Denial of lineage: clinical investigation of 50 cases

Fifty randomly selected Chinese schizophrenic patients with denial of lineage were investigated. This delusion concerns the generation of parents, sisters, but not the offspring. Twenty-four of them manifested delusion of high-ranking lineage or of distinguished leadership lineage. Denial of lineage, involving the delusion of high-ranking lineage and the delusion of leadership lineage, may occur at the onset or during the course of schizophrenia. The clinical characteristics of this delusion are described and its concept, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, course and also possible mechanism are discussed. One possible mechanism is of psychodynamical origin. Emotional conflicts resulting from dissatisfaction of the primary need of being loved from birth may contribute to the onset of the denial of lineage. The second possible mechanism is a sociocultural fact. Far Eastern culture is based on the clan whereas occidental culture is based on the self. Thus can observe the denial of lineage in the Far East, but in the occident we can experience instead the idea of surmounting our self so as to be god or now to experience the omnipotence in form of technical ideas, e.g. the rays.