Psychoanalysis And Religious Experience

Author : William W. Meissner
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 280 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 1986-01-01
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 0300037511

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Psychoanalysis and Religious Experience by William W. Meissner Pdf

In this provocative book, W. W. Meissner, a Jesuit and psychoanalyst, attempts to bring about a rapprochement between psychoanalysis and religious thinking. Utilizing the resources of modern psychoanalytic insight, he examines Freud's views on religion, explores the dialectical relationship between psychoanalysis and religion, and applies more contemporary concepts in psychoanalysis to the understanding of religious experience. Dr. Meissner has written a book which is consistently interesting, often challenging, and impressive for its wide range of scholarship in two fields not often combined in the same work...Dr. Meissner has done us a service in this scholarly work by demonstrating how two perspectives of the human condition have over the course of the last several decades come to similar conclusions.-Otto F. Thaler, M.D., Journal of the American Academy of Religion A rich and stimulating book addressing important issues that lie at the intersection of psychoanalysis and religion.-Paul C. Vitz, Contemporary Psychology Meissner has made a challenging useful contribution that will be pondered, applied, and debated.It will undoubtedly also achieve the goal of bringing about more understanding between analysts and theologians.-Lowell Rubin, M.D., Newsletter, Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute

Author : Anthony J. De Luca
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 1976
Category : Psychology
ISBN : STANFORD:36105036455223

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Freud and Future Religious Experience by Anthony J. De Luca Pdf

Author : Arthur Guirdham
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 195 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2013-10-08
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781317975984

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Christ and Freud (RLE: Freud) by Arthur Guirdham Pdf

Originally published in 1959, this book is primarily concerned with the question of psychiatric factors in religion, and, conversely, with that of religious factors in psychiatry. It rejects the Freudian theory that religion is a form of obsessional neurosis. Though this latter hypothesis may explain many of the phenomena of religious observance, it cannot explain the reality of religious experience. Dr Guirdham believes that orthodox Christianity is a perversion of the psychologically irrefutable teaching of Christ and that its conception of God as a supreme being endowed with supreme power, its teaching on the resurrection, and its contamination with a sense of guilt, are especially conducive to psychiatric disorder. He shows how theology may actually be inimical to religious experience and how faith differs from belief and is a response of the whole man. The book explains also the psychological origins of clericalism and demonstrates the role played by the latter in stifling religious experience.

Author : Vassilis Saroglou
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2021-09-13
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789004496163

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Paternity as Function by Vassilis Saroglou Pdf

Faced with the contemporary proliferation of a “religion of emotional communities” and the multiplication of gurus, spiritual directors and masters, the psychologist of religion should question the impact of the paternal function on the structuring of religious experience. This question is examined here within the context of ancient monasticism and on the basis of ascetic sources (mainly the Ladder of John Climacus, 7th c.), as well as by means of the analysis of rituals such as baptism and monastic profession. The author demonstrates that the spiritual father refers to paternity as function, and that this function is both structural and structuring with respect to religious experience. It is also examined how this crossroads-concept of fatherhood is linked to other psychic realities such as the maternal dimension of religious desire and the role of the community, the relations between the real, the imaginary, and the symbolic, the paternal uncertainty, the articulation of the mystical desire with the Law, and the control of sexuality. This study shows the importance of this function for bringing together structure and development in the religious experience and indicates the risks of this paternity for a religious pathology.

Author : James W. Jones
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 143 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2014-02-04
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781317763048

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Terror and Transformation by James W. Jones Pdf

Religion has been responsible for both horrific acts against humanity and some of humanity's most sublime teachings and experiences. How is this possible? From a contemporary psychoanalytic perspective, this book seeks to answer that question in terms of the psychological dynamic of idealisation. At the heart of living religion is the idealisation of everyday objects. Such idealisations provide much of the transforming power of religious experience, which is one of the positive contributions of religion to the psychological life. However, idealisation can also lead to religious fanaticism which can be very destructive. Drawing on the work of various contemporary relational theorists within psychoanalysis, this book develops a psychoanalytically informed theory of the transforming and terror-producing effects of religious experience. It discusses the question of whether or not, if idealisation is the cause of many of the destructive acts done in the name of religion, there can be vital religion without idealisation. This is the first book to address the nature of religion and its capacity to sponsor both terrorism and transformation in terms of contemporary relational psychoanalytic theory. It will be invaluable to students and practitioners of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, psychology and religious studies, and to others interested in the role of religion in the lives of individuals and societies.

Author : Barbara Keller
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 91 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2020-06-02
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9789004436343

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Taking Psychoanalytic and Psychometric Perspectives toward a Binocular Vision of Religion by Barbara Keller Pdf

This study combines perspectives from psychoanalysis and academic psychology, from nomothetic and idiothetic research, for more depth of vision. Options for the study of lived “religion” are discussed, taking into consideration North American and European cultural contexts of religious experience.

