What Is Jerusalem Syndrome? A Psychosis State That Makes People Hear ‘Voices Of Angels’

Disorders Cure

oi-Amritha K

on June 10, 2022

Since 1980, psychiatrists in Jerusalem have encountered an increasing number of tourists suffering from psychotic decompensation upon arrival in Jerusalem. Jerusalem syndrome describes a group of mental phenomena characterized by the presence of religiously themed obsessions, hallucinations, or other psychotic-like experiences triggered by a visit to Jerusalem.

According to a study covering 1980-1993, 1,200 tourists with severe, Jerusalem-themed mental problems were referred to the Kfar Shaul Mental Health Center in Jerusalem during that period. Four hundred seventy of them were hospitalized.

Annually, 100 such tourists are seen, and 40 of them require hospitalization. Jerusalem is visited by approximately 3.5 million tourists each year [1].

What Is Jerusalem Syndrome?

The Jerusalem syndrome was previously regarded as a form of hysteria known as “fièvre Jérusalemienne.”. It was first described clinically in the 1930s by Jerusalem psychiatrist Heinz Herman, one of the founders of modern psychiatric research in Israel.

Approximately 50 to 100 tourists are affected annually, the overwhelming majority of whom are evangelical Christians [2][3].

What Causes Jerusalem Syndrome?

Many people find Jerusalem’s patchwork of sacred sites and millennia of history so bewildering that they enter into a state of full-blown psychosis. Most of these cases involve tourists becoming overwhelmed by the history of the Holy City, finding themselves disoriented after an afternoon at the Wailing Wall or experiencing a tsunami of obsessive thoughts following the Stations of the Cross [4].

What Are The Types Of Jerusalem Syndrome?

Type 1: Jerusalem syndrome superimposed on previous psychotic illness

People classified as type I have already been diagnosed with psychosis before visiting Israel.

Type II: Jerusalem syndrome superimposed on and complicated by idiosyncratic ideations

A type II subgroup involves individuals who suffer from disorders such as personality disorders or an obsession with a fixed idea but do not have a clear mental illness; their peculiar thoughts and ideas fall short of delusional or psychotic features.

Type III: Jerusalem syndrome – discrete form, unconfounded by the previous psychopathology

The third type of the Jerusalem syndrome is perhaps the most fascinating in that it describes individuals with no previous history of mental illness who have a psychotic episode while in Israel (and especially in Jerusalem), recover fairly spontaneously, and then appear to return to normality once they leave the country [5][6].

What Are The Symptoms Of Jerusalem Syndrome?

An important symptom of this disorder is identification with a biblical character and the manifestation of behaviours that are characteristic of the character [7].

Some of the most commonly observed symptoms are as follows:

Anxiety
A desire to leave the group and explore Jerusalem on one’s own
A strong desire for cleanliness – baths, showers, grooming
Donning white gowns
Singing or shouting verses from the Bible or religious songs
Marching to a holy place
Delivering a sermon in the said holy place, urging people to a better life
Hearing the ‘voice of angels’

How Is Jerusalem Syndrome Treated?

A person who exhibits signs of Jerusalem Syndrome is taken to Kfar Shaul, a psychiatric hospital [8][9]. It does not help to inform “King David” that he is not King David as it invalidates the patient’s view of himself and his mission. In some cases, doctors prescribe mild antipsychotic medications.

According to the doctors at Kfar Shaul, the best way to help is to get the patients out of the city and their families [10].

[image source: freepik]