AmanwithschizophreniabelievesthatGodisinstructinghimthroughthepublicaddresssysteminabusstation.Anunfallsintoadecades-longdepressionbecauseshebelievesthatGodrefusestoanswerherprayers.Aneighborhoodparishionerisbedeviledwithanxietybecausehebelievesthatacertainreligiousritualmustberepeated,repeated,andrepeatedlestGodpunishhim.Towhatextentaresuchmanifestationsofreligiousthinkinganalogoustomentaldisorder?Doesmentaldysfunctionbringanindividualclosertoreligiousexperienceorthought?HearingVoicesandOtherUnusualExperiencesexploresthesequestionsusingthetoolsofthecognitivescienceofreligionandthephilosophyofpsychopathology.RobertMcCauleyandGeorgeGrahamemphasizeunderlyingcognitivecontinuitiesbetweenfamiliarfeaturesofreligiosity,ofmentaldisorders,andofeverydaythinkingandaction.Theycontendthatmuchreligiousthoughtandbehaviorcanbeexplainedastheculturalactivationofournaturalcognitivesystems,whichaddressmattersthatareessentialtohumansurvival:hazardprecautions,agencydetection,languageprocessing,andtheoryofmind.Thosesystemsproduceresponsestoculturalstimulithatmaymimicfeaturesofcognitionandconductassociatedwithmentaldisorders,butwhicharesometimescodedas“religious“dependingonthecontext.TheauthorsexaminehallucinationsofthevoiceofGodandofothersupernaturalagents,spiritualdepressionoftendescribedasa“darknightofthesoul,“religiousscrupulosityandcompulsiveness,andchallengestotheisticcognitionthatAutisticSpectrumDisorderposes.Theirapproachpromisestoshedlightonbothmentalabnormalitiesandreligiosity.
