Doom prophecies only cause mental stress —Psychologist

A Clinical psychologist, Dr Isaac Newman Arthur, is urging celebrities and public figures not to tolerate public pronouncements of death prophecies about themselves since they negatively affect their mental health.

He argued that the practice of some prophets making these prophecies public could lead to mental health challenges for those public figures, making them more vulnerable.

“I think the approach is more important than the message. Some prophecies, when revealed publicly, have the potential to disrupt and even ruin people's lives.

“The psychological toll on receiving such prophecies can lead individuals to make ill-advised decisions that have long-lasting negative consequences on their mental health,” he stated.

Speaking on Graphic Showbiz’s X Dialogue Series on the topic “Does Prophecy Have a Place in Showbiz?”, Dr Arthur raised concerns about the extreme lengths to which some individuals go to avert the undesirable endings predicted by these prophecies.

He mentioned instances where people have resorted to rituals such as bathing at the beach or even selling their property in desperation to save themselves from the perceived looming danger.

Dr Arthur, therefore, emphasised the need for a more sensitive approach when communicating doom prophecies, considering that a wrong approach causes anxiety and deepens mental instability.

To mitigate the mental and emotional distress caused by public prophecies, Dr Arthur urged religious leaders, particularly prophets and men of God, to adopt a more toned-down and compassionate approach to delivering their messages.

He emphasised on the importance of considering the psychological well-being of the recipients and suggested that private consultations or less sensational methods could be more appropriate.

“It will be appropriate if we look at the means of delivering these messages to avoid stressing the recipients mentally," Dr Arthur concluded.