Correlation Between Schizophrenia and Woo?

[Fnord]

Assuming that it is obvious to anyone that has performed even a superficial study of the Symptoms of Schizophrenia ...

People diagnosed with schizophrenia usually experience a combination ofpositive (i.e. hallucinations, delusions, racing thoughts), negative (i.e. apathy, lack of emotion, poor or nonexistent social functioning), and cognitive (disorganized thoughts, difficulty concentrating and/or following instructions, difficulty completing tasks, memory problems).

... that there is a correlation (not necessarily a causal link) between Schizophrenia and many of the various rambling dis-associative wooish claims posted in the JREF forums. These claims usually involve grand conspiracy theories (911, Kennedy Assassination, UFOs), doomsday theories (Nibiru/Planet-X, Nemesis, 2012), or psychic abilities (Astral Projection, Telepathy, Prophesy).

1) Is it a general tendency that the majority of people with 'obvious' cognitive disorders, and/or an admitted history of institutionalization for same, would focus their attention on wooish claims? If so, then why? What is the mechanism that causes the wooish focus?

2) Why does it seem that cognitively-impaired people are repulsed by rational science? I mean, why does schizophrenia seem to induce a state of 'scientophobia' in its victims? Why doesn't schizophrenia induce a certainty about rational science, even while the victim behaves progressively more irrational as time goes on?

3) What form of 'rationality' takes over these people's minds such that even the most commonplace statements of fact ("The sky is blue") are viewed with ridicule and suspicion?

4) And why are these people so obsessed with trying to assert their claims on rational people that both know and understand the difference between woo and rational science?

 

[Brian Jackson]

www.timecube.com

 

[Dancing David]

Because they have a mental illness and magical thinking, although there is plenty of woo to go around.

 

[John Jones]

Beats me. I have a mentally relative. Every trivial thing that happens during the day is further proof that Communist Lesbian Dope smugglers are out to get her.

She sees a utility company truck, or a taxi, or a pizza delivery vehicle in her rear-view mirror, and it's proof that undercover cops are follwing her because the communist lesbians dope smugglers called the cops and told them she would be driving drunk that day.

The antagonism toward science is IMO a reflection of society in general that doesn't understand science and sees it as a threat to their faith.


ETA: She wrote a letter to her local chief of police threatening to kill his ni**er ass if he didn't stop following her.

 

[Fnord]

www.timecube.com

That made my head hurt just to look at. Reading it didn't help at all.

 

[bookitty]

Assuming that it is obvious to anyone that has performed even a superficial study of the Symptoms of Schizophrenia ...



... that there is a correlation (not necessarily a causal link) between Schizophrenia and many of the various rambling dis-associative wooish claims posted in the JREF forums. These claims usually involve grand conspiracy theories (911, Kennedy Assassination, UFOs), doomsday theories (Nibiru/Planet-X, Nemesis, 2012), or psychic abilities (Astral Projection, Telepathy, Prophesy).

1) Is it a general tendency that the majority of people with 'obvious' cognitive disorders, and/or an admitted history of institutionalization for same, would focus their attention on wooish claims? If so, then why? What is the mechanism that causes the wooish focus?

2) Why does it seem that cognitively-impaired people are repulsed by rational science? I mean, why does schizophrenia seem to induce a state of 'scientophobia' in its victims? Why doesn't schizophrenia induce a certainty about rational science, even while the victim behaves progressively more irrational as time goes on?

3) What form of 'rationality' takes over these people's minds such that even the most commonplace statements of fact ("The sky is blue") are viewed with ridicule and suspicion?

4) And why are these people so obsessed with trying to assert their claims on rational people that both know and understand the difference between woo and rational science?

People want to feel that they are part of a greater mystery. I haven't seen much difference in the beliefs of person with schizophrenia and your plain, old, run-of-the-mill woo-ster. A person with different cognitive function might express himself differently, imagine things more strongly or act out on them more aggressively but the basic belief system remains the same.

Kinda funny how every practitioner of woo causes a scramble for the DSM.

 

[Paul2]

There *might* be some overlap between schizophrenia and woo, but much of schizophrenia certainly has nothing to do with the some (most?) forms of woo that show up here.

Also: just because schizophrenia leads to anti-scientific thinking or conspiracy thinking doesn't mean that all anti-scientific or conspiracy thinking is schizophrenic. I'm not saying the OP implied that, I'm just trying to draw an appropriate boundary around the discussion.

 

[sadhatter]

You know, society has a lot to do with the delusions of those with mental health problems.

We live in a society where a skeptic is considered a jerk for questioning anything from a conspiracy theory to someone's psychic grandma. Like it or not, ( and i personally don't) for the vast portion of our population these things are fact. And protected by some unspoken code that says if an idea has over 5.6 Megashemps of wacky in it , then it is off limits to contradict.

