The Three Christs of Ypsilanti
Encyclopedia
The Three Christs of Ypsilanti (1964) is a book-length psychiatric
case study
by Milton Rokeach
, concerning his experiment with a group of schizophrenic
patients at Ypsilanti State Hospital
in Ypsilanti, Michigan
.
To study the basis for delusion
al belief systems, Rokeach brought together three men who each claimed to be Jesus Christ and confronted them with one another's conflicting claims, while encouraging them to interact personally as a support group. Rokeach also attempted to manipulate other aspects of their delusions by inventing messages from imaginary characters. He did not, as he had hoped, provoke any lessening of the patients' delusions, but did document a number of changes in their beliefs.
While initially the three patients quarreled over who was holier and reached the point of physical altercation, they eventually each explained away the other two as being mental patients in a hospital, or dead and being operated by machines.
Rokeach came to realize that his research had been manipulative and unethical. "I really had no right, even in the name of science, to play God and interfere round the clock with their daily lives," he apologized in an afterword to the 1984 edition of the book.
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
case study
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
by Milton Rokeach
Milton Rokeach
Milton Rokeach was a Polish-American social psychologist. He taught at Michigan State University, the University of Western Ontario, Washington State University, and the University of Southern California.-Early life:...
, concerning his experiment with a group of schizophrenic
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
patients at Ypsilanti State Hospital
Ypsilanti State Hospital
The Ypsilanti State Hospital was a hospital that housed and treated patients for the criminally insane. The hospital was located outside of Saline, Michigan on the corners of Platt and Willis roads.-History:...
in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
.
To study the basis for delusion
Delusion
A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...
al belief systems, Rokeach brought together three men who each claimed to be Jesus Christ and confronted them with one another's conflicting claims, while encouraging them to interact personally as a support group. Rokeach also attempted to manipulate other aspects of their delusions by inventing messages from imaginary characters. He did not, as he had hoped, provoke any lessening of the patients' delusions, but did document a number of changes in their beliefs.
While initially the three patients quarreled over who was holier and reached the point of physical altercation, they eventually each explained away the other two as being mental patients in a hospital, or dead and being operated by machines.
Rokeach came to realize that his research had been manipulative and unethical. "I really had no right, even in the name of science, to play God and interfere round the clock with their daily lives," he apologized in an afterword to the 1984 edition of the book.