Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry

Self-Identity and Religion/Spirituality 159adolescence remain active throughout adult life.The interactions between religion/spiritualityand identification models are circular. Religiousbehavior and spiritual values are transmitted bymeans of an identity model of the child or adult.From an early age via the adults in their lives,individuals come into contact with religious orspiritual figures that help them shape their identities.The models lauded by religions and thereligious or spiritual figures taken as role modelsare created partly based on identity bearings discoveredduring development. The terms father,mother, brother, sister, friend, lover, companion,and so forth are often applied to religious models.The transmission of religious aspects of identity,however, is not limited to interpersonal relations.Socialization assumes the ability to find one’splace in a group. Children very rapidly becomefamiliar with customs and learn to assume roles,not only in contact with their parents, but also inlarger social groups.3. CHAPTER ORGANIZATIONAfter providing a definition of self-identity, thischapter will begin by presenting the developmentalaspects that condition the construction of theself. We will then discuss the construction of a coreself, the constitution of the first psychic envelope.Then we will approach the role of identificationprocesses in the construction of a differentiatedself-identity. These aspects will be articulated bymeans of attachment theory. After that, we will gointo detail on the interactions between religion/spirituality and identity construction. Towardthis aim, we will examine religious figures asfigures of attachment, the role of the parentalfigures, and then its extension to the relationshipbetween the individual and the group. This willallow an emphasis on various forms of collectivesymbols provided by the cultural environment:the identification figures presented in parables, theidentification models conveyed in rites, and thesocial roles. We will then present and analyze afew cases, some of which were followed up withpsychiatric treatment or psychotherapy. The conclusionwill provide a multicultural perspectiveon these issues. In summation, we will firstexamine how a religious or spiritual experiencecan threaten the cohesion of the self and thenexplore under what circumstances religion/spiritualitycan contribute to reestablishing identity.Second, we will discuss the provisions involvedin considering the patient’s reference system inthe treatment process. The goal is to determine,for each case, what in the patient’s religious andspiritual referents will permit the establishmentof a secure, defined self-relationship and lead toaccepted social roles.4. DEFINITION OF SELF-IDENTITYThe philosopher Paul Ricoeur distinguished betweenthe idem-identity and the ipse-identity .(1)The idem -identity designates what is not alteredby time. In relation to the individual, it tracesback to one’s genetic code as would be true for fingerprints,for example. On a psychological level, itdefines the character in the sense of the personalitytraits that individuals preserve throughouttheir lives. This is a static definition of identity. Onthe contrary, the ipse -identity designates the continuityof the relationship with the self throughthe inevitable alterations and discontinuitiesover a lifetime. This definition is a dynamic one;it takes into consideration the formation of theindividual. Of course, individual identity is supportedby one’s genetic foundation. Nevertheless,knowing only somebody’s genetic code is surelynot enough for assessing an individual’s identity.One’s psychological being is constantly developingthrough interaction with the environment. Thefeeling of identity, the feeling of “being oneself,”and the individual’s self-image are the result of anongoing process of construction that is a continualquest for balance. In this regard, the self is anentity situated at the interface of the intrapsychicand the social constructs of the personality.This entity must be distinguished fromother entities used to refer to the subject.The self is neither the ego nor the id . Theself designates self-representation; how