Catholicism and Psychology

There seems to be similarities between Catholicism and Psychology,
(e.g. both are intended to help people be happier),
What are some other similarities?

(There were psychological theorists (Adler, Freud,...), who were atheists.)

 

I'd say there's a total similarity... You can't separate psychology from a religion. Psychotherapy...well confession definitely resembles that. But I don't think it would really be helpful to be exposed in such a secretive way. The emphasis being on the secret.

 

Catholizism+psychology=

 

The en vogue forms of psychology mainly physical psych and neuropsych are nothing like catholiscism or any religion.

 

I'd rather focus on the differences

 

I don't see Catholicism making people happier, the Catholics I know grew up frightened.

 

^ Yeah, they haven't coined the term "Catholic guilt" for nothing

 

Yeah, to the OP you need to define what branch of Psychology, Psychotherapy, or Psychiatry you mean. Developmental psych has almost nothing to do with this.

It is pretty obvious I am a Catholic, so I am coming at this from a particular perspective. Some theorists have suggested that all people have a need for some sort of therapy, and that religion originated as a mean to fill this void as neonspectral--- implied.

Also, there have definetly been those priests, bioshops, brothers, and sisters that have acted very negatively (and even what some would consider heretically) towards nearly every action. I think guilt does have a place within Catholicism specifically (and Christinity in general) when it comes to sin and God. The Jews describe the "fear of the Lord", which could be rephrased the trembling from the awe and mystery of the mighty power of God. Fear has become a negative thing which in its original context meant a deep respect. If God has the power to carry out our own condemnation by our commitment to sin, then we should be a little fearful.

Catholic guilt in the common sense, in some cases, may be Scrupulosity, which is a disorder in which one is constantly guilt ridden from perceived sins or wrongdoings. From the Catholic perspective, true freedom comes from freeing ourselves from sin, to which we are slaves. We shouldn't feel "guilty", but contrite, which although comes from teh Latin which means "crushed by guilt" has the connotation of remorse and sorrow out of love for God (perfect contrition) rather than fear of Hell (imperfect contrition).

 

I tried Hagiotherapy and I found it very helpful.

Edit: That was kind of off topic

 

Piaf, do you mean the methods of Tomislav Ivančić, or the method of healing physical and mental ailments through prayer and devotion to relics?

 

Prof. Ivančić
I've also been meaning to go to his lectures, but I've just been so busy.

 

Is it "pretty obvious" that Silvio Berlusconi believes in catholicism?

All contradictions are valid?

What are the guiding concepts of physical psych and neuropsych?

Why?

 

The guiding concepts of physical psych and neuropsych are the scientific method.

 

sorry about that stupid joke


Maybe I should contribute something more serious- are you familiar with CG Jung psychology and his writings about catholicism? I remember having read "psychologie and religion" by him as well as "response to Job" about 20 years ago, very passionate! I think there is a lot of very inspiring insights in his writings about psychology/religion.

 

Because the Church really has no opinion whether or not people learn through Piagetian or Vygotskyian development.

 

Existence is the guiding concept of reason (a thing can not be what it is not).
Would you say reason is a guiding concept of the scientific method?

No problem.

This is one problem I have with Jung's psychology...

I consider happiness as "good," and not "evil."
And I try to follow something I consider "good," and not "evil."
Therefore, I see a hierarchical and distinct relationship between "good" and "evil."

I believe in something beyond the good that is materially seen (e.g. an ideal (perfection) of justice or an ideal of goodness).
By conscientious objection, I am released from an evil authority by following the higher authority of justice or goodness.
Ideally, conscientious objection would not bring suffering, but due to the world as it is, it is often unavoidable.

I haven't read the books you cited, what are the similarities between CG Jung psychology and Catholicism?

What do you like about CG Jung psychology?

Why would that make a difference?

 

Reason is a guiding concept of the scientific method...

Possibly I'm jumping the gun but it seems you are trying to make some slippery slope regression back to catholiscism but If that's so and we both agree on existence being a guiding concept for reason and reason being one for the scientific method why not just make this thread about the similarities between science and catholiscism ?

 

It has been about 20 years that I read those 2 CG Jung books so I cant tell you exactly, its worth reading however because I think a lot of his writings are very inspiring. Whenever I read CG Jung I get after that a very creative phase where I write lots of poems lol that happens to me with no other author, I dont even understand exactly what triggers it...

 

Psychological theories don't try to use reason as a tool to explain their theories?
Even if it turns out that their reasoning is faulty?

Like Berlusconi, CG Jung was a wealthy mason,
So if you remember, I'd like to know.

Music and Art education teach that,
Contrast is a guiding concept for "good" art.
Even 12-tone music, which is very erratic and chaotic sounding music,
Requires following some of the most strict rules of correctness.
"Good" art is always a movement toward a sense of goodness.
Artists may reject what seems to us to be "good" art,
Because they are guided by a sense of perfection.

When you say that you are "inspired,"
You are inspired from what to what?

 

You must have a very limited understanding of psychology. It seems to me you are a making a generalization of psychoanalytic psychology (I.e. Freud, Jung) to be the whole scope of psychological theories.

Take classical conditioning, an example you ring a bell to a dog and present it food to which it salivates to. After enough repeated exposure of the pairing simply ringing the bell conditions the dog to salivate without presenting the food. Its reasonable to think that the dog associates bell ringing with food. That's very basic psychological theory, well within reason and testable through the scientific method.

You can do the same stuff with operant conditioning in humans with money. You reward a human with money in a job to reinforce certain behaviors at work. You reward your pet dolphin with food to reinforce the cool flip you want it to do.

If someone is hooked up to an e.e.g or another form of brain imaging that measures electrical impulses in the brain and they are asked to do a task involving complex thinking and the machine highlights a bunch of activity going off in the front portion of the brain, Its reasonable to think that the frontal lobe is responsible for that type of thinking/planning.