Author : David M. Black
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 298 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2012-07-26
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781134181476

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Psychoanalysis and Religion in the 21st Century by David M. Black Pdf

What can be gained from a dialogue between psychoanalysis and religion? Freud described religion as the universal obsessional neurosis, and uncompromisingly rejected it in favour of "science." Ever since, there has been the assumption that psychoanalysts are hostile to religion. Yet, from the beginning, individual analysts have questioned Freud's blanket rejection of religion. In this book, David Black brings together contributors from a wide range of schools and movements to discuss the issues. They bring a fresh perspective to the subject of religion and psychoanalysis, answering vital questions such as: How do religious stories carry (or distort) psychological truth? How do religions 'work', psychologically? What is the nature of religious experience? Are there parallels between psychoanalysis and particular religious traditions? Psychoanalysis and Religion in the 21st Century will be of great interest to psychoanalysts, psychoanalytic therapists, psychodynamic counsellors, and anyone interested in the issues surrounding psychoanalysis, religion, theology and spirituality.

Author : Stephen J. Costello
Publisher : Peter Lang
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : Hermeneutics
ISBN : 3034301243

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Hermeneutics and the Psychoanalysis of Religion by Stephen J. Costello Pdf

This book is a philosophical study of the Freudian psychoanalysis of religion from a hermeneutical perspective. Drawing on the work of Paul Ricoeur, the twentieth-century French phenomenologist, the author offers a sustained and rigorous reflection on Freud's critique of Christian religion and raises the pertinent question of whether psychoanalysis should be conceived of as a form of hermeneutics. To this end, the author details the often acrimonious debates and discussions that took place between Ricoeur and Jacques Lacan, as well as drawing on the work of Slavoj Zizek on this intriguing subject, with Lacan and Zizek resisting any attempt to interpret psychoanalysis along the lines of hermeneutics. Having brought Ricoeur's reflections to bear on both Freud and Lacan, the author next engages with the Thomist metaphysical tradition. He deals especially with Aquinas' famous five arguments for the existence of God, the relevance of which becomes apparent in the last chapter when the author sheds a Lacanian light on Thomas' mystical experience. The author argues that the 'real' God - the God of Thomas' experience - pertains to the (Lacanian) order of the Real. The book concludes with a précis on the beauty of belief.

Author : Antoon Vergote
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 311 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2023-10-16
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9789004672680

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Psychoanalysis, Phenomenological Anthropology and Religion by Antoon Vergote Pdf

In this volume we have brought together some of the most important contributions of Antoon Vergote to the field of what is now called 'clinical psychology of religion'. Most of these contributions were not published before in English. They cover the field in two ways. On the one hand we selected some articles in which Vergote reflects about the foundations of the (clinical) psychology of religion. This first part of the book is about the psychoanalytic and philosophical-anthropological approach of some major topics in the study of religion: e.g. mythical thinking and symbolisation, moral law and the idea of sin, religious experience... . In this part we also included a critical reflection about the classic psychoanalytic criticism of religion and about the epistemology and the limits of the psychology of religion. The second part, on the other hand, contains clinical-empirical and psycho-historical studies about concrete religious phenomena. The first section of this part is, amongst other topics, about the psychological approach of the person Jesus, about the psychological profile of the priest and, about some aspects of folk religiosity. The second section deals with problems in the field of mental health and religion: the differentiation of true and false mysticism, religion and psychopathology and a psychological approach of the experience of visions and apparitions.

Author : Antoine Vergote
Publisher : Rodopi
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9042006137

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Psychoanalysis, Phenomenological Anthropology and Religion by Antoine Vergote Pdf

In this volume we have brought together some of the most important contributions of Antoon Vergote to the field of what is now called 'clinical psychology of religion'. Most of these contributions were not published before in English. They cover the field in two ways. On the one hand we selected some articles in which Vergote reflects about the foundations of the (clinical) psychology of religion. This first part of the book is about the psychoanalytic and philosophical-anthropological approach of some major topics in the study of religion : e.g. mythical thinking and symbolisation, moral law and the idea of sin, religious experience... . In this part we also included a critical reflection about the classic psychoanalytic criticism of religion and about the epistemology and the limits of the psychology of religion. The second part, on the other hand, contains clinical-empirical and psycho-historical studies about concrete religious phenomena. The first section of this part is, amongst other topics, about the psychological approach of the person Jesus, about the psychological profile of the priest and, about some aspects of folk religiosity. The second section deals with problems in the field of mental health and religion : the differentiation of true and false mysticism, religion and psychopathology and a psychological approach of the experience of visions and apparitions.

