GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Christian churches traditionally refer to God as three in one: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. A psychologist at Michigan State University conducted a now-famous experiment that spun the holy concept on its head.
It focused on an unofficial but well-known disorder called the “messiah complex.” He attempted to determine what would happen if multiple people who all suffered from the messiah complex and believed they are the one true god or the reincarnation of God were forced to confront one another.
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The experiment is known as “The Three Christs of Ypsilanti.” While it was once considered a landmark piece of research, it is now faced with more scrutiny, including criticism from the lead psychologist.
Milton Rokeach said he got the idea for the study from a 1954 article in Harper’s Magazine about two women who both believed they were the Virgin Mary. After being assigned together as roommates at a psychiatric hospital, one of the women realized she was delusional…