Psychology Today | 04.10.2026 00:42
Many of my delusions and associated hallucinations revolved around classic narratives of schizophrenia: I thought my hospital room was bugged with surveillance, I thought someone was controlling my mind, and I thought there was a conspiracy to kill me. Common and less talked about, however, are hyperreligious delusions.[1] The American Psychological Association defines them as “any delusion associated with religious beliefs and grandiose ideas with religious content. Delusional ideation frequently includes beliefs that the individual is the embodiment of a notable religious figure, such as a messiah or prophet, and that they possess special powers, such as the ability to cure all illness.”[2] Examples of my hyperreligious delusions include: being put to life-threatening tests by God to prove my faith; thinking I’m the Antichrist; and drawing a demon on paper, losing its grip on me and falling into the abyss in an art class on the ward.
