Field updatesSep 13, 2026
Scoping Review Maps Conversational AI as "Catalyst, Amplifier, Co-Author, or Object" of Spiritually Framed Delusions Across Nine Studies
A scoping review published online September 13, 2026 in the Journal of Religion and Health mapped evidence on how artificial intelligence "mediates, reinforces, detects, predicts, or interprets religious and spiritual experiences at the boundary with psychosis and dissociation." PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library and Scopus were searched through June 30, 2026, following PRISMA-ScR. Nine studies from Turkiye, the USA, the UK, Poland, South Korea and Israel were included, comprising clinical case reports, retrospective electronic health record analyses, qualitative studies, machine-learning investigations and conceptual modeling. The authors report that "conversational AI was reported as a catalyst, amplifier, co-author, or object of spiritually framed delusions, particularly in the presence of psychosis, mania, sleep disruption, substance exposure, or impaired reality testing," while "natural language processing and machine-learning models showed preliminary potential for identifying documented psychotic episodes and predicting relapse." They conclude that AI "may therefore contribute to the reinforcement of psychopathological experiences while also offering preliminary support for psychiatric screening and risk prediction," and call for prospective, culturally diverse research to establish "clinical, ethical, and technological safeguards." Authors: Rohman Hikmat, Muntazhar Nur Syabana, Ade Kosasih, Eka Kurnia Firmansyah, Roxsana Devi Tumanggor (Universitas Sumatera Utara; Universitas Padjadjaran; Prince of Songkla University). DOI 10.1007/s10943-026-02777-1; PMID 42732530.
