People with Schizophrenia believe in psi more than healthy folk

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Schizophrenia and the paranormal: more psi belief and superstition, and less déjà vu in medicated schizophrenic patients

After controlling for age, gender, education, and anxiety, the results supported the following three hypotheses. Schizophrenic persons have fewer déjà vu experiences than normal persons. These experiences are positively related to paranormal beliefs in healthy adults but not in schizophrenic patients. Schizophrenic patients have higher scores than healthy adults on the psi and superstitious subscales of the CRPB.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24355706
 
Interesting. Though I used to have a friend with schizophrenia and who was not medicated. He experienced déjà vu on an almost continual basis, not as occasional incidents. Perhaps the study could be revealing at least as much about the effect of the medication, rather than the original condition?
 
I think this would only be expected, as schizophrenics would likely seek a cause for their illness and paranormal phenomena offer a mechanism. I'd also imagine there's a greater number of schizophrenics who believe in a variety of conspiracies.

Beyond that, this reminds me of those studies that "prove" some mental deficiency is why people vote for the "wrong" party.
 
It should be noted that some studies and polls have also found belief in psi or the paranormal to be higher in some dimensions of socioeconomic status (employed vs. unemployed) and, in some cases, positively correlated with intelligence or academic performance.

See:
Chapter 15, "Belief in the Paranormal", in H. J. Irwin & C. Watt, An Introduction to Parapsychology, 5th edition (2007)
and also:
http://weilerpsiblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/who-believes-in-psi/
 
I think this would only be expected, as schizophrenics would likely seek a cause for their illness and paranormal phenomena offer a mechanism. I'd also imagine there's a greater number of schizophrenics who believe in a variety of conspiracies.

Beyond that, this reminds me of those studies that "prove" some mental deficiency is why people vote for the "wrong" party.

Sciborg nailed it right here. It's amazing what a little thinking can do.
 
Perhaps certain mental conditions impact the effectiveness of the brain as a filter and allow certain psi effects to arise? A little like mediums entering trance to demonstrate their abilities sometimes.
 
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