Psychoanalysis and religion: a continuing rapprochement?

Strawn, Brad D.

Marcus, Paul (2003).

Ancient Religious Wisdom, Spirituality, and Psychoanalysis. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers Hardcover. xii + 212pp. $59.95. ISBN 0-275-97452-9.

Paul Marcus is a supervising and training analyst for the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. He is the author of Autonomy in the Extreme Situation: Bruno Bettelheim, the Nazi Concentration Campus and the Mass Society (Praeger, 1999).

Psychoanalysis refuses to die. In spite of the Freud bashers, the complete disregard of contemporary psychoanalytic theory in undergraduate textbooks, the pressure of managed care and graduate schools' focus on empirically validated treatment models, psychoanalysis appears to be entering an exciting new phase: new research in cognitive psychology, infant studies, and trauma support long-held psychoanalytic concepts (e.g., the unconscious, defenses, dissociation, the importance of early childhood experiences, etc.). Within its own circles, new varieties of psychoanalytic theory (e.g., Intersubjectivity theory, Relational psychoanalysis) offer new opportunities to interface with contemporary philosophy, sociology, and literature and gender studies. And as the discipline of psychology continues to open its doors to a renewed rapprochement with religion and spirituality, psychoanalysis is following suit. This is perhaps the most surprising advancement of all!

There have always been prominent psychoanalytic thinkers who have grappled with religion in positive ways (e.g., Loewald, Winnicott, Guntrip, Rizzuto, Meissner, Fromm), but the typical clinical psychoanalyst has been prone to pathologize religion as either a punitive superego or as a defense against drive derivatives a la Freud. Yet the publication of several new books (Schermer, 2003; Sorenson, 2004) suggests that psychoanalysts are starting to believe that religion may actually have something to offer psychoanalysis.

It is in this spirit that Ancient Religious Wisdom, Spirituality, and Psychoanalysis is written. Paul Marcus begins with the assumption that psychoanalysis as a theory and a practice is in crisis. He believes that a major reason is that many patients coming for psychotherapy are suffering from a kind of spiritual malaise.

Such persons are looking for a way out of their everyday way of being in
the world, one that is mainly directed by a restrictive scientism,
materialism, and consumerism that estranges them from the humanizing
issues of meaning, morality, and truth, which are the focus of the great
religious traditions. (p. 2)

These patients are looking for self-transformation and self-transcendence, two concepts, which Marcus believes, are beautifully described in the religions of the world. He is therefore interested in using the wisdom from these traditions for the benefit of psychoanalysis rather than psychoanalyzing religious experience. And he is concerned that unless psychoanalysis can speak to this spiritual malaise, it may be found wanting, or even worse, irrelevant.

Ancient Religious Wisdom, Spirituality, and Psychoanalysis hinges on three primary assumptions. First, a spiritual quest is a fundamental human activity. Second, psychoanalysis has become controlled by the "natural science-oriented psychiatric and psychological disciplines" (p. 4) separating it from the spiritual, ethical, and moral. Third, psychoanalysis must engage with other traditions (i.e., religion and spirituality) if it hopes to continue to make progress as a discipline and not become extinct. With large numbers of North Americans claiming to have some form of religion or spirituality, a secular psychoanalysis is left bereft to help these patients unless it becomes spiritually attuned. The goal of the book, therefore, is to examine eight religious traditions to glean their insights and examine their significance for the practice of psychoanalysis.

The individual who is interested in psychoanalysis and comparative religious studies is sure to enjoy this read. Marcus examines Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and includes what he calls a "Greco-Roman Interlude" where he examines Stoicism. He primarily works with one great piece of literature from each of these religions as representative of that tradition. He therefore runs the risk of overgeneralization and of not including contemporary versions/interpretations of each tradition. Yet, he seems aware of the limitations of his choices and carefully limits his conclusions appropriately.

