differently about schizophrenia," says Max Birchwood, a psychologist at the University of Warwick in the UK. "Attitudes are definitely changing."
[,,,]
More importantly, those in the stopping-medication group had more than double the chance of achieving what psychiatrists call "functional recovery" – 40 versus 18 per cent (JAMA Psychiatry, vol 70, p 913). In other words, even though they might have occasional symptoms, they could hold down jobs and look after themselves. "That's what's meaningful to the patient," says Lex Wunderink, a psychiatrist at Friesland Mental Health Services in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, who led the study. Wunderink speculates that this ability to function independently is being hampered by the dopamine-suppressing effects of antipsychotics.
[,,,]
In the meantime, the problems with antipsychotics are leading to growing interest in a range of alternatives to medication. The most promising are talking therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which aims to train people in new ways of thinking. CBT is often used for depression and anxiety to combat negative thought patterns, but psychiatrists have been sceptical about its usefulness for schizophrenia. "People say CBT can't possibly work – schizophrenia is an intrinsic brain disorder," says Birchwood, who helped pioneer CBT. "How can talking therapy change anything to do with the brain?" Yet many studies have shown it to be useful.
Rethinking schizophrenia: Taming demons without drugs - 06 February 2014 - New Scientist
Bullimore's experience may be an extreme case, but we have long known that the drugs used to treat schizophrenia are very far from ideal. The downsides have always been seen as a necessary price to pay for relief from the condition's devastating symptoms, but now that idea is being called into question. Not only are the side effects of these drugs worse than we thought; the benefits are also smaller. Although people need to be taken off their drugs slowly and carefully to avoid a relapse, it looks as though outcomes are better in the long run if medication is kept to a minimum.
Now, there is growing interest in less damaging ways of helping people with the condition – including talking therapies and even forms of brain training. "People are starting to think differently about schizophrenia," says Max Birchwood, a psychologist at the University of Warwick in the UK. "Attitudes are definitely changing."
[,,,]
More importantly, those in the stopping-medication group had more than double the chance of achieving what psychiatrists call "functional recovery" – 40 versus 18 per cent (JAMA Psychiatry, vol 70, p 913). In other words, even though they might have occasional symptoms, they could hold down jobs and look after themselves. "That's what's meaningful to the patient," says Lex Wunderink, a psychiatrist at Friesland Mental Health Services in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, who led the study. Wunderink speculates that this ability to function independently is being hampered by the dopamine-suppressing effects of antipsychotics.
[,,,]
In the meantime, the problems with antipsychotics are leading to growing interest in a range of alternatives to medication. The most promising are talking therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which aims to train people in new ways of thinking. CBT is often used for depression and anxiety to combat negative thought patterns, but psychiatrists have been sceptical about its usefulness for schizophrenia. "People say CBT can't possibly work – schizophrenia is an intrinsic brain disorder," says Birchwood, who helped pioneer CBT. "How can talking therapy change anything to do with the brain?" Yet many studies have shown it to be useful.
Rethinking schizophrenia: Taming demons without drugs - 06 February 2014 - New Scientist
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Eye-Movement Test Accurately Indicates Schizophrenics - disinformation
An interesting discussion in the comment section centered around this thought: "It should be noted that this inability to maintain fixation results in a high incidence of autokinetic illusions which are often the cause of misattributing stationary lights as UFO's."
__________
A recent study proposes that we may be able to use current technology to identify schizophrenics without spending the copious resources for a qualified neuropsychologist to diagnose an individual case. What implications can this have for pilot licensing, holding government office, police recruiting, and generally the overall stigma associated with individuals who are functioning and non-functioning clinical schizophrenics?
[,,,]
Using infrared eye-tracking technology via the EyeLink I and a 19” video screen, the study tested visual patterns in smooth pursuit of a moving object for 20 seconds, fixation stability on the same stationary object, and free-viewing of photographs including:
“Luminance-balanced natural and man made environments showing information at different spatial scales; everyday objects and food in sparse and cluttered scenes; expressive, neutral, and occluded faces; animals; and unfamiliar computer-generated images (fractal patterns, gray-scale ‘pink noise.’”
