Messiah complex
A messiah complex (also known as the Christ complex or savior complex) is a state of mind in which an individual holds a belief that they are destined to become a savior.[1] The term can also refer to a state of mind in which an individual believes that he or she is responsible for saving or assisting others.
The term "messiah complex" is not addressed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), as it is not a clinical term nor diagnosable disorder, however, the symptoms of the disorder closely resemble those found in individuals suffering from grandiose delusions or delusions of grandeur. This form of delusional belief is most often reported in patients suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. When a messiah complex is manifested within a religious individual after a visit to Jerusalem, it may be identified as a psychosis known as Jerusalem syndrome.[2]
See also
- Cassandra complex
- Chosen people
- God complex
- Grandiose delusions
- Jerusalem syndrome
- List of avatar claimants
- List of Buddha claimants
- List of Mahdi claimants
- List of messiah claimants
- List of people claimed to be Jesus
- Megalomania
- Mental health of Jesus
- Messianism
- Narcissism
- Persecutory delusion
- State collapse
- The Mind of Adolf Hitler
Notes
- ↑ "Messiah Complex Psychology". flowpsychology.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ↑ "Dangerous delusions: The Messiah Complex and Jerusalem Syndrome". Freethought Nation. Retrieved 25 July 2015.