Religion Culture and Mental Health
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the lesson the learner should be able to:
Define or describe the following culturally and/or religiously peculiar phenomena: Jerusalem syndrome, previous birth experiences, Snake-Handling, Fire-Walking, and mass hysteria.
Offer tentative ‘scientifically’ based explanations and interventions.
DOWNLOAD LECTURE NOTES: 6 Cultural & Religious Pecularities
READ: A case of Mass Hysteria in Uganda (page 43f)
INTRODUCTION:
Anomalous religious experiences may not foster psychotic experiences;
But they can be easily mixed up.
Religious experiences may be mistaken for psychotic experiences;
And psychotic experiences may be mistaken for religious experiences;
Discernment needed. How?
DOWNLOAD LECTURE NOTES: 7 Anamalous Experiences
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the lesson the learner should be able to:
discuss the interaction between religious experience, particularly of the mystical kind, and pathological states;
identify characteristics of “spiritual emergence” in mystical consciousness.
DOWNLOAD MY NOTES: 8 Religious Experience & pathology
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the lesson the learner should be able to:
demonstrate the contribution that religiosity and spirituality – and their components – can make to psychological wellbeing.
DOWNLOAD MY CLASSNOTES: 09 Religion & Wellbeing
RECOMMENDED READINGS:
Selvam, S.G. (2014). Influence of family on youth’s relationship with God: A systematic review of psychology literature. In S. Fernando & J. Pudumai Doss (eds.), Youth and family in today’s India (pp.65-80). Chennai: Don Bosco Publications.
Selvam, S.G., & Mwangi, D. (2014). Meditation and contemplative practice among young adults in Nairobi. In S.G. Selvam, & D. Watt (eds.), African youth today: Challenges and prospects (pp.67-85). Nairobi: Acton Press.
VIDEOS:
There are several videos on TED-YouTube on Mindfulness and its relation to wellbeing. Mindfulness refers to the practice of any form of meditation or contemplation.
Most recommended video: The mindful way through depression
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the lesson the learner should be able to:
recognise the complementarity between a counsellor, psychiatrist and a religious chaplain.
discuss also the complementarity in the process of supervision (pastoral supervision).
DOWNLOAD MY NOTES: 10 Conclusion: Complementarity