SpecialEd said:

all beliefs are delusions based on the definition of belief, imo.  But if your beliefs aren't causing any problems, and they improve your quality of life, what's the problem?  Ya know?

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well, there is no problem.  But usually "delusional" is said in such a derogatory manner that I am afraid to tell people about what I think or feel lest they shun or think badly of me.  I probably shouldn't care so much about what other people think, but there it is. 

I haven't lost touch with reality yet.  (although if I ever had it to begin with is debatable!) 

Quote:

de?lu?sion (d-lzhn)
n.

A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

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Your question is at the heart of the matter: this should become one of these huge threads if people recognise it for its value.

What constitutes a false belief?
In Medievel times scientists had "Round-Earth Delusional Disorder" and were burnt at the stake for it by the church.

In the USSR or the McCarthy era and the USSA today opposing ploitical views can be viewed as delusional. (or terrorist)
If you are on crack and pregnant, being convicted of "poisoning your unborn baby" constitutes a delusion to me, but in the USSA its policy.

How about an abortion activist shooting an abortion doctor, standing over him, emptying out her revolver, then shoving in a new clip and emptying that one out as well and claiming to be a pro life activist?

You could say science, religion, law, philosophy etc holds the last word.. But each disciplin has conflicting theories within its ranks.

I think a delusion would be a firm belief which is contrary to the beliefs the overwhelming majority of people uphold which is a tragic thing to say as this is basically a description of psychiatric politics.
"you are wrong because we all (like to) think you are wrong"

But the measure of a delusion (as everything is a delusion from a reality no science, logic or magic has yet proven to be accurate) in my view lies in the degree of hinderfullness to yourself and others.

If nobody knows you harbor the delusion that your childhood teddybear whispers the Secret to the Universe in your ear, and the acoustic hallucinations only caused increased happiness to you or are neutral to it, then you are talking about a non-detrimental or even beneficial delusional psychosis.

If you lose sleep over it and call people out of bed to share in the wondrous revelations the border of the detrimental is crossed just like when teddy nudges you awake every night and tells you why you are shit and why you must die


Personally: If it is positive or neutral to the happiness of others I am all for bizarre beliefs and experiences. A lady I knew once showed my mother and me her 'big secret': it was a room of her house filled to the brim with a 1.000 teddybears.

She was paranoid at first and made us swear that we wouldn't laugh at her for what she was to show (good reality check of her: many would) and then she decided we could be trusted (good reality check too) and showed us her treasure room. It was impressive to see her, in her 60s, so happy and proud among her teddies like she so obviously was. The teddies did not talk to her, but perhaps she did.
Now she had had a harsh childhood and her marriage ended traumatically too. The room full of teddybears was her way of coping with it. The delusion she needed more bears had died out years before, the room did not cause her grief or discomfort to others but rather it was part of her coping process which, far from ideal, was greatly helped by the delusion she needed a room with 1.000 bears.

So to me the only thing of importance in a delusion is the degree of helpfulness or whether it is detrimental.
Since none holds established truth all are to be labled delusional.

My personal safetyvalve is the "99% rule": I believe the things I fully believe to the conviction of 99%: I believe the insane asylums and prisons are filled to the brim with people who knew the 100% truth, so i keep a margin of error in everything
"...and that is my Anti-Delusion."

kaiowas said:

every little thing we do is based on belief.

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kaiowas said:

the thing here is do your best to think of others instead of yourself, and your delusions will be a positive one.  being aware of how you react to reality is key.  through stillness and focus, we can limit the delusion and see our own personal truths on a deeper level.

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I try not to let the delusion overwelm me.  Like I'll chuckle at it, and say, "wow, I'm weird, lets not take that too seriously" and stuff.  It persists, but I guess it's more an amusement for me then anything else.  When I started having this delusion, I sorta wondered if I was going crazy...the social stigma thing on what is "normal" and all that. 

thanks again 


*me*