Volume : 2, Issue : 3, MAR 2016
PSYCHOANALYTICAL VIEWS ON RELIGION: ANALYSIS OF FREUD AND NEO FREUDIAN VIEWS ON RELIGION
Dr. Anshu Daud
Abstract
The religious and spiritual life is recognized as an essential part of human nature. Religion has played a significant role in political climate, cultural societies and personal identification. Religion has been used to prevent social inclusion and building cultures as well as providing human beings with a connection to matter greater than self and society. There are time periods in which religion was the cornerstone of scientific thought and academic pursuits. However, religion appears to have a powerful ability to impact individual and society. Whether from historical, sociological or psychological perspective religion is an influential construct of change. In this article we will include Sigmund Freud and Neo Freudians and their views on religion. Neo Freudian psychologists were thinkers who agreed with many fundamental tenents of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory but changed and adapted the approach to incorporate their own views, beliefs, ideas and opinions. This paper provides a concise but comprehensive view on religion by Freud and Neo Freudians.
Keywords
Illusion, Collective Neurosis, Universal, Obsessional Neurosis, Religion, humanity, Mankind, Compensation.
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