"The psychologist, in as much as he assumes a scientific attitude, has to disregard the claim of every creed to be the unique and eternal truth. He must keep his eye on the human side of the religious problem, in that he is concerned with the original religious experiences quite apart from what the creeds have made of it." -- Jung, Psychology and Religion
Some members of the navel tribe, of the two-legged clan, have wider and deeper awareness, experiences of consciousness, than others. They zoom out from the reptilian/ mammalian brain, the logic-bound ratio-nal brain, and conventional consciousness to unexpected, unexplored realms.
Some of those reporting back have creeds develop around them. Religions are formed. The creeds attempt to not only preserve the original experience by the savant, but to duplicate it. This is fine, as far as it goes, but one has to remember that this creed is developed by fellow humans.
At some point in one's spiritual journeying, one has to burst the creedal amniotic sac, stop floating in that safe haven, and be born(e) into wider, deeper realms. To switch metaphors, one has to drop the training wheels.
This is also true for any "secular" creed. Rather than remaining imprisoned within a thought structure, one goes beyond, continuously opening to the beyond.
How many times have I returned to this theme in my postings! And yet it seems to me that the biggest threat to the planet and human species is small and rigid thinking. We must evolve in consciousness or die. The evolution of consciousness is not just some vague unfolding over eons, but has a stochastic component, in which each of us sheds our comfortable fundamentalism (secular and religious) and leaps into more inclusive realms.
[Note to myself: Do not mention this matter on this blog ever again.]
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George--Thank you so much for posting this quote from Jung. It sums up the dilemma for the psychologist in needing to validate the client's religious experiences, avoiding either validating the underlying doctrine or totally dismissing the client's experience. Thanks. Steve
ReplyDeleteYes, Steve, I have been acquainted with some psychologists who try to push their own value system on the client, and some clients who want someone of their particular creed so as to explore only within those bounds. The former seem unethical; the latter unadventurous.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, I hope you ignore the "note to myself". If our consciousness is to continue to evolve, we need little nudges along the way and your posts are beautiful, fun little nudges. Littlegeezer.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mister Littlegeezer Sir. I'm just trying to cut back on being preachy and redundant. We'll see if it is possible. Thank you for you.
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