Religious Delusions in Schizophrenia: M. Ralph Kaufman. Int. J. Psa., XX, 1939, pp. 363–376.

The difference between religion and religious delusion consists only of the former's social character. That is to be seen in the foundation of religions by

schizophrenics whose success depends only on mass psychological prerequisites. 'However, the factors which lead to such an acceptance by a group are still unclear.' (Probably these factors are not to be sought on a purely psychological basis.) Kaufman hopes to learn more about the psychology of religion by analyzing religious delusions. He reports two cases in detail. Both cases are very similar to Schreber, the second case especially showing the same unconscious basis for the development of his delusions. The similarity between the material of schizophrenic delusions and of accepted religions does not need to be explained by mystical 'archetypes'; both are rooted in the same unconscious conflicts. The subsequent development of a religious belief after its social acceptance, is, it is true, different from the development of a religious delusion. 'Whereas in normal religion the group achieves a desexualization and overcomes hostility, in the delusional belief this is not altogether achieved and there is a resexualization of the deified parental substitutes.' When religious schizophrenics appear in a society where religions are traditional, Kaufman regards this as an insufficiency of the social function of religion. There are many social aspects of religion which are not discussed in this paper.