The conclusion brought by the research is that schizophrenic individuals clearly lack an ability to perform visual tests the same as control individuals. Diagnosed schizophrenics cannot accurately pursue an object with a smooth speed and path or concentrate with normal patterns when steadily gazing at the photographs presented.
Eye-Movement Test Accurately Indicates Schizophrenics - disinformation
__________
A recent study proposes that we may be able to use current technology to identify schizophrenics without spending the copious resources for a qualified neuropsychologist to diagnose an individual case. What implications can this have for pilot licensing, holding government office, police recruiting, and generally the overall stigma associated with individuals who are functioning and non-functioning clinical schizophrenics?
[,,,]
Using infrared eye-tracking technology via the EyeLink I and a 19” video screen, the study tested visual patterns in smooth pursuit of a moving object for 20 seconds, fixation stability on the same stationary object, and free-viewing of photographs including:
“Luminance-balanced natural and man made environments showing information at different spatial scales; everyday objects and food in sparse and cluttered scenes; expressive, neutral, and occluded faces; animals; and unfamiliar computer-generated images (fractal patterns, gray-scale ‘pink noise.’”
The conclusion brought by the research is that schizophrenic individuals clearly lack an ability to perform visual tests the same as control individuals. Diagnosed schizophrenics cannot accurately pursue an object with a smooth speed and path or concentrate with normal patterns when steadily gazing at the photographs presented.
Eye-Movement Test Accurately Indicates Schizophrenics - disinformation
Friday, December 6, 2013
RealClearScience - We Can Learn from Those Who Hear Voices
"What we don’t know yet is why they are active," he told Metro Magazine. "One possibility is that the answer will be found in how these language centers are connected to other parts of the brain, such as the motor cortex and areas linked to long-term memory."
We do know, however, that hearing voices is often triggered during prolonged bouts of stress, low self-esteem, or drug use. It may also stem from traumatic events in early life or overwhelming fear or unexpected situations. When they appear, voices can sound corporeal as if someone is talking to you. They may also originate internally, but outside the bounds of one's own control. Plainly different from personal thoughts, explains Dr. Anna Tickle, a clinical psychologist at the University of Nottingham who, along with her partner Dr. Lucy Holt, just completed a review exploring the experience of hearing voices from the hearer's perspective.
"Voices were generally experienced by participants as coming from outside the self but manifested inside the body whereas thoughts were perceived as ‘belonging’ to the self," she said.
According to Tickle and Holt, Western medicine has typically categorized hearing voices as meaningless, nothing more than a sinister symptom of mental illness. But in the fast [sic] decade or so, that's been changing.
"There has been increasing recognition of the importance of treating voices not just as a 'symptom' but as an experience with meaning," Tickle told RCScience. "Although sadly some professionals are yet to catch up."
RealClearScience - We Can Learn from Those Who Hear Voices
We do know, however, that hearing voices is often triggered during prolonged bouts of stress, low self-esteem, or drug use. It may also stem from traumatic events in early life or overwhelming fear or unexpected situations. When they appear, voices can sound corporeal as if someone is talking to you. They may also originate internally, but outside the bounds of one's own control. Plainly different from personal thoughts, explains Dr. Anna Tickle, a clinical psychologist at the University of Nottingham who, along with her partner Dr. Lucy Holt, just completed a review exploring the experience of hearing voices from the hearer's perspective.
"Voices were generally experienced by participants as coming from outside the self but manifested inside the body whereas thoughts were perceived as ‘belonging’ to the self," she said.
According to Tickle and Holt, Western medicine has typically categorized hearing voices as meaningless, nothing more than a sinister symptom of mental illness. But in the fast [sic] decade or so, that's been changing.
"There has been increasing recognition of the importance of treating voices not just as a 'symptom' but as an experience with meaning," Tickle told RCScience. "Although sadly some professionals are yet to catch up."
RealClearScience - We Can Learn from Those Who Hear Voices
Sunday, November 24, 2013
I thought I was a prophet - Salon.com
"Slowly it dawned on me: My thoughts were not real." And when one makes that realization the healing can begin. What a wonderful (and timely) piece. To think I had pulled my dusty manuscript out of storage contemplating whether to "finish." Guess this is my answer.
