The Three Christs of Ypsilanti
In the late 1950s, psychologist Milton Rokeach was gripped by an
eccentric plan. He gathered three psychiatric patients, each with the
delusion that they were Jesus Christ, to live together for two years in
Ypsilanti State Hospital to see if their beliefs would change. Vaughan Bell tells the story of one of the weirdest experiments in the history of psychology. (via)
posted by The Mouthchew (57 comments total) 30 users marked this as a favorite
I toured the Ypsilanti State Hospital when it was still open (back in the '70's as a college student), it closed in '91. It was then, and always had been, a typical state run warehouse for the mentally ill. Ancient building, depressing, dirty, and about as far away from a therapeutic setting as you could get. I can only imagine how archaic it was in the 50's.
posted by HuronBob at 10:15 AM on May 27, 2010
Interesting. What if the historical Christ was just the first recorded case of this delusion?
posted by mullingitover at 10:17 AM on May 27, 2010 [9 favorites]
wow, the days before Human Subjects Review Boards were F-ed up.
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:32 AM on May 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
Of course, this experiment already happens on a daily basis in the real world. The only difference is these men thought that they themselves were God. I haven't noticed a lot of theists giving up their contradictory beliefs due to "that crazy guy sounds just like me".
posted by DU at 10:34 AM on May 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
It works, mate! It looks great! The fat one in the middle balances the two skinny ones.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:35 AM on May 27, 2010 [5 favorites]
Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong
there's a protest singer he's singing a protest song - he says
'they wanna have a war to keep their factories
they wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
they wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese
they wanna have a war to stop Industrial Disease
they're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
they wanna sap your energy, incarcerate your mind
they give you Rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three
two weeks in Espana and Sunday striptease'
Meanwhile the first Jesus says "I'd cure it soon
abolish monday mornings and friday afternoons"
The other one's on a hunger strike he's dying by degrees
How come Jesus gets Industrial Disease?
posted by Pastabagel at 10:40 AM on May 27, 2010 [4 favorites]
The Three Christs of Ypsilanti (2011), starring Ben Stiller, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, with Jennifer Aniston as a delusional Mary Magdalene, the woman who comes between them. Great opening weekend, but dies soon afterwards. Good sales in DVD.
posted by TimTypeZed at 10:41 AM on May 27, 2010 [12 favorites]
Apparently, there's a documentary involving one of the Christs, but it's not available on dvd.
posted by The Mouthchew at 10:46 AM on May 27, 2010
There's no axe. If some theories are right, (extreme?) religious beliefs are a form of psychological disorder/misfiring. This sounds like just another example of that. Believing $X despite all evidence to the contrary will not be wiped out by evidence to the contrary.
posted by DU at 10:47 AM on May 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
This is actually a pretty interesting thread without your input; grind your axe somewhere else, DU.
posted by hal_c_on at 11:07 AM on May 27, 2010
I think the problem DU is that you appear to be equating all religious belief with mental illness. Rather, this FPP is about a handful of specific cases.
posted by edgeways at 11:24 AM on May 27, 2010
I do have to say that it is not at all uncommon for religious people to begin doubting and eventually abandon their beliefs because of realizations that occur while picking apart and criticizing the belief systems of others, which is not unlike the process that was studied here.
posted by The World Famous at 11:35 AM on May 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
I realise this is somewhat off topic, but does anyone know where I could find this book at a reasonable price?
posted by litleozy at 12:27 PM on May 27, 2010
Thank you for that link, jamjam. It's extraordinarily interesting.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:32 PM on May 27, 2010
You are welcome, Astro Zombie; your objection to my naked assertion was just and reasonable.
posted by jamjam at 12:39 PM on May 27, 2010
I've been to Ypsilanti. The only way to survive is convince yourself you are Jesus.
posted by spicynuts at 12:48 PM on May 27, 2010
I haven't read the article yet, can someone tell me if the 3 jesuses came to blows? it's the only result I really expect for the experiment.
posted by shmegegge at 1:00 PM on May 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
At the very least, hanging out with the Three Jesii would be a welcome break from the Richard III Ward.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:20 PM on May 27, 2010
About 10 years ago, I had a friend who worked nights in a mental treatment facility. At one point, there were 3 men being treated there who all claimed to be Jesus. We referred to them as the 3 Jesi. They voluntarily spent time together, which I found interesting. They also came to their own conclusions that they couldn't all be Jesus. The last I heard about them, one of them responded to his meds positively and quickly, and went to live with family. Of the remaining two, one decided that he wasn't Jesus after all. Instead, he was Superman.
posted by lilywing13 at 3:39 PM on May 27, 2010
I understand that the paperwork for a transfer from the Jesus wing to the Superman wing is not actually all that complicated. You just have to document that the patient has transferred his underpants to the outside and has got a shave and haircut.
posted by The World Famous at 3:53 PM on May 27, 2010
I once heard of another psychiatrist with similar strategies at testing patients' delusions to breaking point. At one stage, when faced with a Jesus, he had the orderlies dress as Roman centurions and appeared, in Roman uniform, carrying two bits of wood and some nails, and telling the patient that it's time for his crucifixion. Soon the patient was arguing impassionedly that he wasn't actually Jesus, or so the story goes.
