Episode 5: Sigmund Freud's Psychology of Religion

What are the connections between compulsion and religiosity? In his 1913 book Totem & Taboo, the father of analytical psychology, Sigmund Freud, discusses the use of religious totem and taboo prohibitions in ancient cultures and how they relate to religious cognition in modern life.

In this episode, learn why Freud is a significant character in the study of the psychology of western religion. Sigmund Freud was very interested in how the human mind protects itself from violating religious and cultural taboos and how an imbalance in religious thought can contribute to psychological distress.

Listen as Geoff discusses two concepts from Freud's work that have application for individuals deconstructing religious worldviews: 1) the ambivalence of emotion and 2) the omnipotence of thought. Also, learn about the American Psychological Association's (APA) definition of scrupulosity, a form of obsessive-compulsive thought that centers around religious cognition.

In this episode, learn about:

The significance of Freud's theory to the psychology of religion (1:53)

The ambivalence of emotion (7:34)

The omnipotence of thought (13:53)

Religious scrupulosity (16:32)

References cited in this episode:

Freud, S. (1938) Totem and taboo: Resemblances between the psychic lives of savages and neurotics. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/198...

Wallis, G. (2021) A voice from inside: notes on religious trauma in a captive organization. https://wallisbooks.com
https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Inside-R...

#psychology #counselingpsychology #sigmundfreud #religioustraumasyndrome #religioustrauma #psychoanalysis #psychotherapy #analyticalpsychology #criticismofreligion #scrupulosity #clinicalpsychology