Delusion and Mania are symptoms of a disorder or syndrome.
So the Nomenclature here does not seem very accurate.
Delusion Devotee Mania/Syndrome technically does not jive.
It would be more accurate to call it Devotee Syndrome.
Then again now since Mania and Delusion are in the picture this calls again for a sub-classification.
Mania means elevated energy levels beyond the normal with heightened senses.
Then during a Manic episode one can display the following:
- Euphoria.
- Inflated self-esteem.
- Poor judgment.
- Rapid speech.
- Racing thoughts.
- Aggressive behavior.
- Agitation or irritation.
- Increased physical activity.
Delusion per se in the real sense is seldom seen in Manic episodes.
So if Devotee Syndrome also has clinical features of Delusion then the correct classification of Devotee Syndrome would be:
1)Devotee Syndrome Type 1--with Mania
2)Devotee Syndrome Type 2---with Delusion
Now coming to the signs and symptoms of Devotee Syndrome as enumerated by TKS ji..my opinion is in Blue letters:
1)Chanting large number of verses like even Vishnu Sahasranamam etc without knowing the profound meaning of even a single name. In fact chanting is often done in a blah blah manner (with possibly incorrect pronunciation, incorrect intonation, not know the meaning and not having the right Bhava arising out of understanding). Many priests tend fall into this category
Chanting without understanding is done even in pre-school.When we learned ABC we did not know what A or B or C meant..we just went on repeating it from A to Z and we learned to read eventually.
So likewise..initially a person might repeat a mantra or Saharasnamam without knowing the meaning but as he progressed his effort will transform into a revelation.
Sharddhvan Labhate Jnanam.
Diagnosis: Learning process and methodology.No delusion or mania.
2)Being in love with a deity or image in a temple.
Love is a normal human emotions having attachment as its substratum. Many of us are in love with our lovers,spouses,love our kids,love our dogs/cats, car etc..adore movie star too.
Love can also extend for God and a deity or temple.
It still falls in a normal range of emotions
Diagnosis:No delusion or mania here.
3)- Doing Pada Puja for a person
Pada Pooja is just an act of hygiene. In ancient days people did not wear foot-wear and the roads were either dusty or muddy..so when a guest or elder person comes home its only normal to clean his feet as a mark of respect.
Diagnosis: Normal..no signs and symptoms of Delusion or Mania.
4)- Worshipping a human person believing in his miracles (Acharya Upasana in Chapter 13 in B.Gita has an entirely a different meaning)
This again is subject to debate becos they are humans who can perform acts like curing diseases and out of gratitude people worship them.
But they are also some who play mind games and are frauds and manage to trick others into believing them.
Diagnosis: Blind Faith.
No mania or delusion.
5)- Competing by creating rituals that essentially says ' Mine or My so and so is bigger than your so and so' . For example one person says he wants to conduct a campaign to light 1000 lamps. Another ups the number and goes for 1 lakh lamps. I heard there was an event to light 1 crore lamps wasting enormous resources.
The mine is bigger than yours starts in childhood and carries on in locker room too.
This is mostly becos of pride and the need to show off that more or bigger is better and many parties who have economical reasons might encourage such waste of resources.
Diagnosis 
ride/Economical interests.
No mania or delusion.
6)- All kinds of superstitious activities and negotiation activities with 'God'
This is due to lack of understanding and lack faith in one's own self.
Diagnosis: Lack of inner strength.
No mania or delusion.
Final conclusion : A diagnosis of Delusion or Mania could not be established in Devotee Syndrome.
), I tend to think that religion evolved as a social mechanism to counter the self-destructive freedom of thought and action that most-probably-might have taken centreplace (in the absence of religion).