Marcus draws implications for psychoanalysis throughout each chapter as he explores and explicates each religious tradition. The chapters were not originally intended for a book and therefore each is bit of a "stand alone." But the reader begins to see common threads between the religious worldviews and how Marcus views the insights of these traditions and their potential positive implications for psychoanalysis. One of these threads is Marcus' contention that the traditions share a common vision of the "good life" as including a de-centering from the self, or in psychoanalytic terms a reduction in narcissism. This reduced self-focus allows for the emergence of a "for-the-other" focus. This "for-the-other" focus is not an end in itself but one of the major ways in which one comes to experience a transcendent reality beyond oneself and to even "... actualize the ideal relationship, namely, between man and God ..." (p. 192). He argues that psychoanalysis has not been explicit enough about this "for-the-other" focus. Some other common themes that Marcus believes have positive implications for psychoanalysis include development of an anthropocosmic viewpoint (i.e., seeing oneself as part of the whole universe), the importance and benefit of ethical living, development of a self-reflective capacity, deconstruction of unhealthy dichotomies (e.g., self and other), surrender of the need to control, resignation without despair, and perseverance in the face of suffering.

In the final chapter of the book, Marcus makes some suggestions for a spiritually animated psychoanalysis. For example, a de-centering of the ego and the developing of a "for-the-other" focus would include acts of altruism and forgiveness. This means that a psychoanalyst may find ways to creatively communicate to a patient that indeed acts of service and forgiveness are important parts of what it means to be a healthy human and important elements in the "good life," finding meaning, and even transcendence. I believe he is implicitly arguing that a psychoanalysis informed by the wisdom of religious traditions may be a means for virtue acquisition. Important in this pursuit is how analysts view reality and transcendence. Marcus hopes that analysts can come to experience transcendence not as illusory but as a life-giving force and develop a "... more sophisticated, nuanced and less reductionistic spiritual hermeneutics, one that acknowledges that the mind fundamentally has a spiritual cast" (p. 195).

Marcus states that he is primarily operating from a Freudian perspective and although he acknowledges other more contemporary versions of psychoanalysis he does not use them to creatively accomplish his goal for a more sophisticated and nonreductive spiritual hermeneutic. Two excellent examples of this feat being accomplished are Religion and Psychology in Transition: Psychoanalysis, Feminism, and Theology (Jones, 1996) where Object Relations and Self Psychology are employed, and the recent book Minding Spirituality (Sorenson, 2004), where Relational psychoanalysis is used. Marcus also leaves this reader somewhat disappointed in that he includes no case material to demonstrate what a spiritually animated psychoanalysis might look like in the therapy room. So, although he paints a theoretical skeleton of the approach, he adds no flesh to it. This is particularly important in psychoanalysis, because technique has historically defined what constitutes psychoanalytic treatment. These shortcomings aside, Ancient Religious Wisdom, Spirituality, and Psychoanalysis is a hopeful discourse in the further conversation between psychoanalysis, psychology and religion. It is a welcome reversal from applying the psychoanalytic lens to religious experience, to examining what religion has to offer psychoanalysis.

REFERENCES

Jones, J. W. (1996). Religion and psychology in transition: Psychoanalysis, feminism, and theology. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Schermer, V. L. (2003). Spirit and psyche: A new paradigm for psychology, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy. London: Jessica Kinglsey Publishers.

Sorenson, R. L. (2004). Minding spirituality. Hillsdale, NY: Analytic Press.

REVIEWERS FOR THIS ISSUE

GARDNER, LAURA MAE, DMin. Dr. Gardner currently serves as international personnel consultant and trainer for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Her previous assignment was International Vice President for Personnel for this organization. Prior to that she served for twelve years as director of the International Counseling Department for Wycliffe. She has ministered in many countries where this mission organization is served by its 6,000 members.

DODDS, LOIS A., Ph. D., is the co-founder and director of Heartstream Resources, Inc., specializing in the care of persons in cross-cultural ministry. Heartstream offers intensive care residential programs, courses in missionary care, retreats, and consulting for missions.

STRAWN, BRAD D., PhD, is Associate Professor and Chair of the Psychology department at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California. He is a licensed clinical psychologist, maintains a clinical practice, and is a candidate in the psychoanalytic psychotherapy program at the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute in La Jolla, California.

Reviewed by BRAD D. STRAWN, Ph.D.