INTRODUCTION Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology with his mentor, Sigmund Freud. Both Freud and Jung addressed the influence of religion and religious experience toward humans projection of the unconscious. However, they disagreed in the extent of how religion influences projection. On one hand, Freud believed that religion is “a projection of unconscious wishes and desires” (Kessler, 148); strictly harmful and dangerous to the maturity of a person. Freud claims that as long as a person is bound by a religion, he/she cannot be considered matured. On the other hand, Jung believed that religion can be beneficial and act as a buffer for the maturity process. Jung supports the notion that a person’s unconscious projection is “the self-archetype that plays a positive role in helping the ego to integrate conflicting desires and finally gain a peaceful wisdom as a realized self” (Kessler, 151). This paper will utilize Jung’s version of psychoanalytical theory to compare and contrast the case studies of Moses and Jonestown.
JUNGIAN PSYCHOANALYSIS According to Jung, a person’s unconscious consist mostly of creative energy, in the form of
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They were both able to lead a group of people (Hebrew slaves and The Peoples Temple followers) to overcome a shared difficult situation (slavery and alienation/discrimination). On top of that, both Moses and Jones shared a difficult childhood, filled with struggles. Moses was left to die, floating on the Nile river and Jones was alienated by the environment around him. Due to their struggles, both Moses and Jones was forced to rely and become dependent on a specific person in their environment (the Pharaoh’s daughter and Jones’s family). Finally, Moses and Jones both went through the first 2 stages of Jung’s development theory, dependency and
Spies are religious systems that seem to take on the information of psychology. Colonialist are different from domestic spies they represent the true revelation of God to human kind about the human condition and God’s plan of salvation. The neutral parties allows for a level of collaboration that seems not to be present in enemies model. This model is not like any other model due to the fact that it encourages the exploration of the exceptional content of both the methodologies that they employ. The allies’ model tends to agree with the spies model that good psychology can be found in religion, but it also rejects that religion is only valuable as a vehicle to express psychological truth and psychological benefits (Entwistle, 2010). Entwistle ended this book by putting us on the right path to a better understanding of the integrated approaches to Psychology and
David Entwistle's (2010) Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity is geared more towards Christians with conservative evangelical views and provides the reader an outline to different worldview disputes and truth-seeking groundwork that surround the connection that underlies psychology and theology. In addition to analyzing the possible connection of psychology and theology, Entwisle discusses the consideration of integrating Christian faith with the practice of psychology. “Christian understandings of person-hood, the purpose of human life, our need for God, and the ethical teachings of Christian faith are integral to psychology, not merely parallel to it” (p. 199). Entwistle’s viewpoint on this matter is stated clearly. He believes that it is necessary for theology and psychology be integrated in order to fully understand human nature.
Erich Fromm in his psychoanalytical approach to religion is distinct from the earlier works of Sigmund Freud. Fromm defines religion as “any system of thought and action shared by a group which gives the individual a frame of orientation and an object of devotion.” Fromm argues that irreligious systems including all the different kinds of idealism and “private” religions deserve being defined as a “religion.” Based on Fromm’s theory, it is explained that there is no human being who does not have a “religious need,” almost every part of human life reflects religious need and its fulfillment, in fact he states it to be “inherent” in man.
The unconscious mind can be explained in various ways and can take on various attributes. Carl Jung the author of “The Archetype and the Collective Unconscious,” defines unconsciousness as the first reactions and interactions a person endeavors. Several Physicists believe that the unconscious mind acts separately from our voluntary thinking. Scientist believes that understanding the unconscious mind is key to determining what type of archetype a person may have or develop. Experiments such as, reaction to stimuli, have lead cognitive psychiatrist to determine the strength of the unaware and involuntary mind. In addition, many social physicists have also believed that the unconscious mind is unaware of it actions and that the unconscious part of our brain can sometimes be focused on several signs that our conscious self can’t see.
In the first two chapter of the book, Freud explores a possible source of religious feeling. He describes an “oceanic feeling of wholeness, limitlessness, and eternity.” Freud himself is unable to experience such a feeling, but notes that there do indeed...