I thought I was a prophet - Salon.com
On the day I realized I was a prophet, I left my home in Colorado and began to hitch-hike to the U.N. I needed to save the world from its various evils. And I needed to go — now.
I spent the next several days wandering around the northeast, trying to decipher messages. I found codes in places where codes didn’t exist. I finally found my way back home, thanks to a quiet and generous woman who lived somewhere in rural Massachusetts, and when I got back, I explained to my parents that I was on a mission and this was God’s will. I’m sure there was some stuff about aliens and conspiracies in there, too.
And so, a week after my adventure began, I woke up in the psych ward of Boulder Community Hospital, and I spent the next seven days condemned to a hospital bed with waterproof sheets in a ward with eight other people who either didn’t talk or rambled so incoherently that it was impossible to understand them.
My parents came every day at 2 o’clock, when visiting hours began, and they brought me pillows and a down comforter and my favorite hoodie. Anything to make me more comfortable. Still, their visits were marred by hour-long screaming and crying matches in which I accused them of throwing me in a mental hospital to rot. Why was it so hard for them to understand? I was a prophet, and this was my magnum opus.
My parents didn’t know what had happened to their son. For that matter, I didn’t know what had happened to me either. And all of us wondered: Would I ever make it back?
Four and a half percent of all adults in the United States suffer with a serious mental illness. That equates to 14,125,500 people who struggle, day in and day out, not sure if they can trust their own thoughts. Many find support and do recover, but many more don’t. They become homeless, they languish on the fringes of society where they aren’t given the slightest thought, let alone assistance. I could have been one of them.
When I got out of the hospital, nobody knew what to do with me. (And I certainly didn’t know what to do with myself.) I moved back into my parents’ house and was treated with nervous caution. Mental illness was a foreign concept to them. Before I broke, they had blamed my strange behavior on marijuana. Now, they regarded me with a silence reserved for things they feared. And they were probably right to fear me. I was still sick and dangerously delusional.
I thought I was a prophet - Salon.com
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Untreated mental illness an imminent danger? - 60 Minutes - CBS News
An interesting piece tho I'm a bit disappointed as no "solutions" were offered besides the standard medication, therapy and/or hospitalization. While they all may be necessary to some degree, the thinking is too rigid and why the experience and work of Eleanor Longden are important,,,
Untreated mental illness an imminent danger? - 60 Minutes - CBS News
Transcript
See also:
A first-class recovery: From hopeless case to graduate - Eleanor Longden was a diagnosed schizophrenic and heard menacing voices in her head for 10 years. Now, she has fought back and has graduated with a brilliant honours degree in psychology
How I tamed the voices in my head - When Eleanor Longden began hearing things, she soon found herself drugged, sectioned and labelled schizophrenic. Then a psychiatrist taught her how to talk back
Untreated mental illness an imminent danger? - 60 Minutes - CBS News
Transcript
See also:
A first-class recovery: From hopeless case to graduate - Eleanor Longden was a diagnosed schizophrenic and heard menacing voices in her head for 10 years. Now, she has fought back and has graduated with a brilliant honours degree in psychology
How I tamed the voices in my head - When Eleanor Longden began hearing things, she soon found herself drugged, sectioned and labelled schizophrenic. Then a psychiatrist taught her how to talk back
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Genetic Pathway Appears to Link Schizophrenia to Fragile X Syndrome | Psych Central News
May one question is how broad these findings can be applied or is it just this "one" population that it is relevant to: "The deactivation or disruption of this protein is responsible for Fragile X syndrome, a disorder associated with autism and learning difficulties, primarily in men."
Despite advances in genetic research, the development of schizophrenia remains a puzzle.
New research has discovered a common biological pathway between schizophrenia and Fragile X syndrome, a disorder associated with autism and learning difficulties.
This is one of the few times researchers have uncovered genetic evidence for the underlying causes of schizophrenia. Many associations between schizophrenia and genetic risk factors have been reported, but only a very few can be considered schizophrenia susceptibility genes.
