StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Mental Health and Religion - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper will compare and contrast the concepts related to mental health and religion between Sigmund Freud and C.G. Jung. Sigmund Freud was born to a Jewish family with deep roots on the teachings of the Roman Catholic …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.4% of users find it useful
Mental Health and Religion
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Mental Health and Religion"

? Mental Health and Religion Mental Health and Religion This paper will compare and contrast the concepts related to mental health and religion between Sigmund Freud and C.G. Jung. Sigmund Freud was born to a Jewish family with deep roots on the teachings of the Roman Catholic (Thornton, 2010). As such, he had a foundation and deep concern on the understanding of religion and spirituality. He also grew up to become a physiologist, psychologist, physician, and a philosopher (Thornton, 2010). Indeed, his immense contribution to psychology made him the father of psychoanalysis. As a result, he sought to understand human psychology development and contributed to the treatment of abnormal mental conditions through his concepts and theories (Thornton, 2010). On the other hand, Carl Gustav Jung was the only son of a Protestant clergyman and had great influence on religion (Cowgil, 1997). Carl Gustav Jung grew up to become a philosopher and a psychiatrist who influenced psychology by founding the school of analytical psychology (Cowgil, 1997). Notably, Carl Gustav Jung and Sigmund Freud had similar concepts, theories, and ideas on humanity but differed on certain significant aspects like mental health and religion. Ideally, Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud identified with the concept of unconscious to explain certain human aspects but differed in philosophy. Indeed, Freud and Jung had a close relationship for a long time where Jung was a junior partner learning about the Freud’s theories of the unconscious. However, although they both relied on the concept of the unconscious to explain dreams, Jung sought to adopt the concept of the subconscious. Most assuredly, the two had significant differences on the concept of religion. Actually, Freud felt that religion was unnecessary and termed it as a fallacy that should not exist in the modern world. Indeed, just like Karl Max, Freud referred to religion as opium of the masses. As such, he had total disregard of religion but had immense faith on the ability of the mind to access unconscious thoughts and treat any neuroses (Freud, 2012). On the other hand, Carl Gustav Jung attached great significance to religion in relation to the safety of humanity. He thus explored the importance of religion in individualization and well-being of the society (Jung, 1938). He also asserted that religion played a great role in establishing a mode of communication between different people. He supported this with the fact that different religions have the same archetypes and symbols (Jung, 1938). However, Jung disregarded the traditional Christian religion and sought to advance in the occult. Notably, Jung had greater respect for the Jewish religion aspects than Freud did. In fact, where Sigmund Freud depicted religion as an illusion and neurosis (De Silva, 1992), Carl Jung had a converse view where he referred to religion as a means of truth that has a strong foundation in the unconscious mind (Verghese, 2008). Most specifically, Freud defined religion as a collective obsessional neurosis of humanity, which should face abolition from the modern society (Freud, 2012). Indeed, he claimed that the modern man has outgrown the need for the irrational religious behaviour. Conversely, Carl Jung had a personal believe that religion was a natural expression of the collective unconscious. Nevertheless, they both agreed on certain aspects relating to the concept of religion. In fact, both Freud and Jung believed that at a certain point in the human life, religion played a positive role in the society. In supporting this assertion, both Carl Jung and Freud based their theories of religion on the notion that human beings have instincts that are more primitive and possess different sections of our psyche (Jung, 1938). They also identified with the belief that religion played a great role in helping people to solve certain issues in the society. In fact, they both held the view that religion plays a direct and indirect role in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disturbances like mental illnesses. They based this with the idea that too much and distorted religious practices manifest in cases of mental illness (Verghese, 2008). However, while Carl Jung adopted a psychological perspective on organized religion, Sigmund Freud who was a modern psychologist strongly criticized religion. In fact, Freud thought that religious ideas are baseless in reality and claimed that religion only sought to assure people’s wish for protection through the uncontrollable natural forces (Freud, 2012). In fact, Freud documented his works where he claimed that religion only attempted to control the Oedipal complex, established structural social groups, fulfilled the people’s wishes, and aimed at controlling the outside world (De Silva, 1992). As such, he dismissed Jung’s interest in religion and myths as an act that defied modern science. However, Jung maintained his believe in God by claiming that he knows and believes in the existence of God. We see Freud ridiculing Jung’s belief in God. On the other hand, Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud disagreed on the concept of mental health. Indeed, Sigmund Freud referred to the unconscious as the reserve for all repressed sexual desires, which amounts to pathological, or mental illness. As such, Sigmund Freud asserted that a person could only establish how to live happily and recover from mental illness by exploring the unconscious (De Silva, 1992). On the contrary, Carl Jung was of the view that the unconscious was independent on its own for entirety. More so, Jung claimed that mental illness does not refer to pathology but an unconscious control of emotions and reserved experience that tend towards individuation (Jung, 1938). In addition, Carl Jung initiated the notion of and believed in archetypes, mental facilities that play a major role in developing images of certain things (Jung, 1938). Notably, Sigmund Freud proposed that mental illness and neurotic behavior emanate from unpleasant or traumatic events that occur during early childhood, which faced suppression or repression from the conscious mind. In fact, he even derived a theory ascertaining that the unconscious mind used symbolism to communicate repressed thoughts and emotions in human beings. However, despite their differences on the concepts of mental health and religion, their theories about the unconscious mind still plays a huge role in supporting psychoanalysis and deriving our understanding of human behavior. As such, their contribution to religion and mental health is still important. References Cowgil, C. (1997). Carl Jung. Retrieved from: http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/jung.htm De Silva, P. (1992). Buddhist and Freudian Psychology. Singapore: NUS Press. Freud, S. (2012).The Future of an Illusion. Peterborough: Broadview Press. Jung. C. (1938). Psychology and Religion. New Haven: Yale University Press. Thornton, S. (2010). Sigmund Freud (1856—1939). Retrieved from: http://www.iep.utm.edu/freud/#H5 Verghese, A. (2008). Spirituality and mental health. Indian J Psychiatry 50(4): 233–237. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Mental Health and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Mental Health and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/psychology/1487096-mental-health-and-religion
(Mental Health and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
Mental Health and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1487096-mental-health-and-religion.
“Mental Health and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1487096-mental-health-and-religion.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Mental Health and Religion