Maybe if some of our most famous people didn't talk to the dead, or have conversations with god. It would be a little bit easier for schitzophrenics to separate reality from fantasy. But as it stands our world is a 6.8 megashemp disaster when it comes to telling people the truth.

 

[Fnord]

Is the Shempmeter of Woo linear (like a thermometer) or logarithmic (a seismometer)?

 

[Moochie]

Schizophrenia is a short-circuit caused by an overload of "rationality" -- rationality in this instance assuming a mantle of abject woo, ie, there is such a thing as too much rationality, and it is as "woo" as the hallucinations of someone suffering schizophrenia.

The last time I was schizophrenic, I believed the government didn't care, and I was right. That's because abstract bodies cannot "care." Only individual people can.


M.

 

[sadhatter]

Well, while in the beta stages, i can confirm that the shempometer ( patent pending ) features a digital readout of the current level of wacky in numerical form , That can be calibrated to both Shemps, megashemps , and ultrashemps. Though as i am sure you well know if your measuring in ultrashemps, the background woo is getting to physically dangerous levels.

 

[JWideman]

It doesn't take an unhealthy mind to embrace woo. However, when a mentally ill person meets the wooers, they take him as one of their own. "He gets it even better than I do."

 

[Bill Thompson]

I have always thought that there was a Correlation Between Schizophrenia and Conspiracy Theorists. Not all Conspiracy Theorists are Schizophrenics but all Schizophrenics are Conspiracy Theorists.

I think that you can park Liberals on the top of this heap too. Now all Liberals are Conspiracy Theorists but all Conspiracy Theorists are Liberals, in my opinion.

Yes, I think that Liberals are detached from reality. I know. I was once one.

 

[Vic Vega]

I have always thought that there was a Correlation Between Schizophrenia and Conspiracy Theorists. Not all Conspiracy Theorists are Schizophrenics but all Schizophrenics are Conspiracy Theorists.

I think that you can park Liberals on the top of this heap too. Now all Liberals are Conspiracy Theorists but all Conspiracy Theorists are Liberals, in my opinion.

Yes, I think that Liberals are detached from reality. I know. I was once one.

You're joking, right? This post can't possibly be serious.

 

[Dancing David]

I have always thought that there was a Correlation Between Schizophrenia and Conspiracy Theorists. Not all Conspiracy Theorists are Schizophrenics but all Schizophrenics are Conspiracy Theorists.

Wow, and what sample of population of those living with schizophrenia is that based upon?

Some do and some don't.

I think that you can park Liberals on the top of this heap too. Now all Liberals are Conspiracy Theorists but all Conspiracy Theorists are Liberals, in my opinion.

Except for Glenn Beck!

Yes, I think that Liberals are detached from reality. I know. I was once one.

Yes, but you didn't wear the kilt!

 

[blutoski]

Assuming that it is obvious to anyone that has performed even a superficial study of the Symptoms of Schizophrenia ...



... that there is a correlation (not necessarily a causal link) between Schizophrenia and many of the various rambling dis-associative wooish claims posted in the JREF forums. These claims usually involve grand conspiracy theories (911, Kennedy Assassination, UFOs), doomsday theories (Nibiru/Planet-X, Nemesis, 2012), or psychic abilities (Astral Projection, Telepathy, Prophesy).

1) Is it a general tendency that the majority of people with 'obvious' cognitive disorders, and/or an admitted history of institutionalization for same, would focus their attention on wooish claims? If so, then why? What is the mechanism that causes the wooish focus?

I can't say that it's a tendency: the only relevant symptom is delusions, and not all schizophrenics have them.

However, it does make it more likely that a layperson will come across a schizophrenic whose symptoms are this simple. A schizophrenic with delusions could still be very functional and can interact with family and community.

2) Why does it seem that cognitively-impaired people are repulsed by rational science? I mean, why does schizophrenia seem to induce a state of 'scientophobia' in its victims? Why doesn't schizophrenia induce a certainty about rational science, even while the victim behaves progressively more irrational as time goes on?

I think it's hard to generalize. I have come across schizophrenics whose delusion is that they're a famous scientist, or have made a wonderful scientific discovery. Great confidence in science, but awfully misunderstanding it.

3) What form of 'rationality' takes over these people's minds such that even the most commonplace statements of fact ("The sky is blue") are viewed with ridicule and suspicion?

It's not rational at all. That's pretty much schizophrenia.

4) And why are these people so obsessed with trying to assert their claims on rational people that both know and understand the difference between woo and rational science?

Well: you're assumnig that it's common for schizophrenics to share their delusions. Most actually keep it to themselves.