Hi Rob,
Mental issues? Maybe baby...I am thinking more in the lines of a confused "weltanschauung" - Of course, the one breeds into the other, ergo, If one has no grounding i.e. Faith, one is easily lead astray into cultural belief practices that are removed from the tradition in which one grew up in and ultimately one winds up "manufacturing" ones own egoist faith system, picking a little here, a little there - a la carte style - toss them together with some oil and vinegar and think "all is alright - if it feels good, do it". You'll go crazy trying to merge the Judaeo-Christian heritage with Buddhism(mahayana and hinayana) Zoroastrianism, Islam, Santeria, and tribal belief systems of Africa.
Back on topic: Scriabin wasn't alone in his search for tonal colour - We all know Messiaen - and then Charles Tournemire who came to know Hindu music scales which he freely imported into his organ music e.g. 2nd and 5th movement of Sept Paroles du Xrist. The exception being that these men, being firm in Faith, understood to carefully separate the musical system from the belief system, and in so doing enriched the tonal vocabulary we know today.