Author : Mortimer Ostow
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 233 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780231139007

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Spirit, Mind, & Brain by Mortimer Ostow Pdf

Preeminent psychoanalyst Mortimer Ostow believes that early childhood emotional attachments form the cognitive underpinnings of spiritual experience and religious motivation. His hypothesis, which is verifiable, relies on psychological and neurobiological evidence but is respectful of the human need for spiritual value. Ostow begins by classifying the three parts of the spiritual experience: awe, Spirituality proper, and mysticism. After he pinpoints the psychological origins of these feelings in infancy, he discusses the foundations of religious sentiment and practice and the brain processes associated with spiritual experience. He then focuses on spirituality's relationship to mood regulation, and the role of negative spirituality in fostering religious fundamentalism and demonic possession. Ostow concludes with an analysis of an essay by the psychoanalyst Donald M. Marcus, who recounts his own spiritual experience during a Native American-style "vision quest" in the woods. Marcus's account demonstrates the constructive potential of spirituality and the way in which spirituality retrieves and recapitulates feelings of attachment to the mother. Persuasively and brilliantly argued, Spirit, Mind, and Brain brings the disciplines of religion, behavorial neuroscience, and philosophy to bear on a groundbreaking new method for understanding religious ritual and belief.

Author : Jeremy Carrette
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 429 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2007-10-31
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781134099641

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Religion and Critical Psychology by Jeremy Carrette Pdf

Jeremy Carrette argues that the psychology of religion is no longer sustainable without a social critique, and that as William James predicted, the project of the modernist psychology of religion has failed. Controversially he champions greater social and philosophical analysis within the field to challenge the political naivety and disciplinary illusions of the traditional approaches to psychology of religion. Carrette discusses the relevance of the social and economic factors surrounding the debates of psychology and religion, through three critical examples: psychoanalysis humanistic psychology cognitive neuroscience. A Critical Psychology of Religion provides a new dimension to the debates surrounding religious experience. It will be of interest to students and researchers in the fields of critical psychology, religious experience and the psychology of religion and extends an interdisciplinary challenge to the separation of psychology, sociology, politics, economics and religion.

Author : James William Jones
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 1991-01-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0300057849

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Contemporary Psychoanalysis and Religion by James William Jones Pdf

Presents the latest psychoanalytic "theories" and their relevance for religious studies. The author, a clinical psychologist and professor of religion, builds on more recent theories in which the self is constued as a matrix of interalized relationships, investigates ways in which religious beliefs, practices, and experiences reflect the structure of the relational self.

Author : Michael St. Clair
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 111 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2004-09-15
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781592448661

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Human Relationships and the Experience of God by Michael St. Clair Pdf

When people are interested in the spiritual life they are, 'de facto', saying: I deeply value relationships - relationships with themselves, others, and God. Spirituality and an appreciation of the relationships they have go hand in hand.Given this, when we turn to contemporary psychology, the school of thought which seems so naturally relevant and supportive to those interested in spiritual maturity is object relations theory. However, since this sophisticated approach to understanding the human person is quite complex in that it stands on the psychological shoulders of a great deal of previous psychoanalytic thought and practice, to mine this theoretical jewel and apply it to further the appreciation of one's own or someone else's spiritual life has been quite difficult for most people. And so, the development of a basic work on object relations theory and the spiritual life has been sorely needed.With this in mind, Michael St. Clair, the author of the widely-read and respected book 'Object Relations and Self Psychology', and a person possessing extensive theological background as well as graduate-level teaching and clinical experience in pastoral counseling and the integration of psychology and religion, was asked to prepare a book on the topic.The result is a volume that presents not only principles that are understandable and enlightening, but also psychological illustrations that offer a clear connection with religious experience. In addition, although St. Clair doesn't skirt the issues and controversies or subtle nuances that are open to question when one attempts an integration of psychology and spirituality from a particular vantage point, first and foremost this book is a practical work. In this regard it serves to be stimulating in one's reflection about the spiritual life: one's own and that of those persons who come to us for guidance.This volume provides a real service to those of us who wish to see in an intelligent way what contributions modern psychology from an object relations perspective can make to our efforts to walk honestly and faithfully with God as we walk with others.

Author : Jacob A. v. van Belzen
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 313 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2009-06-18
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9789048125401

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Changing the Scientific Study of Religion: Beyond Freud? by Jacob A. v. van Belzen Pdf

The psychoanalytic approach to religion has changed radically during the course of the twentieth century. In both clinical and theoretical work in psychoanalysis, developments have taken place that frequently are not noted by persons who assume that all that can be said has been said by Freud. The study of religious phenomena, persons, events and traditions has always been a substantial part of applied psychoanalysis and here also major developments have taken place. It is no exaggeration to state that the scientific study of religion has been revolutionized by the integration of psychological perspectives, including the field of psychoanalysis. This volume differs from other recent publications on the topic of psychoanalysis and religion in drawing upon the entire field of psychoanalytic involvement with religion. It is interdisciplinary in approach and unlike other books on the topic brings together an exceptional combination of theoretical, empirical and clinical studies. No other book provides integrated examples of all three types of work.