Communication with God

[Rational Agnostic]

Why is it that people who "talk to God" are considered normal and psychologically sound, while those who talk to God and then claim that God responded are considered mentally ill by most psychiatrists? It seems to me that communication should be two-way, meaning that repeatedly talking to an entity that never responds is psychologically unsound. Just an idea.

 

[danieldemol]

So are you going to have kids that write letters to Santa shipped off to the asylum?

You have tolerance issues

 

[Mindmaster]

Why is it that people who "talk to God" are considered normal and psychologically sound, while those who talk to God and then claim that God responded are considered mentally ill by most psychiatrists? It seems to me that communication should be two-way, meaning that repeatedly talking to an entity that never responds is psychologically unsound. Just an idea.

Hmm, many belief systems view it as a, "as above so below", concept rather than fitting your "exclusive or" case. That's to say, we are divine and part of it -- thus, "God" hears anything we think of in the first place. Even if no one else did, we heard it, and thus act is though "God" did. I find this amusing, as people don't actually know how true that is. The games!

Anyway, it is not nearly as unhealthy to be talking to ones gods as it is to blame oneself for every bad thing that happens in life since you have no one else to blame at that point. Besides, you act like psychiatry is a real science when it's more like a panel of a jury... What is a an illness changes with the winds... Or, is it simply that people who don't share your views are "ill"? Either you're the smartest guy on the earth, or... I'd strongly suggest you evaluate your positions carefully.

 

[meghanwaterlillies]

So are you going to have kids that write letters to Santa shipped off to the asylum?

You have tolerance issues

or not funny.

 

[meghanwaterlillies]

depends I guess.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

depends I guess.

So, since you are a Christian, I assume you believe that you communicate with God. Is this communication one-way or two-way? If it is one-way, why do you keep talking if God doesn't reciprocate. Or, does God talk to you as well?

 

[Rational Agnostic]

So are you going to have kids that write letters to Santa shipped off to the asylum?

You have tolerance issues

No, I don't want anyone going to an "asylum" for their beliefs. I support freedom of any kind of belief as long as it not imposed on others. I just want to understand why you talking to God is considered normal in psychiatry, but God talking to you is madness.

 

[Quintessence]

Why is it that people who "talk to God" are considered normal and psychologically sound, while those who talk to God and then claim that God responded are considered mentally ill by most psychiatrists?

They are? Since when? Are you a psychiatrist who has professional anecdotes to share with us? But moving beyond anecdotes is necessary here. Do you have an academic study surveying psychiatrists demonstrating this to be the case? Or perhaps data pulled from patient records demonstrating this to be the case?

It's been my general experience that there's quite a gap between layperson perception of how mental health professionals work and how they actually work. As far as I am aware, a person is not diagnosed with anything unless the condition is causing some sort of significant negative disruption in their lives. In other words, unless their communing with the gods is causing disruptions, it wouldn't be diagnosed as a mental illness whether there is two way communication or not.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

So are you going to have kids that write letters to Santa shipped off to the asylum?

Would an adult who writes letters to Santa be considered mentally well?

 

[hispanicmormon]

Why is it that people who "talk to God" are considered normal and psychologically sound, while those who talk to God and then claim that God responded are considered mentally ill by most psychiatrists? It seems to me that communication should be two-way, meaning that repeatedly talking to an entity that never responds is psychologically unsound. Just an idea.

I think when you said that repeatedly talking to an entity that never responds is psychologically unsound you were trying to make it sound as if God talking to us through prayer is very possible. Sort of like flaunting your high level of spirituality. But the truth is that most people never hear God's voice or feel his presence. We're in our mortal probation and we're not supposed to know for certain that God exists. Like danieldemol said, kids write letters to Santa not really expecting anything written back to them. Many people talk to their pets -- even fish which have tiny brains and hardly make a noise besides swimming through the water. And yes, many people pray to God only when times are tough or just in case he exists (not really sure if he's there). There's nothing wrong with this as even faith as small as a mustard seed can one day grow into something big and beautiful.

Based on my experience with a psychiatrist, these professionals try to respect people's religious views and they explicitly ask in the beginning -- when you mention things like I think I'm talking to God -- if praying to God is part of what your parent's taught you when you were a child. They try to suggest that our brain is capable of producing what seems like communication with a being other than ourselves, but try to respect religious views. They wouldn't think you're mentally ill just because you believe you're talking to God and he's talking back.