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psychoanalytically informed developmental understanding of religious experience 194 with a theologically informed view of human nature. Meissner argues that Freud's understanding of human nature is in direct opposition to the Christian view of human nature as made in the image of God and uniquely set apart from Creation. Freud saw this as a ‘narcissistic posture’ and drawing on Enlightenment thought advocated the creaturely and evolving existence of the human species so ‘it is hardly surprising, then, that Freud laid his analytic axe to the root of the religious tree’ (Meissner 1984a: 189). Meissner retains the concept of human nature as made in the image of God, even if that image does need psychoanalytic examination. Meissner offers a view of human nature that includes a moral dimension involving the intellect and capacity to reason uniting body, mind and soul in a way that psychoanalysis couldn’t achieve. A fully religious and theological person acts as an expression of, and participation in, the grace of God with ‘intentionality, and responsibility’ in contrast to Freud's ‘mechanistic psychic life … in which the human being plays no significant contributing or determining role. Man in this view is essentially mechanical and robot-like’ (Meissner 1984a: 190f.). Freud utilizes Hermholtzian closed system concepts that Meissner replaces with an open system, concluding that a theology of grace works on multiple levels, not just the psychological. In the dialectic created between divergent and convergent systems Meissner utilizes transitional and hermeneutic concepts. Meissner offers an overview of the transitional nature of religious experience based on his earlier work (Meissner 1969, 1978a) and the to explore one source of its own vitality ... to enrich the experienced life of faith by giving it form, shape, and substance’ (Meissner 1984a: 12). 194 Meissner adopted Erikson’s ideas (Erikson 1959, 1962) and the newly emerging paradigmatic ideas of Rizzuto (Rizzuto 1979). 82
work of Winnicott (Winnicott 1965, 1971) and crucially Rizzuto (Rizzuto 1979) who attributed a positive role to a transitional god-representation. 195 Meissner introduces the work of Schafer to develop a new meta-psychology that overcomes the limitations of a static scientific model. Meissner does not adopt Schafer’s personal language and meaning model (Richards 1992), but accepts Schafer’s critiques of Freudian metapsychology. In adopting hermeneutic approaches, 196 Meissner sees a creative possibility for understanding the underlying philosophies of human nature that allow religious experience. He concludes that the inherent tensions between the psychoanalytic and religious understanding of human nature are not easily resolvable. A dialectical approach requires movement and development on both sides in order to fulfil a greater vision going beyond that offered by psychoanalysis which, does not seek merely to liberate man from the chains of his inhibitions, compulsions, doubts, and erotic self-importance. Rather, it seeks to liberate man for the purpose of becoming something greater - more dynamic, more creative, more a force in the world - in order to realise not only his own potential but the betterment of all mankind (Meissner 1984a: 222f.). 197 195 Meissner draws on Vergote (Vergote 1969), Gedo and Goldberg (Gedo and Goldberg 1973) and Fowler (Fowler 1974) to support his ideas. ‘Consequently, the institutionalization of the divine figure, proposer and guarantor of the moral order, can be seen as a creative effort to reinforce and sustain the more highly organized and integrated adaptational concerns ... the religious enterprise, then, must be seen in its existential and adaptive context. From the point of view of intrapsychic dynamics, authentic religious inspiration serves a uniquely integrative function ... the god of the ancient Hebrews must be seen, as a projection of the maternal as well as the paternal image. He was not only a god of power and majesty, punishing those who disobey his law, but also a loving god, protecting and caring for his people, feeding and guiding them. He is a jealous god, but slow to anger and merciful’ (Meissner 1984a: 131). 196 Based on Ricoeur and Schafer. 197 ‘Therapy is a process of coming to grips in terms of stark existential reality and human concreteness with the forces of psychic determinism and personal responsibility ... the psychoanalytic view of man is limited freedom in the same sense a realistic constraint on the extent to which the theological vision of the meaning of freedom can be realised in the actual human condition ... Christian theology asserts the basic postulate that man's nature does not in itself possess the potentiality to overcome its intrinsic limitation and defect. The power of God through grace is required ... insight into the human conditions of freedom is the preserve of psychoanalysis and its related disciplines. In essence, then, theological reflection cannot take place in a vacuum, as it too often has done in the past. It necessarily involves a theological anthropology that cannot sustain itself without psychoanalytic input’ (Meissner 1984a: 239f.). Meissner returned to this theological and psychoanalytic task in Life and Faith (Meissner 1987) to address more specifically theological questions on the nature of grace, a theology and psychology of hope, faith and psychological development, and the emergence of religious values using his theological and psychoanalytic insights. 83
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“SACRED PSYCHOANALYSIS” - AN IN
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ABSTRACT From the 1970s the emergen
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CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 PART A
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Chapter Fifteen. Patterns of engage
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Theme 8: Mystical/Mystic/O 289 Them
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INTRODUCTION My conscious engagemen
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to contemporary psychoanalysis and
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The first research method developed
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PART A. THE CONTEXT, DEFINITION AND
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travelled with Ferenczi to explore
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Despite this inclusive vision a cli
