psychoanalysis and spirituality
DESCRIPTION
Not many consider psychoanalysis (esp. Freudian) friendly to spirituality. Yes, Freud discredited conventional forms of religion. However, he appreciated some genuine advantages of religious commitment, like necessity of suffering, the cost of suppression of our animal remnants. Freud's followers went sometimes really too far in their views. Look what developed some non-orthodox psychoanalysts, like those representing the object relations theoryTRANSCRIPT
Spiritual development according to classical
psychoanalysis, Object relations theory
Analytic psychology &Attachment theory
Topic 11
Spirituality in the framework of Freudian psychoanalysis – is it possible?
Culture as the resource of suffering:
„Defense of human being against suffering is the fundamental task of religion” (Freud)
Suffering as the source of God images and conversion:
The task of gods: exorcism of anxiety about nature, reconciliation of humans with the cruelty of fate mostly manifesting itself as death, rewarding for suffering and privations, as consequences of the social life
Suffering as related to the Oedipus complex (God – the idealized father)
EXAMPLES:
THE ROLE OF SUFFERING
GOD – IDEALIZED FATHER
Religious purpose – cultural one – sublimation of drive (in the arts and sciences too)
Role of illusion – avoidance of personal neurosis resulting from the fear about reality (illusion is not necessarily false)
Religion – the common obsessive neurosis of humanity Religion – tranquilizer, a drug
Role of self-denial (depreciation of one’s own self-esteem, devaluation of life) as ideals of religion
Appreciation of St. Francis
Suppression of drive to avoid suffering
Love as the fundament of culture
Psychoanalytic interpretation of Judaism
and Christianity
Ludwig Levy: „erotic” Biblical Genesis
What after Freud?
„Eden” ,means „bliss” Forbidden tree suggests the specific nature of female Apple – female breast Eating a meal- sexual intercourse Recognition (sex) of good and bad (sexual capacity)
Ian Suttie (1889-1935)
Ian Suttie – Biblical narratives as tips for discovering pathological symptoms related to mother’s object:
Cain jealousyLaius jealousyZeus jealousy
Harry Guntrip (1901-1975)– religion „salvation because of good relations with the object
Ronald Fairbairn (1889-1964)– therapist as exorcist:
his „task is not absolving from sins but expelling devils” (bad objects of cathexis)
Ana-Maria Rizzuto
Donald Winnicott (1896-1971)
Meditating sphere of experience, illusion &
transitional objects,
Paul W. Pruyser (1916-1987)