Sacred Psychoanalysis - etheses Repository - University of ...

Theme 5: Religion and Religious 434
Context 435
AN argues that Freud took religion very seriously at social and cultural levels, while
psychoanalysis as a whole neglected religion. ‘Sociologically I understand that religion is a
very important glue, and a very important channel for people to have a relationship to the
spiritual domain and that not everyone can have that without it’ (AN 359-360). Religion
forms a vital part of the social context in which psychoanalysis is located.
Almost all societies and cultures have had religious structures/organizations they
must be very important for human beings so there’s a channel for spiritual
aspirations as providing a sense of connection and belonging … something beyond
… providing some language, some symbols, some ceremonies that help to represent
and capture that striving … even amongst people who do not profess any particular
or strong religious allegiance … the existence of religion in society is important …
they like to know it’s there (PM 825-835).
Religious communities offer something psychoanalysis cannot provide 436 yet it goes beyond
the community to the individual faith of the person.
I remember this particular victim … at the moment he was being tortured just being
in a dialogue with God in his mind and trusting that he would survive … making use
of his belief in God’s goodness as he called it, that he would get through this and
that’s what he hung on to … and had obviously found some solace in religion but
there was no doubt that however much you could see it as defensive, in that moment
it was immensely sustaining to him and he felt less alone in his greatest hour of need
(AL 725-732).
434 366 references.
435 Most interviewees used the terms religion and spirituality together.
436 In response to the question concerning clients ‘If they bring religion and spirituality in the room, you see
that as a positive act?’ Lemma replied ‘Yes I would even in some cases particularly going back to the work
with refugees encourage them to link up with religious communities if they have been relevant in their life, I
would use that as a network of support … I would approach it thinking ‘What is the function, the possible
function of connection to a church?’ and I would see it as being psychological sustaining to the individual
because it provides a sense of community which I think is the first place you need to start in recovering from a
number of traumatic experiences … Actually psychotherapy itself is not something that can be made use of at
this point, but that what people need more is something more mundane, normal, more day-to-day life, a sense
of connection with others, so there I think religion plays a great part and I would have no difficulty in
supporting the individual to do that (AL 617-629).
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