Description
Jungian analysts Vlado Šolc and George J. Didier set out to explore the psychological dynamics and causes of religious fundamentalism and fanaticism. The book offers an in-depth-psychological analysis of what happens when a person becomes possessed by the unconscious energies of the Self
Dark Religion also reveals that spirituality is an inherent dimension of human life and one of its most essential needs. It only becomes “dark” when it denies, ignores, or separates itself from its vital roots.
The authors coin the term “dark religion” to describe all forms of fanatical, radical and extreme religions. Their study shows how dark religion leads to profound conflicts on both the personal and cultural level—including terrorism and wars.
Dark Religion surveys the vast contemporary cultural and religious landscapes. All the while discovering the emergent forms of spiritual praxis in light of postmodernism and the rise of fundamentalism in the new millennium.
Murray Stein, Ph.D., author of Outside, Inside and All Around
Table of Contents
Foreword v
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Chapter I Religion: A Depth Psychology Perspective 1
Functions of Religion 3
Religious Extremism is Potentially Dangerous 4
The Numinosum and the Development of Religion 5
Psyche is Real 8
Questions 10
Chapter II The Emergent Dispensation and Third Millennium Spirituality 15
The Task of the Postmodern World 16
Spiritual But Not Religious 18
Spirituality and Its Commercialization 19
Fundamentalism Across All Disciplines 21
Religion As The Fabric of Human Life 23
Chapter III Archetypal Processes and Phenomena of Religion in Jungian Theory 27
Religio 27
The Numinosum 33
Creed 45
Relatonship Between Creed and Ritual 54
Spirituality 66
Chapter IV The Emerging Psychological Dispensation 87
The Reality of The Psyche 89
Spirit of The Depths 91
Soul: The Sacred Space Shared Between Religion and Depth Psychology 94
Relationship to Soul 96
God and Soul 97
Jung’s Experience of Soul 99
Soul and Sexuality: The Gateway to The Self 102
The Language of The Soul 107
A Psychospiritual Dispensation 108
Psyche and Religion 111
The Evoluton of Religion and The Psychological Dispensation 112
The Religious Dispensation 115
Fear Of One’s Self 122
Continuing Incarnation 128
Complexio Oppositorum 129
Chapter V Analytcal Psychology and the Dynamics of Extreme Religion 135
Delineation of the Concept of Strong Religion in Jungian Psychology 135
Concept of One-Sidedness In Jungian Psychology 141
The Inferior Function: A Typological Aspect of Extreme Religion 161
Possession and Inflation 174
Family Complexes and the Development of Religious Extremism 185
Jung’s Take on Privato Boni Doctrine 217
Chapter VI The Phenomenology of the Extreme Religion 225
Fundamentalism Project: An Analytical Perspective 225
Chapter VII Theocalypsis and Theonemesis 283
Theocalypsis 283
Theonemesis: The Consequence of possession by the Self 328
Chapter VIII The Process of Change 359
Epilogue: Psychological parallels of Odysseus’ Mythical Journey 382
A Postscript: Personal Journey and Experience Of the New (Psychological) Dispensation 385
The Conclusion and Summary 397
Bibliography 407
Index 423
About the Authors 439
dlukovich –
As a newbie depth psychology PhD, I find Dark Religion to be a uniquely comprehensive presentation of Jungian theory on religion and individuation. Dense academic language is brought to life through examples of relatable lived experiences, and the authors offer a conscious and respectful examination of the conditions and circumstances in which an unhealthy relationship with religion forms, often leading to stunted development of one’s personality and morality. Rather than being left with a feeling of diminishment or dismissal of religion, this book reinforces the need to respect the religious/spiritual instinct that seems to be part of what it means to be human. The void left as traditional religious traditions are unable to remain relevant to more and more people is unfortunately aggressively filled by fundamentalist and radical forms of religion that effectively calm the real fears of many. Finding a religion of one’s own for those, like me, who identify as spiritual but not religious, may as Edinger predicts, eventually emerge in the collective as a new God-image. I feel dread at how long this may take given current events. While the authors offer individuation and Jungian analysis as a framework for consciously coming into relationship with the personal and collective unconscious, this framework needs to be made accessible NOW, and not just through a therapy relationship.