Critical Delusionology

A field inspired by Delusionology (the study of how what is considered delusion is socially and culturally determined), Critical Delusionology examines why certain beliefs are pathologized as delusions while others—equally unsupported—are accepted as normal or even admirable. It analyzes how power, ideology, and cultural context shape psychiatric diagnoses, revealing that the line between delusion and legitimate belief is often a function of social status, group membership, and political convenience. The field does not deny that some beliefs are harmful but insists that pathologization is often an ideologically driven process, not a neutral medical judgment.

Example: "Critical delusionology revealed that a CEO who claimed divine guidance for a merger was called 'visionary,' while a homeless person with the same claim was diagnosed as psychotic—delusion is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder has power."

Critical Delusionology by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 16, 2026