[,,,]
The new study uncovers an important biological pathway that appears to underlie schizophrenia and could contribute to the cognitive impairment that is an important component of this disorder.
“This is a tremendous discovery for our team; not only have we uncovered vital information about the biology behind schizophrenia, but we have also linked this same biological process to a disorder associated with learning difficulties,” said molecular geneticist Dr. Aarno Palotie, lead author.
“Our findings offer great hope for future studies into the genetic basis of schizophrenia and other brain disorders, potentially finding new drug targets against them.”
[,,,]
“These two disorders, schizophrenia and Fragile X syndrome, although they may seem drastically different, share key features, particularly the cognitive impairment that is frequently associated with both conditions,” said co-author Dr, Nelson Freimer, director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics and professor of psychiatry at UCLA. “So, it is not unexpected that they could share some of the same biological processes.
“What is fantastic about this study,” he said, ”is that through investigations in an isolated corner of Finland we are contributing to concerted international efforts that are beginning to unravel the genetic root of schizophrenia, a debilitating disorder that affects so many people throughout the world.”
Genetic Pathway Appears to Link Schizophrenia to Fragile X Syndrome | Psych Central News
Despite advances in genetic research, the development of schizophrenia remains a puzzle.
New research has discovered a common biological pathway between schizophrenia and Fragile X syndrome, a disorder associated with autism and learning difficulties.
This is one of the few times researchers have uncovered genetic evidence for the underlying causes of schizophrenia. Many associations between schizophrenia and genetic risk factors have been reported, but only a very few can be considered schizophrenia susceptibility genes.
[,,,]
The new study uncovers an important biological pathway that appears to underlie schizophrenia and could contribute to the cognitive impairment that is an important component of this disorder.
“This is a tremendous discovery for our team; not only have we uncovered vital information about the biology behind schizophrenia, but we have also linked this same biological process to a disorder associated with learning difficulties,” said molecular geneticist Dr. Aarno Palotie, lead author.
“Our findings offer great hope for future studies into the genetic basis of schizophrenia and other brain disorders, potentially finding new drug targets against them.”
[,,,]
“These two disorders, schizophrenia and Fragile X syndrome, although they may seem drastically different, share key features, particularly the cognitive impairment that is frequently associated with both conditions,” said co-author Dr, Nelson Freimer, director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics and professor of psychiatry at UCLA. “So, it is not unexpected that they could share some of the same biological processes.
“What is fantastic about this study,” he said, ”is that through investigations in an isolated corner of Finland we are contributing to concerted international efforts that are beginning to unravel the genetic root of schizophrenia, a debilitating disorder that affects so many people throughout the world.”
Genetic Pathway Appears to Link Schizophrenia to Fragile X Syndrome | Psych Central News
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Eleanor Longden: The voices in my head - YouTube
Whilst perusing the listing of TEDtalks, I came across this gem which has once again opened a Pandora's box of thinking in regards to how mental illness is seen and dealt with in society. So much of her experience I can relate to but in the end Longden, like so many others, has been able gain valuable insight into the inner workings of her mind. To some degree, her schizophrenia can be viewed as a gift which allowed her to be aware of her emotions and motivations. Something that many of us seek through our explorations of spirituality, through meditation or prayer. It makes me ponder this so called veil of normalcy, or as Longden puts it this, "well crafted veneer."
Like Longden I was lucky, after previous failures with therapists, I came across one that looked beyond my diagnosis. My shrink was decent, my psyche nurse was the bomb, but I didn't do so well with therapists after 7 tries though I hit pay dirt. Longden had a similar experience and was told, it would almost have been better if she’d had cancer because it would be easier to cure.
"A broken and haunted person began that journey but the person who emerged was a survivor and would ultimately grow into the person I was destined to be."
Like Longden I was lucky, after previous failures with therapists, I came across one that looked beyond my diagnosis. My shrink was decent, my psyche nurse was the bomb, but I didn't do so well with therapists after 7 tries though I hit pay dirt. Longden had a similar experience and was told, it would almost have been better if she’d had cancer because it would be easier to cure.
"A broken and haunted person began that journey but the person who emerged was a survivor and would ultimately grow into the person I was destined to be."
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