Are god delusions bad if they're not grandiose

God is omnipotent…god is guiding me…god is making me struggle to teach me lessons…thoughts of reincarnation…heaven and hell.

Some wouldn’t consider these delusions and they’re a hell of a lot better than other religious delusions I’ve had. But I acquired these beliefs through psychosis but believe god was trying to reach me at that time. Are these beliefs necessarily bad if not grandiose?

That’s a social question, it’s almost like you’re asking if being fanatically religious is delusional. I think the line of delusional thinking is crossed once you believe in something that is not proven to be right.

I met a girl that talked to god, but it was okay because it was in her religion. Well, she talked to god anyway.

And what do you mean by bad if not grandiose, all delusions are bad, they’re a split from reality, grandiose or not.

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I hear a lot of that where I live; it seems to be a common way to interpret reality around here (Midwest). I guess it gives people meaning and strength to deal with challenges. I think it might be more frowned upon in your part of the country, but not outside understandable experience? It’s socially acceptable in many circles.

Two cases I can think of where this would be bad: if you believed god was doing this for a grandiose reason (like Jesus’s trials in the desert), or if this prevented you from taking smart, careful action to look after yourself (wallowing in misery because you thought god wanted you to). There may be more, this is just off the top of my head.

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That’s how it started but now it’s more like god taught me lessons in miSery so I had to learn how to be happy. I feel I have a close relationship with god. Closer than others. Don’t feel I’m a prophet but I feel my close relationship with god is a slightly grandiose thought. It doesn’t make me a narcissist, I just feel my life has had a purpose but I don’t feel that means I’m a prophet. Idk why my life has been so weird. I’ve struggled as much as almost anybody I’ve ever met from upper middle class background…why did I have to be sz to be taught to struggle instead of doing the norm for people from my hs. Like why me? I believe god didn’t choose me specifically but he saved me when I fell. Idk. He showed himself to me through psychosis because he had to.

I wouldn’t call any delusion “Bad” - the question is if they are “helpful” or “unhelpful” in your life?

Generally the more accurate view of the world you have, the better you can function.

However, lots of people have varying degrees of religious belief - and since they aren’t based on reason or proof - they are for all intents and purposes “delusions” - but they help people cope with the uncertainty of what they would see as a “god-less world”. They get support from their religious community and these delusions don’t figure prominently in their day to day life and don’t interfere with them living a positive and productive life.

At some point - if the religious beliefs / delusions get too significant in their lives - like for example, if a person believes they have to pray 10 times a day for 20 minutes each time - and this prevented them from working - it would probably move this person’s religious beliefs into the “unhelpful” end of the spectrum.

What do you think? Are the religious beliefs / delusions you hold helpful or unhelpful.

It might be best to do a listing here of these religious beliefs you have, and then work with us to identify all the positives / helpful aspects of these beliefs, and also the negative / unhelpful aspects to these beliefs - then try to figure out if they are a “net benefit” or “net negative” impact on your life.

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not if you dont hit anyone

I agree with the “helpful” or “not helpful” in the functionality spectrum of reality, but at the same time, from my experience with about all the delusions in the book, any one of them is bad for me, for my personal growth, and for my well being. None of them are helpful, especially the ones related to god.

But, you’re right anyway, that’s just my experience, I know a lot of people benefit from a connection to what they believe god is.

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Lol dude…

You still might want to challenge your grandiose delusions

My birth…my mom had five miscarriages before me then I barely made it…my mom barely lived pregnancy. Then I’m healthy. My mom was over protective in youth. My parents have their own business. I never did drugs or drank until 18. Then I started doing drugs…my ego got built up high after tough adolescent years. I thought I could have it all. The drugs the women the business. Everything. I wasn’t as spoiled as people think but a little…then I go overboard with drugs…schizophrenic…find god. Believe I’m Jesus. Suffer more. Suffer more. Suffer. But slowly I’ve learned lessons and think back god was always there for me. My life is about learning to let go and just live and make sacrifices. I’ve lost all my hopes and dreams but its alright because of faith. This is what I believe. I believe god had a purpose of trial and tribulations. Life will never be as grand as I thought it’d be, but I’ve been taught lessons many lessons. Doing better now. I’m not a prophet but god has taught me a lot. Maybe not a delusion I believe it to be real but who knows.

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The #1 theme in my adult life is corruption but I attribute it to god I’ve been so corrupted and survived and learned lessons

Can we agree that we don’t actually know if there is a god? You want to believe it, and that’s fine, helpful for you maybe, to a certain degree.

I find it much more helpful to believe my achievements over this illness are my work alone, and the experiences I’ve been through have helped me on this path of recovery.

With this said, I want you to know that at least every day I think about that exact same thing, I just choose it to believe it as another delusion. I don’t know, therefore I can’t make assumptions.

This kind of god delusion breh?

Lol :laughing:

And minnii I believe there is a god. Sure we haven’t proven it yet but I don’t doubt it ever. My belief is too strong. I get too many god winks. That’s why I question it could be a delusion doesn’t hurt anyone though. I like to give god a lot of credit because I feel my life’s turmoil pieces together perfectly like a story. Idk call it delusional if you want

I won’t call it delusional, I respect you too much for that. If it is a delusion or if it isn’t we’ll eventually find out.

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"I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and He gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.

Selah.

Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will He be favourable no more? Is His mercy clean gone for ever? doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath He in anger shut up his tender mercies?

Selah.

And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?" - Psalm 77:1-13

it dosent really matter as long as people listen to God’s words…

I give this *****-slap in the name of jesus!

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I don’t believe God is coercing people into intense bouts of schizophrenia. Maybe He/It is. That’d be one REALLY tough “Godfather” to deal with, but alas it is what Judeo-Christian societies have been thumping into heads since the 4th century.

What I believe is that other persons are uniting their consciousness with mine & are trying to untie themselves from their beliefs - predominantly former Judeo-Christians who are now alive again and in some kind of “hereafter”. If that’s not it, then it’s just my mind trying to unfold inconsistencies or inaccuracies that these beliefs cause - emotionally.

I mean, after all, at some point we’re going to evolve beyond these beliefs and look back at some of the stuff we used to think & believe in as “primitive”. Such is progressive evolution of conscience…

Some of my wife’s beliefs seem helpful to her, e.g. My God is an awesome God or God has plans for me that I should grow and be healthy. Others seem doubtful to me,like: We should give thanks for all things. Some do not seem helpful, like Homosexuality is an abomination unto the Lord.

As I started thinking this way I realized that all religions have a mix of useful, useless, and counterproductive beliefs. The trouble is, the beliefs cannot be taken singly because religions and maybe our own absolutist minds ask us to swallow a whole stew of beliefs.

One of my student’s mothers told me that she thinks before we are born, God asks for volunteers to take a life that will be extremely hard and filled with suffering, but that will help a lot of people around us. That thought gives her comfort on days when her son is so clearly in pain. I kind of like the sound of it too. Maybe it is a bit delusional, but it helped me to stop being angry at the world and makes me a better person.

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