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Degenerateness, Mental Hygiene, and Spiritism: Debates in the Argentine Medical Press (1930–1946).

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Title: Degenerateness, Mental Hygiene, and Spiritism: Debates in the Argentine Medical Press (1930–1946).
Authors: Parra, Alejandro (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences. Winter2025, Vol. 61 Issue 1, p1-14. 14p.
Subjects: Mental health, Psychiatrists, Spiritualism, Physicians, Medical care
Abstract: The disputes between spiritualists and physicians occurred in the context of hygienism and the degeneration theory, where spiritualists were considered agents requiring health care by alienists and psychiatrists. French psychiatry defended this interpretation to isolate and treat "spiritual delirium," which came to have considerable importance in the debates between spiritism and psychiatry. Specifically, pathologization and psychologization became strategies to deal with the disruptive experience of mediumship and the sense of threat from spiritualism. Psychiatrists initiated anti‐spiritualist campaigns, inspiring responses from the spiritualist communities and their representatives, along with arguments to refute such diagnostic criteria. The debates between alienists and spiritists are an example of how, the rhetoric of spiritists, physicians, and some philosophers led to hostile positions regarding the designation of limits in the recognition of psychological and religious experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Degenerateness, Mental Hygiene, and Spiritism: Debates in the Argentine Medical Press (1930–1946).
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Parra%2C+Alejandro%22">Parra, Alejandro</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+the+History+of+the+Behavioral+Sciences%22">Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences</searchLink>. Winter2025, Vol. 61 Issue 1, p1-14. 14p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+health%22">Mental health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychiatrists%22">Psychiatrists</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spiritualism%22">Spiritualism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physicians%22">Physicians</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+care%22">Medical care</searchLink>
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  Data: The disputes between spiritualists and physicians occurred in the context of hygienism and the degeneration theory, where spiritualists were considered agents requiring health care by alienists and psychiatrists. French psychiatry defended this interpretation to isolate and treat "spiritual delirium," which came to have considerable importance in the debates between spiritism and psychiatry. Specifically, pathologization and psychologization became strategies to deal with the disruptive experience of mediumship and the sense of threat from spiritualism. Psychiatrists initiated anti‐spiritualist campaigns, inspiring responses from the spiritualist communities and their representatives, along with arguments to refute such diagnostic criteria. The debates between alienists and spiritists are an example of how, the rhetoric of spiritists, physicians, and some philosophers led to hostile positions regarding the designation of limits in the recognition of psychological and religious experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1002/jhbs.70003
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Mental health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychiatrists
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Spiritualism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physicians
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      – SubjectFull: Medical care
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      – TitleFull: Degenerateness, Mental Hygiene, and Spiritism: Debates in the Argentine Medical Press (1930–1946).
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              Text: Winter2025
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              Y: 2025
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