Post-structuralism, Critical Realism and Materialism in Relation to Mental Health Disorders

mental health disorder is a symptom of social distress (Uhlmann 1999).... The class differences in mental health can be explained through four approaches (Marmot & Wilkinson 1999).... The post-structuralism theory is said to contribute to improvement in mental health.... Failure to meet the expectations leads to an active process of mental and overall health instability.... Societal inequalities can have a direct impact to the health of individuals....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Role of Professional Nurse in Relation with the Mental Health of Alcohol Abusers

hellip; Traditionally the public health care issues of child health and maternity are given the majority of importance.... The main aim is evidently to improve the community's health and provide healthy living standards (Olfson and Braham, 1992).... This results in increased alcohol consumption to the extent that mental health recovery becomes even more difficult.... he role of nursing in influencing the mental health of a great many people is highly important....
10 Pages (2500 words) Term Paper

Religion Does More Harm than Good

The author states that a religion plays such an important role that there just cannot be any other substitute for the same… The author concludes that a religion plays a fundamental role in the lives of the people and should be respected as such.... This is because the followers have a responsibility to not only respect their own religion but allow others to respect their own as well.... It is a good way of letting people live their lives as and how they wish to live it Giving respect to the followers of a religion and believing in one's own religion is the basis of knowing how and where this harmony can be enacted in essence (Morgan, 2005)....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Religion and Mortality in the US and Canada

It also evaluates how religion affects the physical and mental health of a person and on the basis of religious… The paper, with the help of previous literature, and statistical evidences prove that religion has dominant influence in mortality.... It unveils the role of religion in reducing mortality and disease.... The study also entails the role of the different religions and how US relates to Canada when it comes It evaluates the difference/similarities in the relation between religion and mortality in Canada when compared to the US....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Paper

Can Religion Improve Your Health

This paper analyses the role of religion in improving human health.... On the other hand, religion has answers to all these questions.... This paper analyses the role of religion in improving human health.... The results, published in the latest issue of Review of Religious Research the peer-reviewed journal of the Religious Research Association, show that loving God is a strong and significant factor determining perceptions of health, even after controlling for other social, psychological, and disease-related factors known to affect how people rate their health (Does religion Improve Your Health?...
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

The Relationship between Health, Healing, and Religion

This report "The Relationship between Health, Healing, and religion" sheds some light on the religion and healing that have a deep relation.... It can be said in the way, any religion is incomplete without adopting the techniques to maintain health.... In the Voodoo religion, the believers have believed that illness is caused due to the evil or bad spirits or sometimes spirits of the family members.... In the Kung religion, illness is caused by the dead Kung, the dead ancestor of a person, or sometimes gods penetrate the illness into the person (Kingsley 41)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Report

Post-structuralism, Critical Realism and Materialism in Relation to Mental Health Disorders

"Post-structuralism, Critical Realism and Materialism in Relation to mental health Disorders" paper states that social and health inequalities are a persistent feature in the world today.... nbsp; Critical realism and post-structuralism are increasingly being viewed as one of the methods of addressing mental health disorders.... Post-structural theorists indicate that mental health disorders are not fixed.... Post-structural analysts indicate that mental health disorders must take into account theoretical strands generated from health context (Marmot & Wilkinson 1999)....
6 Pages (1500 words) Article

Changes in the Provision of Mental Health Care

According to the World Health Organization (2005) mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or IntroductionMental health can be defined as a measure of emotional wellbeing or an absence of dysfunction in the mind.... According to the World Health Organization (2005) mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us