The messianic idea and messianic delusion.

The messianic delusional syndrome repeats an historical prototype that manifests itself in each patient with individual changes. The syndrome expresses a serious impairment of identity and reflects a social, cultural and religious reality through generations. The regularities of its clinical features comprise a delusional system, centered on the patient's conviction that he has been chosen by God for a special and intransferable mission. The patient has special powers for carrying out this mission. He is a savior and announces resurrection. His delusions have a clear symbolic character. For the patient's social group, the messianic idea is an attempt at annulling the effect of oppression or persecution that have become unbearable for the individual. They represent a flight from the human sphere and an attempt to be God. The patient's behavior is in consonance with this purpose; it expresses itself, on the one hand, through preaching repentance and compassion and, on the other hand, the patient gives up his earthly links and replaces them by parental relations with God. In the above-mentioned context, the author analyzes the different elements of the religious conception in the Christian, Moslem and Jewish religions, and the way each of them expresses itself in the general symptomatology.