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exclusivity’ (Richards 1999: 1024
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signs of abating. Despite the sheer
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1933b: 158f.). Freud vigorously ref
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embraced that relate to this thesis
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The twin trees symbolized my person
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post-critical thought. These comple
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Epistemological context While I hav
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tolerate periods of “not-knowing
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engagement see little relevance for
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Page 45 and 46: One solution is to identify paramet
Page 47 and 48: The sacred was given a unique focus
Page 49 and 50: Before Lynch’s working definition
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Page 57 and 58: Molino 1997). While Coltart combine
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Page 63 and 64: CHAPTER FIVE. RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITU
Page 65 and 66: produced further discussion and pub
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Page 83 and 84: elements/function; or phenomena and
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Page 87 and 88: PART B. THE ENGAGEMENT OF RELIGION,
Page 89 and 90: The third strand was the use of Win
Page 91: psychoanalysis 187 Meissner articul
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Page 105 and 106: Rizzuto’s major contribution was
Page 107 and 108: Thirdly both use the work of Hans L
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Page 117 and 118: Symington recalls that he had had e
Page 119 and 120: Symington’s contribution includes
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Page 129 and 130: In a parallel development Chodorow
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Page 139 and 140: never in conflict and had the poten
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consciousness. Some would describe
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Martino 1991; Rubin 1992; Westkott
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components of spirituality identifi
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engagement, unfolding dialogue and
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Rabindrath Tagore’s move from a s
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in its own right, and modify modes
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A third theoretical approach involv
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transference and multiple gods; and
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Despite these recent developments o
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treatment’ (Ad-Bab'bagh 2001: 283
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oases where they find refuge, so th
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searching; isolation and involvemen
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The work of Eigen is a unique synth
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developed by Heidegger and used by
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mystical journey can be seen as an
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Grotstein uniquely sees psychoanaly
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that has multiple dimensions includ
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PART C. METHODOLOGICAL CONCERNS, IN
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3. Relational engagement gives the
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. RESEARCH METHODO
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conscious that offers the opportuni
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European perspectives. The disadvan
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addition of a third cultural contex
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Further reflexive exploration was u
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especting and valuing of the other
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CHAPTER NINETEEN. RESEARCH INTERVIE
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The interviews were recorded using
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CHAPTER TWENTY. ANALYZING QUALITATI
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Thematic Narrative Analysis The ana
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group facilitator and CBT trainer;
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identified similar themes to those
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE. PSYCHOANALYTIC
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the physical and metaphysical use o
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Personal ontology JB’s ontology i
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was a high level of honesty - a gen
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allowed was JB to clarify her under
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What I noticed immediately was the
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As the interview developed I very m
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Alessandra Lemma (AL) Alessandra Le
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esources that people have within th
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central therapeutic task (Ulanov 20
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unconscious that combine the spirit
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the species or the desire to create
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two-way process with the researcher
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Freud’s ideas were in transition
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Conscious encounter The introductio
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session found within a British Klei
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• We discover the eternal unconsc
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• Openness to the numinous and th
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stood out from this second meeting.
