Different types of delusions usually occur in the context of mental or neurological illness. However, they are of particular importance in the diagnosis of psychotic disorders. Psychiatrist and philosopher Karl Jaspers was the first to define three main criteria for delusions in his 1913 book “General Psychopathology”.
These criteria are: be sure of this belief with absolute conviction; belief cannot be changed by convincing arguments to the contrary; lie or inability to believe in the content. As we can see, applying the concept of lies (or truthfulness) to a belief poses great problems.
- On the other hand.
- Two types of delusions were distinguished: in terms of form and content.
- Here we explain each of them.
From a formal point of view, there are two types of delusions: primary or true delusions and secondary delusions.
In other words, the distinction between delusions and delusions lies in the understanding or non-understanding of illusion; this difference also implies an attempt to explain their respective origins; say that secondary delusions are psychologically understandable alludes to them occurring as a result of the patient’s attempt to explain an abnormal experience.
Based on psychoanalytic theories, the symbolic importance of the content of delusions was highlighted. There are also authors who argue that the content of delusions is particularly related to personal fears, aspects of experiences and cultural factors.
However, there are those who claim that delusions are vague acts of language. Berrios claims that its contents are nothing more than a random fragment of information trapped at the time it crystallizes delirium.
Despite this view, delusions were studied primarily from the point of view of judgment and belief, and from this point of view, content is of obvious importance as a carrier of personal and cultural influences.
Although the structure of delusions varies very little in different cultures, their content seems to be much more influenced by the cultural structure in which the delusional individual lives. One of the most worked aspects of delusions is their classification.