My[27 M] brother [24 M] went from atheist bodybuilder to a multi-religion "chosen one" and something is happening similarly with a friend [28 M]

Hello, reddit! Ok, I'll try to explain in some detail what is going on so I can read your opinions. It's probably gonna be long.

My brother was a very agressive young man, playing football, hitting the gym, partying hard. We always had an open communication so we talked a lot about everything. How we both were curious about drugs, how it's complicated to deal with a girl in bed when you are not in the mood. Those were to make an exemple that we did talked about everything. He had some conservatives opinions on some subjects, and we discussed (most of the times amicably) a lot because of my progressive ideas. He started one graduation course and dropped out, started law school and then things started to change. He started to brought up some changes on opinions and I was really glad, I thought he was listening to me. I did some meditation with him, recited some mantras.

But then suddenly he started to reference the bible and some buddhist scripts(?) and would justify his opinions on the "sacred". He often brought terms I didn't even heard of, like "ganesha's purple fire", "galactics mayans", and some others I don't remember. Then he told me he was heavely using weed and going to some xamanic rituals and doing some psychoactive drugs. I was a little concerned of the sudden changes and why he hadn't brought it before, but initially I thought it was ok, but illegal where we live, so told him to be careful. Then he dropped out of school, quit his job and started staying home with my parents. Things got pretty intense. He would stay home reciting mantras for hours, using drugs, playing games, watching Netflix. Tried to talk to him, but whenever I tried to understand him, or try him to explain us he would say "he was the chosen one, by galactic and universal law" and say some mantras "I am who I am". He would say a lot of catholic angel names and say he "is the chosen one and the reincarnation of [deity]", being ganesha, jesus, god, galactic mayans, etc. "He was on earth to cure people and god has given him a gift to do it", "He is going to be the USA president some day" (we live in south america). And a lot more. The worst of all is that if I tried to talk logically he would always say "you don't understad, I'm transcedental beyond your comprehension". He would have those distant eyes all the time my parents and I would talk to him and he couldn't hold a conversation because he either stopped listening or started this mystic blabbering.

My parents wouldn't do anything about it. One day, he stole my mother's car and started travelling the country, spending all the money he had saved. The trip lasted a few months and then he came back. I couldn't stand my parents doing nothing about this erratic behaviour and couldn't live in that enviroment, so I found a place to live on my own. That all happened in a span of less then 6 months. I'm still concerned about him, and his well being, but in my judgment he regressed from a intelligent man, critical and intense to a man who spends his days parasiting my parents and doing nothing to his life. Now, my brother toned down a lot his erratic behaviour when my parents cut his "allowance" and he lost autonomy.

Ok, some time passes, pandemic happens. I'm doing work from home and using tools to keep in touch with my friends, etc. I am part of an anime discussion telegram group (lol) and one old friend from college [28 M] there started talking a lot of things that were similar to my brother's speech. I know him for 9 years now. Referencing the bible, buddhist ideas, saying some nonsense about destiny and salvation and apocalypse. In college he used to use derrogatory names for people who believed in some religion and he was an atheist. He would be shy and a classical nerd, but he was a good guy overall, intelligent and critical, but inpet socially.

Concerned and curious I started talking to him privately and I had a surprise. Initially I thought he was my brother's disciple. The same manneirism, stating the same things (with a little distortion), like he "is God or Lucifer reicarnations", he "would be a global leader", "he will cure the world and prevent the apocalypse", "he would bring global warmth to an end with divine powers", etc. His words made me do this post. He, different of my brother, goes to psychologist and psichiatric sessions and according to him, takes medication for depression, anxiety and bipolarity, diagnosed.

I am pretty concerned for both of them, and have talked a lot with my friends, my brother's friends, my parents and therapeut. But I really fail to express how erratic their behaviour.

I know I am biased telling this because I don't believe in most shit they talk. I will try to answer any questions you have. There is so much more but it would very long, so I refrain to type more.

Have anyone experienced something similar? What are your takes on that? Are there any professional who can give their opinions on my report?

Thank you.

tl;dr: My brother went from atheist bodybuilder to a multi religion "chosen one" and spends all day playing games e reciting mantras, dropped out of school, quit his job and is parasiting my parents. My friend has a similar trajectory and think he is the reicarnation of god/lucifer and is here to save the planet with his divine powers.

Edit: formatting

Submitted October 30, 2020 at 03:00PM by AlmiranteWolverine https://ift.tt/2HPHied