Jeremy Alvarez5 said:Alright, here we go. This thread is basically about the intersection of mental illness and religion—so half psychology, half theology. I guess I wonder if any actual scientists have ever dared to dig into whether specific types of mental disorders correlate with specific religions. Like, has anyone actually published data showing that a certain percentage of people with a particular condition belong to a certain faith?
It seems pretty clear that religion can be a really effective tool when helping people recover from addiction. You see it in those communities where they combine intense physical labor with prayer and deep religious conviction...
I’m honestly fascinated by this whole topic. I’d be super grateful for any thoughts you guys have, or even just some links or book recommendations if you know of anything good out there.
So, looking at Carl Gustav Jung, born in 1875, who went to boarding school in San Francisco, studied medicine, worked at a psychiatric hospital, taught at a university, and ran his own private practice. He had that whole complicated relationship with Sigmund Freud 🙂, developed his theories on personality, traveled around studying the traditions, history, and rituals of various tribes across Africa, the Americas, and India. He wrote about twenty books, including "Answer to job" [referring to the biblical figure, not a career job], and passed away in 1961. Interestingly, once he hit his 80s, he started working with a biographer who mentioned in her preface that he truly believed religious conviction plays a vital role in treating mental illness.
That leads me to my big question: if faith is so crucial for healing, could it also be a deciding factor in how these conditions develop in the first place?
Three, two, one... let's hear it!
PS
Since Jeremy Alvarez5 managed to kick off that discussion on suicide over in the philosophy section, which naturally flowed into spirituality and psychology, I was thinking it would be cool if this thread eventually made its way over there too. Ideally, I'd love to see this become a sort of grand tour through philosophy, religion, and spirituality—maybe even ending up in the history section down the road. Personally, I jump between all those subforums, but since some of the most interesting people I talk to here only tend to post where they feel most comfortable 🙂, maybe the mods could encourage them more? Maybe give them more space to speak up, share photos, or even memes and debates 😢. That way, I won't have to feel like a nuisance by reposting the same topic across every single board under different titles and trying to twist things to suit my own agenda, which—if I'm being honest—is something I tend to do. 🙂 Cheers to the hardworking moderators. 🙏 😍
It is my firm belief that this approach is misguided, primarily because I view religion in this context as nothing more than
a surrogate for the drug itself. Someone once famously remarked that religion is the opium of the people, a sentiment I agree with
unreservedly; I believe that using religion as a therapeutic tool is merely substituting one addiction for another. Whether it is humanitarian work,
animal rescue, or even sports, these activities often function as mere substitutes for dependency.
Addiction cannot be cured simply through a sudden spiritual conversion.
Religion and spirituality are matters toward which a human being should naturally gravitate by
instinct, rather than utilizing them as a tool to rectify past misconduct.
THERE IS NO PENANCE. We cannot undo the mistakes made in our lives through any action; we can only
accept them exactly as they are.
In any case, it is a fascinating subject. 👍
The literature I have studied regarding this matter consists of a small amount of Jung and a great deal of Peck.
I find myself short on time at this moment, but I will certainly continue to follow the development of this discussion.