Psycology of Religion

Psycology of Religion

1. Freud

   • Religion is a neurosis which stems from deep psychological trauma
     • Stems from trauma's thats are from a sexual root
       • religion is therefore an illusionresulting from sexual difficulties
   • Religion is a collective Neurosis which stemsfrom the unconcious mind
   • The minds sollution is to lock trauma's away in the unconcious
     • Later emerges as religion
       • Religion creates compulsive behaviour
   • Animinism
     • When suffering from extreme gulit the mind creaes idols (totems)
       • Mind redirects guilt through sacrifice and compulsive behaviour
         • Through sacrifces and prayer
       • The mind can now control these feelings of gulit
     • creation of these idols then results into a religion
       • The mind can now control these feelings of guilt as it comes to terms of trauma druing sexual development

2. Jung

   • Rejects that religion is caused by inner sexual trauma
   • Also rejects that religion is a a dangerous entity to be exposed and overthrown
   • Religion is an expression of the collective unconcious
     • A natural process
   • Stems from archetypes within the unconcious mind
     • perfroms its function of harmonising the psyche
   • God is an archetype
     • Each born with tendencies create religious imagery
       • i.e. God's angels and other religious phenomena
   • No physical proof of if God does/doesn't exist