The suicidal behavior of those accused of witchcraft five hundred years ago has its counterparts today. A comparison is made between case histories described in The Witch Hammer (1487), and contemporary clinical cases. The church's attitude toward suicide is examined, with particular attention given to the defense mechanism of projection. Although there are elements in religion which counteract suicidal impulses, the breakdown of a strictly religious mode of life can arouse intensive guilt feelings and aggravate the risk of self-destruction. Similarities in attitudes toward accused witches and psychiatric patients are noted and discussed.
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