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Models of madness: Science and soul

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Abstract

The historical interplay between psychiatry and religion is placed in a contemporary context here. In their zeal to embrace new discoveries and technologies in neurophysiology, modern psychiatrists are losing sight of spiritual and cultural dimensions. From a biological perspective, there is confusion about what constitutes a cause, a concomitant, or a consequence of mental illness. Computer metaphors are being used to explain mental illness. This article examines such trends and questions whether, in the decade of the brain, psychiatry is in danger of losing its soul.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Adult Psychiatry at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL, USA

    Eugene P. Trager M.D. (Chief)

  2. Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Illinois, USA

    Eugene P. Trager M.D. (Chief)

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  1. Eugene P. Trager M.D.
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Trager, E.P. Models of madness: Science and soul. J Relig Health 35, 117–123 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02354521

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02354521

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