posted by acb at 3:56 PM on May 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
reminds me of the ending of Terry Pratchett's Making Money
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 2:47 AM on May 28, 2010
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posted by The Mouthchew (57 comments total) 30 users marked this as a favorite
I toured the Ypsilanti State Hospital when it was still open (back in the '70's as a college student), it closed in '91. It was then, and always had been, a typical state run warehouse for the mentally ill. Ancient building, depressing, dirty, and about as far away from a therapeutic setting as you could get. I can only imagine how archaic it was in the 50's.
posted by HuronBob at 10:15 AM on May 27, 2010
Interesting. What if the historical Christ was just the first recorded case of this delusion?
posted by mullingitover at 10:17 AM on May 27, 2010 [9 favorites]
wow, the days before Human Subjects Review Boards were F-ed up.
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:32 AM on May 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
Of course, this experiment already happens on a daily basis in the real world. The only difference is these men thought that they themselves were God. I haven't noticed a lot of theists giving up their contradictory beliefs due to "that crazy guy sounds just like me".
posted by DU at 10:34 AM on May 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
It works, mate! It looks great! The fat one in the middle balances the two skinny ones.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:35 AM on May 27, 2010 [5 favorites]
Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong
there's a protest singer he's singing a protest song - he says
'they wanna have a war to keep their factories
they wanna have a war to keep us on our knees
they wanna have a war to stop us buying Japanese
they wanna have a war to stop Industrial Disease
they're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
they wanna sap your energy, incarcerate your mind
they give you Rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three
two weeks in Espana and Sunday striptease'
Meanwhile the first Jesus says "I'd cure it soon
abolish monday mornings and friday afternoons"
The other one's on a hunger strike he's dying by degrees
How come Jesus gets Industrial Disease?
posted by Pastabagel at 10:40 AM on May 27, 2010 [4 favorites]
The Three Christs of Ypsilanti (2011), starring Ben Stiller, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, with Jennifer Aniston as a delusional Mary Magdalene, the woman who comes between them. Great opening weekend, but dies soon afterwards. Good sales in DVD.
posted by TimTypeZed at 10:41 AM on May 27, 2010 [12 favorites]
Apparently, there's a documentary involving one of the Christs, but it's not available on dvd.
posted by The Mouthchew at 10:46 AM on May 27, 2010
There's no axe. If some theories are right, (extreme?) religious beliefs are a form of psychological disorder/misfiring. This sounds like just another example of that. Believing $X despite all evidence to the contrary will not be wiped out by evidence to the contrary.
posted by DU at 10:47 AM on May 27, 2010 [2 favorites]
This is actually a pretty interesting thread without your input; grind your axe somewhere else, DU.
posted by hal_c_on at 11:07 AM on May 27, 2010
I think the problem DU is that you appear to be equating all religious belief with mental illness. Rather, this FPP is about a handful of specific cases.
posted by edgeways at 11:24 AM on May 27, 2010
I do have to say that it is not at all uncommon for religious people to begin doubting and eventually abandon their beliefs because of realizations that occur while picking apart and criticizing the belief systems of others, which is not unlike the process that was studied here.
posted by The World Famous at 11:35 AM on May 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
I realise this is somewhat off topic, but does anyone know where I could find this book at a reasonable price?
posted by litleozy at 12:27 PM on May 27, 2010
Thank you for that link, jamjam. It's extraordinarily interesting.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:32 PM on May 27, 2010
You are welcome, Astro Zombie; your objection to my naked assertion was just and reasonable.
posted by jamjam at 12:39 PM on May 27, 2010
I've been to Ypsilanti. The only way to survive is convince yourself you are Jesus.
posted by spicynuts at 12:48 PM on May 27, 2010
I haven't read the article yet, can someone tell me if the 3 jesuses came to blows? it's the only result I really expect for the experiment.
posted by shmegegge at 1:00 PM on May 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
At the very least, hanging out with the Three Jesii would be a welcome break from the Richard III Ward.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:20 PM on May 27, 2010
About 10 years ago, I had a friend who worked nights in a mental treatment facility. At one point, there were 3 men being treated there who all claimed to be Jesus. We referred to them as the 3 Jesi. They voluntarily spent time together, which I found interesting. They also came to their own conclusions that they couldn't all be Jesus. The last I heard about them, one of them responded to his meds positively and quickly, and went to live with family. Of the remaining two, one decided that he wasn't Jesus after all. Instead, he was Superman.
posted by lilywing13 at 3:39 PM on May 27, 2010
I understand that the paperwork for a transfer from the Jesus wing to the Superman wing is not actually all that complicated. You just have to document that the patient has transferred his underpants to the outside and has got a shave and haircut.
posted by The World Famous at 3:53 PM on May 27, 2010
I once heard of another psychiatrist with similar strategies at testing patients' delusions to breaking point. At one stage, when faced with a Jesus, he had the orderlies dress as Roman centurions and appeared, in Roman uniform, carrying two bits of wood and some nails, and telling the patient that it's time for his crucifixion. Soon the patient was arguing impassionedly that he wasn't actually Jesus, or so the story goes.
posted by acb at 3:56 PM on May 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
reminds me of the ending of Terry Pratchett's Making Money
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 2:47 AM on May 28, 2010
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