Delusionology

The study of delusions as a socially constructed category—how and what gets labeled “delusion,” by whom, and for what purposes. Delusionology examines the power dynamics behind psychiatric diagnosis, the cultural specificity of “reality testing,” and the use of “delusion” to dismiss spiritual, political, or unconventional beliefs. It analyzes how the label functions as a tool of social control, pathologizing dissent or difference. It also asks: who defines what counts as “delusion,” and who benefits from that definition? Delusionology is a critical meta‑psychiatry that treats the concept of delusion as itself an object of study.

Example: “Her delusionology research showed that in the 19th century, women’s political activism was routinely diagnosed as delusion—the label changed, the function of silencing dissent remained.”

Delusionology by Abzugal April 2, 2026

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