Religious delusions among Jews

Though most previous publications described religious delusions only among Christians, a review of cases at Friends Hospital revealed that they are equally common among Jews. Five cases are given, four illustrating psychotic reactions to stress, one demonstrating that a religious experience does not necessarily result in psychosis. Content may come from either the Old or New Testaments. The Messiah delusion is discussed in more detail, with a historical example from the 17th century. Since persecution and other social stress leads to fantasies of a savior, Jewish people are now particularly vulnerable to Messianic delusions.