Religion and psychology, in general, have similar features in terms of what goals they have in relation to human life. Religion, in particular, is a source of meaning for many people and also gives them a sense of security. At the same time, psychology pursues the same goal but uses different means to eliminate a person’s negative feelings. It is also important that religion and psychology help people better understand themselves and the world around them. Religion has a place in psychological theory, but scientists criticize this phenomenon as an anti-scientific manifestation.
Sigmund Freud paid the greatest attention to religion in the framework of psychological research, sharply criticizing the inclination of patients to religiosity. In particular, he wrote that “religion is an illusion, and it derives its strength from its readiness to fit in with our instinctual wishful impulses” (as cited in Cherry, 2020). Thus, the researcher contrasted religion and psychology as positive and negative phenomena. According to Freud, religion acts for a person as an illusion of calmness, which masks psychological problems and leads to gradual aggravation. Psychoanalysis emphasizes that religion is like childhood neurosis, which will certainly pass with the maturation of the personality (Cherry, 2020). Thus, religion is considered in psychological theory as an unfounded illusion and not a tool for psychological knowledge.
Religion, although similar to psychology in terms of the goals that these practices achieve, differs in one key aspect. Religion is an instrument of collective consciousness, which appeared during the course of civilizations’ development. The psychological theory deals with questions of individual human consciousness, which are of natural origin. This difference marks an insurmountable contradiction between religion and psychology, which does not allow them to be parts of each other.
Reference
Cherry, K. (2020). Sigmund Freud’s theories about religion. VerywellMind. Web.