Jerusalem syndrome, a biblical delirium

Jerusalem syndrome is a type of condition that It affects some tourists or inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem.

It is a disease similar to psychosis and is accompanied by signs of delusions, because The person who suffers it is identified with a character, either from the old or the New Testament, So all their behaviors are like this character.

Jerusalem syndrome: the characters

Some of the characters with which those who suffer from this rare Jerusalem Syndrome are Moses, King David, John the Baptist, or Jesus of Nazareth.

In general, men mimic male biblical characters, while women emulate female characters.

There is the case that, in general, the inhabitants Jews imitate the characters of the Old Testament, while Christians imitate those of the New Testament.

But it's not just about dressing as such, but It is a complete identification That, in addition to the clothing, the syndrome is accompanied by public preaching, prayers and other customs of the chosen character.

A real case

In 2017, the strange disappearance of a British tourist named Oliver McAfee, in Israel's desert was reported. Said case aroused the curiosity of the media.

Macafee was dedicated to gardening and was 29 years old at that time. In addition, he was a devout Christian who had wanted to meet Israel and reached there.

Mcafee caught his attention because he had abandoned his work to tour Europe by bicycle and many of his friends thought it was a type of self -discovery. However, the last time it was seen was November 21.

His relatives contacted the Israel Police at the end of December to report disappearance in their land and since then an intense search began with dogs, helicopters and other rescue teams, but everything was unsuccessful.

The authorities speculate that McAFEE continues alive, as reported to the media, because a traveler found his purse, his keys and a tablet, in addition to other personal objects. In addition, they found leaves with certain annotations of the Bible, hand plotted and in an area covered with sand and stones. This case brought to light what is known as Jerusalem syndrome.

The search for the young man never stopped, however, several Israelite psychologists were the ones who explained the rare psychiatric condition that Macafee could be a victim.

It is supposed to affect more than a hundred people, who experience anguish when they visit the sacred places of that country and almost all cases keep something common.

The professor of psychiatry at the Hebrew University Pesach Lechtenberg commented at that time that: "The common denominator is that they think that there will be imminent redemption and that it will take place anywhere or near where Christ wandered".

In addition, he said that: “The person believes that he will have an important role in the second coming of Christ, either to notify the whole world, or to be the right hand of Jesus ”.

It should be noted that Professor Lehtenberg also directs a center where several residents are held that have the belief that they are Messiah.

Although syndrome can be manifested in different ways, It is believed that, generally, the person suffers from a previous mental condition, Before his arrival in the holy city, where the disorder is manifested.

The specialist also commented that perhaps some people arrive in Jerusalem attracted by the idea that they have a mission to fulfill, thus, they open the Bible, read it and believe that someone is making a special call.

For the mentioned psychiatrist, many of These people come from a context in which there is a great interest towards the religious, regardless of whether they are Jewish, Muslim or Christian beliefs.

However, people who do not have a religious past could also be affected, while they feel protected by a sense of transcendence or spirituality.

This is what happens with many tourists who visit Jerusalem, who feel something strange, that overwhelms them, or that there is a strong intensity in the environment, especially in the old city, which leads people to reach the other extreme.

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Bibliography

• Acosta, a. (2012). Large -scale delusions. Correa on the labyrinths of megaminería. Alai, Quito, 09-01.
• Ruiz, m. J. C., Gutiérrez-Zotes, a., Oyarzábal, j. V., Pàmies, m. J., & Alquézar, to. L. (2010). Delusions and their relationship with temperament and character in patients with psychotic disorder. Psychothema, 22(1), 84-91.
• Valiente OTS, C. (2002). Hallucinations and delusions. Madrid: Synthesis. Valles, m.(1999) Qualitative Social Research Techniques. Madrid: Synthesis, 177-231.
• Valverde, c. V., Gálvez, c. D. TO., Nieto-Moreno, m., OTS, c. V., & De Diego, F. F. (2006). Explicit and implicit causal attributions in delirium: study of its specificity in paranoid delusions and non -paranoids. Magazine of Psychopathology and Clinical Psychology, eleven(1), 21-36.