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aspects of their being. My engageme
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linking to the other/Other (PM, JG)
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spirituality without becoming gods.
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JG elicited an idealized, positive
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with my father, the fact of being a
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a whole range of thoughts and feeli
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE. A THEMATIC NA
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discovered the religious instinct w
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atheistic vision that dispenses wit
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The creativity of Winnicott Winnico
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neuroscience and the growth of reli
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y others. There are ‘resonances a
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there’ (JB 65). Eigen’s eclecti
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Coltart was a highly regarded Briti
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The term ‘zeitgeist’ was used t
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Rizzuto focuses on the internal, ps
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‘I think clearly for a lot of peo
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562). An analyst might say a little
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Lemma located her ambivalence to re
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eligious experience arising in ever
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the psyche through making space for
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Areas of dialogue include: the natu
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A critical dialogue between psychoa
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worlds. ‘We’ve probably never l
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is to study religion because religi
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makes it difficult to go beyond equ
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Rubin adds positively that spiritua
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and psychoanalysis (Galatzer-Levy a
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Theme 8: Mystical/Mystic/O 487 If a
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Theme 9: Love 490 Sayers suggests t
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR. THEMATIC COMME
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their absence as much as their pres
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conversation he encouraged my work
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PART D. SACRED PSYCHOANALYSIS - AN
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE. ‘SACRED PSYC
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that offers a cross-over or transfe
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and psychoanalytic discourse by dev
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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX. ‘SACRED PSYCH
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and the spiritual (Sorenson 2000, 2
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Figure 3. A dominant sacred interpr
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form of splitting reminiscent of ea
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fulfils Meissner’s vision for a
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Figure 6. Winnicott (DW1-2) Winnico
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person was Neville Symington. By co
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eflects Eigen’s experience of Bub
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elationship to others and live out
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psychoanalysis and this is the purp
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evelation, in a more challenging fa
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into his being, but the meeting wit
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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT. ‘SACRED PSY
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and analyst’ (Ogden 2005: 6). How
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the transition (it is, by definitio
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Signals of transcendence It is too
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Catholic Mass, mystical encounter,
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ultimate reality and truth - the un
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self-knowledge echoing the words of
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cause it becomes pathological as se
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understood beyond the limited clini
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CHAPTER THIRTY. ‘SACRED PSYCHOANA
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clinical papers presented at confer
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encounters with Grotstein where the
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etc.? What is the place of mistakes
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enormous. In the conclusion I have
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2. Potential Interview questions Qu
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Part Two - Consent Form If you are
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192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200
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256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264
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320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328
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383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391
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446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454
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509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517
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Appendix 3. Oskar Pfister and the u
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Solms also identifies the challenge
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disciplines of reflection, meditati
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8. A total sense of self, including
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Ethical Permission for a Qualitativ
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adversarial encounter? There was re
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1. Eigen’s religious and spiritua
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experience, allied to a formidable
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(Freud 1939).’ (Eigen 1998: 12).
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the founders of intersubjectivity
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tradition. He rather adopts a Zen a
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personal lives in that sort of way.
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Alvesson, Mats, and Kaj Sköldberg.
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———. 2009. A relational psych
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———. 2007. The Freudian momen
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Casement, Ann, ed. 2004. Who owns p
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Coyte, Mary, Peter Gilbert, and Vic
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Elmhirst, Susanna Isaacs. 1996. For
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Freke, Sarah. 1999. Review of 'The
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———. 1976. Introduction. Freu
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———. 1994. Projective identif
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Hartnack, Christiane. 1990. Vishnu
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Issroff, Judith. 1999. Reflections
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———. 1994. Love in the analyt
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LaMothe, Ryan. 2005. Creating space
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———. 2005. Understanding theo
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Meissner, William. 1966. The operat
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———. 2009. Psychoanalytic con
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———. 2001. Three archaic cont
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———. 1983. The play of the im
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———. 2000. The psychological
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Safran, Jeremy. 1999. Faith, despai
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Smart, Ninian. 1996. Dimensions of
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———. 2002. A space to listen:
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Watts, Alan. 1961/1998. Psychothera
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