“Parents are early major carriers of projection, and children unconsciously project omnipotence and omniscience onto them. These are what Jung called archetypal projections. The parents become gods, invested with powers that people have attributed to the divine. ‘Daddy can do anything! He’s the str...
The interpretation, backed by Carl Jung, argues that “religion need no longer be perceived as a conglomerate of guilt ridden repressions and ritualized obsessions, but as a natural and legitimate dimension of psychic activity” (Palmer 113). When Freud’s argument is counterbalanced, it can be found that the interpretation F...
A framework of five models is shared: Enemies, Spies, Colonialists, Neutral Parties, and Allies. The Enemies model either associates no relationship between Christianity and psychology. The Spies model focuses on what works best for them from both Christianity and psychology. Colonialists use psychology only to the degree that it fits theology. Neutral Parties model holds that psychology and theology are independent with possible correlation between findings of the two, however that is about as far as one discipline may encroach on the other. Allies, the model considered by Entwistle, acknowledges that while psychology and theology are separate, they are still dependent, based upon the underlying unity of truth of God’s written word and His Works (Entwistle, 2010). The underpinning of the integrative approach to psychology and Christianity appears to be that of anthropology; this may be seen in the two books, God g...
The unconscious is the largest part of the mind. All the things that are not easily available t...
For Carl Jung, his view on religious experience was based on all experiences being a psychological phenomenon. He differed from James in his view that a personal or individual experience with a God was indistinguishable from a communication with one’s unconscious mind. He ...
Carl Jung wrote “The Archetype and the Collective Unconscious,” it defines unconsciousness as the first reactions and interactions a person endeavors. Several psychologist believe that the unconscious mind acts separately from our voluntary thinking, much is true based on the work of Sigmund Fraud with his id, ego, and super ego. Basically understanding the unconscious mind is key to determining what type of archetype a person may have or develop. Many social psychologist have also believed that the unconscious mind is unaware of it actions and that the unconscious part of our brain can be on something irrelevant to the conscious part of the mind. The unconscious mind can be seen through the understanding of Archetypes, which are universal thoughts or mental images that influence an individual 's feelings and actions. For example, if a person is expressing a female form they might have an anima due to the way they treat other people of the opposite sex. Anima’s generally either represent goddess like qualities or certain witch qualities that try to oppress the power of men. The female soul found in the anima can be seen as feminist when they refer to the rule of men and manpower. Effects of the anima can be use to explain several unconscious actions such surprize beatings. A man’s anima explains what he wants to see in a women and how he wants her to portray herself. However, when the
Goodwin, A. (1998). Freud and Erikson: Their Contributions to the Psychology of God-Image Formation. Pastoral Psychology, 47(2), 97-117. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
This essay’s goal is to provide a critical analysis and definition of Sigmund Freud 's beliefs on religion. After thoroughly going through his theory on theology, I will then point out strengths and weaknesses in his beliefs and ultimately, make a decision on if I agree or disagree with his conclusions.
Carl Jung, propose the theory of the collective unconscious, based on his theory, which goes beyond of Freud’s analysis of the conscious mind, the unconscious is divided into two (2) layers. We have the personal unconscious, where is very similar with the Freudian Theory of the unconscious mind, where all of our thoughts and forgotten experience our store, but we have another dipper layer, the collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is a universal unconscious shared among the humankind, where information which had passed from generation to generation is stored. That information might be fears, or instincts which have helped us to survive, innate thoughts; used as a tool and inheritance from our ancestors in order to provide us the best chance of survival. Based on Jung theory: “The form of a world into [a person] is born is already inborn in him, as a virtual image (Jung, 1953, p.188). He called these memories, as ancestral memories and image archetypes, as different cultures all over the world share similar characteristics without having any interaction with one another, thus the behaviors and actions had been carried with them innate as a part of a code among
In looking for better ways to avoid misunderstandings or devaluing the whole of experiences, Jung moves into support of the phenomenological position. This approach gives due importance to the range of possibilities that come from experiencing religion. Jung believed quantifying data and offering explanation was important in understanding religion but the general statements that come from these methods left a lot out of the equation (Wulff