The Three Christs of Ypsilanti (2013)

I would highly recommend that anyone who finds this interesting read the book by Rokeach (there&#x27;s a good, cheap edition from NYRB that I buy a lot of people as a gift) -- goes into far more detail, particularly with respect to the medical aspects.<p>It&#x27;s also a great case study to demonstrate the falsity of the idea that there&#x27;s any rationality to delusion -- the mind routes around thinking critically about true delusions in a fundamental way. It&#x27;s not possible to reason your way out of a delusional state.

Never imagined I would see an article involving Ypsilanti on HN.

Whenever I read of messiah delusions I&#x27;m reminded of this short story:<p><a href="http://squid314.livejournal.com/324957.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;squid314.livejournal.com&#x2F;324957.html</a>

What was done to those patients seemed incredibly cruel. It&#x27;s one thing to have the patients confront each others&#x27; delusions. It&#x27;s quite another to cause them distress just to see what happens.

&gt; What might happen, he wondered, if a psychologist were to deliberately pair up patients who held directly conflicting identity delusions? Perhaps such psychological leverage could be used to pry at the cracks of an irrational psyche to let in the light of reason.<p>&gt; Over time, each Christ cultivated new delusions to retain his claim to godliness.<p>somehow not surprising seeing how people in general defend their irrational psyche - ideologies, believes, superstitions, etc... - from the light of reason. It is just a theory which will trickle down by God&#x27;s will, i guess.

This was a very interesting read, but I feel too groggy today to pull out an appropriate conclusion--especially since, in the author&#x27;s own words, this was a useless study that did neither the patients, nor the scientific community, any good.