The pathology of beliefs and the beliefs of pathology.

Meissner, W. W.

doi:10.1037/10199-009

Cited by 32 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 7 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…From an object relations perspective there has been tremendous advancement beyond what Meissner (1996) calls Freud's "agnostic and pessimistic outlook" (p. 241). Many of the object relations theorists are themselves explicitly committed to a faith tradition (see Beit-Hallahmi, 1992) and see no inherent conflict between psychological (even psychoanalytic) and religious perspectives.…”

Section: The Turn To Spiritualitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Affect, Religion, and Unconscious Processes

Hill¹,

Hood²

1999

Journal of Personality

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After a brief review of the central and organizing role of affect in both personality and religion, the bridge between psychoanalytic and contemporary cognitive perspectives of the unconscious is investigated, with a special focus on an affectively based experiential component as outlined in Epstein's (1973Epstein's ( , 1993Epstein's ( , 1994 Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (CEST) model. Four basic needs postulated by CEST are applied to religious experience: the need to manage pleasure and pain, the need for a coherent conceptual system, the need for self-esteem, and the need for relatedness. The last of these four needs is explored in detail from an object relations perspective that expands Freud's religion-as-illusion concept. It is maintained that an object relations approach contributes much to an understanding of a process-oriented spirituality, though it cannot appropriately speak to religious truth claims. This article focuses on the relationship between affect and religious experience, with a special focus on the unconscious and with implications for the study of personality-broad constructs each with their own conceptual ambiguities and large, self-contained literatures. When dealing with such broad constructs, it is difficult to determine for analysis

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Section: The Turn To Spiritualitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Affect, Religion, and Unconscious Processes

Hill¹,

Hood²

1999

Journal of Personality

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“…Irvin Yalom was a close consultant in VITA's design stage, particularly concerning how to work with narrative material and existential issues in psychodynamic group therapy focused on "here and now." We also drew from knowledge and insights about what fosters changes in maladaptive belief systems (Meissner, 1996) and affect organization (Tomkins, 1987, Nathanson, 1996, McCullough-Vaillant, 1994Schore 1994, Monsen, 1996. …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Persecuting God and the Crucified Self: The Case of Olav and the Transformation of His Pathological Self-Image

Stålsett

Engedal

Austad

2010

PCSP

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This case study describes the treatment of "Olav," a divorced lawyer in his mid-30's, who, at the time of treatment, had been continuously hospitalized in closed, short-term psychiatric wards for more than seven years with severe treatment-resistant depression, transient psychotic episodes, self-destructive behavior, suicide attempts, and Axis II diagnoses of Borderline and Paranoid Personality Disorders, with narcissistic traits. He was about to be admitted to a long-term ward for chronic schizophrenics. A great deal of his psychopathology revolved around his feeling tortured from condemning inner voices of what he called "The Committee," which he believed were the sacred voices of God. Olav's treatment took place in our institution's "VITA" unit, a 12-week, group-based, residential day-treatment program that explicitly concentrates on existential and religious issues, and is based on principles drawn from existential, narrative, object relations, and affect theories. The VITA program includes diary-writing, affect consciousness exploration, individual therapy, and regular group sessions with such activities as mindfulness training; art therapy focusing on drawing or painting internal representations of self, father, mother, and God; reflection on existential issues; "here-and-now-oriented" psychodynamic group therapy; and physical exercise. An assessment battery of standardized, quantitative, clinical questionnaires documents Olav's dramatic improvement over the course of treatment and at one-year follow-up. CASE CONTEXT AND METHODHistorically, religious belief as a part of a patient's mental health treatment has not been given the attention it deserves, and the patient's relationship to God is often a neglected issue in psychotherapy (e.g., Rizzuto, 1979;Shafranske, 1992). Rizzuto's (1979) research 30 years ago demonstrated the psychological significance of the individual's representations of God for psychic health and sickness. Many patients state that religious belief is an important part of their life (Bergin, 1991). Recently a journal, Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, has been established by the American Psychological Association, and other developments in the field have shown a gradually increasing focus on religious issues in psychotherapy (e.g., Rizzuto, 1979;Meissner, 1984;Shafranske, 1992; Sperry & Shafranske, 2005;Silverstein, 2008). Nevertheless, there is a long way to go in learning how to address systematically religious belief and related affects in psychiatric treatment. The present case is intended as a contribution to this ongoing development. A. The Rationale for Selecting This Particular Patient for StudyA patient we will call "Olav" had a severe, long-standing, treatment-resistant depression linked to religious pathology, with psychotic episodes and suicidal behavior. This case was chosen to demonstrate how our institution's "VITA" model (Austad & Folleso, 2003; see below) could impact on severe pathology as well as personality structure, affect organization, and inner r...

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“…Nevertheless, the Halacha and the social and community norms still have a major influence on the religious perception of the individual and they play a part in the awakening of guilt feelings (Meissner, 1996). The rabbi plays a significant part in the life of each person, and his role includes giving permission for going to therapy.…”

Section: Guilt About Being In Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Greenberg and Witztum (2001) have written about psychiatric treatment in the Haredi community, while Cohen and Gereboff (2004) have written in a more pluralistic vein about the meeting between psychoanalysis and Judaism. Lack of flexibility, an internalized rigidity, which became a structural part of the patient's personality (Meissner, 1996), creates a sense of guilt. This holds true even in cases where the rabbi instructed the particular person to come to psychotherapy.…”

Section: Guilt About Being In Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Centrality of Guilt: Working with Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Patients in Israel

Hess

2014

Am J Psychoanal

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The ultra-orthodox Jewish (Haredi) community in Israel is characterized by strict observance of the requirements of orthodox Jewish life. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy within this community brings us into contact with guilt as a central emotion throughout the therapeutic process. The exposure to new concepts, ways of thought and a previously unknown space, together with increased awareness of internal wishes and drives, are experienced as forbidden areas that arouse an awakening of conscience and a sense of guilt. The author's cases illustrate these conflicts.

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The pathology of beliefs and the beliefs of pathology.

Cited by 32 publications

References 7 publications

Affect, Religion, and Unconscious Processes

Affect, Religion, and Unconscious Processes

The Persecuting God and the Crucified Self: The Case of Olav and the Transformation of His Pathological Self-Image

The Centrality of Guilt: Working with Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Patients in Israel

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