# Do people with schizophrenia have real religious insight?

*Mufti Abu Layth on schizophrenia and religious insight*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/w6tqwuuumcg/s/29/
- Date: 2020-10-27 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #188 | Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (2:52:19–2:53:59)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6TqWuUumCg&t=10339s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/w6tqwuuumcg/

**Topics:** Prophethood and miracles; Islamic psychology

**Question as asked:** Do schizophrenics have profound religious insight? Many have religious delusions and many prophets are accused of being mad.

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth says an overlap between such disorders and religiosity is plausible, but it would be a correlation, not proof of cause.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says there could be an overlap between certain disorders and high religiosity, both linked with high temporal-lobe activity, but that it would be a correlation, not a causative demonstration.

**Evidence, his words at 2:52:56:** “I think there could be an overlap, but there it's not, you know, it's not a causitative demonstration.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6TqWuUumCg&t=10376s)

## Longer summary

Answering a viewer who asks whether schizophrenics have profound religious insight, since many have religious delusions and many prophets were called mad, Mufti Abu Layth says it does not necessarily follow, but he finds it plausible. He notes that high neural activity in the temporal lobe has been linked both with certain disorders and with high religiosity, and says there could be an overlap, though as a correlation rather than a causative demonstration. He then answers a few light chat comments.

## Transcript (machine tier, 2:52:19–2:53:59)

[2:52:18] I don't think if you have schizophrenia it means you necessarily must have divine insights but I feel it's plausible I feel it's plausible that people you know they say um you know in the temporal lobe certain neural activity has been high with certain uh what are accused of being disorders um or sorry what are what are disorders certain disorders and so could it be it's also linked neural activity, high neural activity in the temporal lobe is also linked with high religiosity.

[2:52:56] And so therefore, could it be that there's an overlap? I think there could be an overlap, but there it's not, you know, it's not a causitative demonstration. It may be a correlation, if that makes sense. Rockstar, how do you like your eggs? Sunny side up. Definitely [clears throat] right people my throat before it goes let's do let's get to uh Daniel not all memons are Cindi that is true they're not

[2:53:33] right Dro said I like my eggs fertilized [laughter] or at times not fertilized [laughter] you will be like Here comes the CSA, the child support agency. [laughter] I'm joking. Yeah, joking, man. Where's your sense of humor? Sense of humor.

[2:53:58] All right, so he paid $2 for that question. He's doing it. Let's get to the masala, people. The masala. So, what is going on, people? What is going on? So our belawed our below let's get to on moment. All right.

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment w6TqWuUumCg/s/29. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/w6tqwuuumcg/s/29/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.