Depression and the Divine

Although originally trained as an industrial chemist, David Wilson read theology and pastoral studies upon his return to academia in 1995. After graduation, he completed an MA, before submitting a multidisciplinary thesis in selected passages of the Hebrew Bible to the University of Manchester in 2006. This preliminary research initiated a ten-year quest to produce a more definitive work on prophecy in both testaments of the Christian Bible from a psychophysiological perspective.


My early training and background lies in the physical sciences, and I have spent a considerable period at Manchester University, where I was involved in both dental and pharmacological research. I did not, however, remain in science, but became an insurance agent, and eventually set up an insurance brokerage in partnership with my wife. After 11 years this business was discontinued when Mrs Wilson became ill, resulting in the commencement of a long period of non-remunerated employment as a full-time Carer for Mrs Wilson, who suffered from Resistive Depression and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It was during this period that I became interested in various forms of mental illness including schizophrenia (from which my sister had suffered) and depression (which in my wife's case was initially co-morbid with anorexia). I eventually became motivated to return to academia, and proceeded to complete a BA in Theology & Pastoral Studies, followed by an MA in Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies.

During the later stages of my role as a full-time carer, I researched and submitted a multidisciplinary thesis to the University of Manchester, which essentially related modern sleep research to depression in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient cultures. In essence my thesis made use of polysomnography (modern sleep research), oneirology and cross-cultural methodologies to confirm that certain passages in the Hebrew Bible were in fact taking place in altered states of consciousness (ASCs). This has implications for all religions involving seers, prophets, shamans, holy men, avatars etc., and indeed research material was collected from Judaism, Christianity, Tao Buddhism, Shamanism, Egyptology and Canaanite/Israelite cult religions. Consequently, I have now arrived at a point where I consider that most, if not all religions, (originally) shared common altered states of consciousness, which give access to revelation, and which can be induced in some cases by similar physiological practices.

Thus, my early scientific training and later personal circumstances have contributed to and guided my research interests. As a result, my particular interest areas range from Hebrew Prophets through mental health issues to more general issues and disciplines at the interface of science and religion. Following Mrs Wilson's death from cancer in 2010, I returned to my research interests with a view to the eventual publication of my book entitled; "Depression and the Divine: Was Jesus Clinically Depressed?" (Published 21.12.18). Taken altogether, I believe that my past experience and research interests can offer some novel perspectives on the inception and later development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, derived as they are from a common, pre-modern, cultural ancestry. My initial PhD research was followed by later studies, which revealed that most, if not all, the prophets of the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament) were depressed, and this led inexorably to the conclusion that Jesus himself was also clinically depressed - as culturally defined in the modern West. I now find myself on the eve of another decade contemplating further research into other aspects of what it means to be human, prompted by the numerous questions raised by the initial work. Watch this space!