The functioning of religions from a modern psychoanalytic perspective

This paper considers the personal psychological development which can take place in the adherents of certain religions, and compares it with the personal development which can take place in a psychoanalysis. The author argues that the preoccupations of different religions are very various, and to un...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Black, David M. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Taylor & Francis 2000
In: Mental health, religion & culture
Year: 2000, Volume: 3, Issue: 1, Pages: 13-26
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This paper considers the personal psychological development which can take place in the adherents of certain religions, and compares it with the personal development which can take place in a psychoanalysis. The author argues that the preoccupations of different religions are very various, and to understand their functioning it is important to recognise the variety of their goals. Using the Kleinian notion of psychic ‘positions', and with the help of a neuro-scientific model, it becomes possible to conceptualise the psychological effectiveness of both psychoanalysis and the religions, and to relate them intelligibly. There continues, however, to be a radical difference between the ways in which psychoanalysis and the religions cause their psychological effects, which is best seen by considering the nature of their objects.
ISSN:1469-9737
Contains:Enthalten in: Mental health, religion & culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/13674670050002063