A Synthesis-Consensus of Carl Jung, Viktor Frankl, William James, and Emile Durkheim
Setting the Stage: The Synthesis-Consensus of Jung, Frankl, and James
"Spirit" and Spiritual Processes Create Meaning and a Sense [or senses] of Reality
It appears readily apparent from my research that the three "best" theories that properly addressed the "spiritual" aspect of spiritual and religious beliefs were developed by Carl Jung, Viktor Frankl, and William James. What makes that remarkable is that Jung, Frankl, and James each had their own spiritual experience. It was well known that Carl Jung had a “spiritual guide” who he referred to as Philemon who was a source of inspiration and creativity for him. As Tom Butler-Bowdon observed about William James, “Inserted into the text of The Varieties of Religious Experience is the mention of a man who managed to save himself from insanity by anchoring his mind to powerful statements from the Bible. It so happens that this person, referred to as a 'French correspondent', was the author himself.” Viktor Frankl, as a prisoner of a Nazi concentration camp told a tale of how one time when he and fellow prisoners were on a forced work party on a very bitterly cold evening, Frankl felt a euphoric state of universal love overwhelm him.
It seems by implication that their experiences helped them understand some of the basic principles about spirituality. Carl Jung’s seems, apparently, to have realized that “spirit” [spiritual processes] are autonomous unconscious processes with a capability to over-ride the ego similar to how the conscience can over-ride the ego. As Butler-Bowden observed, “James' conclusion was that a state of faith could transform a life utterly, even though what is believed strictly speaking may not exist. Religion can genuinely heal a person, integrating what before was fragmented.” That is James argued that spiritual and religious experiences can create a sense of reality.
Carl Jung: "Spirit gives meaning to his [man's] life" - Carl Jung, a psychoanalyst and contemporary of Sigmund Freud, couldn't have been clearer or more succinct when he made that simple but profound statement. (CW8:643) Jung observed, in the Collected Works (CW8: 648 -1968 revised) that “Life and spirit are two powers or necessities between which man is placed. Spirit gives meaning to his life, and the possibility of its greatest development. But life is essential to spirit, since its truth is nothing if it cannot live.” This is consistent with Jung’s strongly expressed belief that experiences are a primary influence on a person’s beliefs. In a remarkably parallel viewpoint William Gould observes that Viktor Frankl, who also believed human beings have "spirit," argued that "Meaning analysis is based on three essential premises: the freedom of will; the will to meaning, and the meaning of life." (p.42 Frankl: Life...) Here again “Spirit” appears to be moderated or influenced by both “life” and “will” – so the over-simplistic statement that “spirit creates meaning and a sense of reality has several other significant forces influencing it.
Viktor Frankl: Paul Wong elaborates on Viktor Frankl's views regarding the nature and characteristics of spiritual or noetic (from nous)processes in the mind "in the following quotation: "The noetic (spiritual, specifically human) dimension contains such qualities as our will to meaning [Frankl's central concept of the human being's primary drive] our goal orientation, ideas and ideals, creativity, imagination, faith, love that goes beyond the physical, a conscience beyond the superego, self-transcendence, commitments, responsibility, a sense of humor, and the freedom of choice making. The human dimension is the medicine chest of the logotherapist. Patients are made aware that they have these rich resources of health within." (Fabry 1994 pp.18-19) (p.156) Dr. Farra, who also uses Frankl as a guiding light observes that as Frankl pointed out, "we don’t make up Meaning - rather, we Discover it! It is woven into our genetic codes and the unique circumstances of our lives (which we have very little control over). As we discover our purposes, and we begin to fulfill our unique vocations/missions in life, everything else starts falling into perspective!"
As a point of information, Paul Wong notes that, like many other modern day existentialist and positive psychologists, “Park (2007) regards religion and spirituality as meaning systems.” (p. 156) One could infer then that like Frankl, Park would agree that spiritual processes would be involved in meaning creation.
William James: “They [abstractions (symbols) and spiritual emotions-experiences] determine our vital attitude as decisively as the vital attitude of lovers is determined by the habitual sense, …… They are convincing to those who have them as any direct sensible experiences can be, and they are, as a rule, much more convincing than results established by mere logic are……if you do have them, and have them at all strongly, the probability is that you cannot help regarding them as genuine perceptions of truth, as revelations of a kind of reality [my underlining] which no adverse argument, however unanswerable by you in words, can expel from your belief" is what William James emphasizes in his classic work, originally published in 1902, The Varieties of Religious Experiences. (P.47) William James goes on to say that religious experiences and spiritual experiences create and generate a “sense of reality” (p.48)
Reflections: "Spirit" and spiritual beliefs are prevalent in every major religion, in one form or another, but especially in the Gospel of John, spirit and truth and the inter-connection is frequently highlighted. Jesus Christ stated unequivocally that "Spirit is Truth" (John 5:6) - which is remarkably parallel to Jung's observations about spirit, truth, and life.
Commentary:
The Psychology of Religion is actually a contradiction of terms. Psychology focuses on the individual and the person. Much of psychology is directed at helping people cope, give them worldviews, and perhaps even "enlightenment!" That is an excellent endeavor and a productive activity.
That being said, "religion" is focused on community, relationships, hierarchy, and rituals which are all group-related activities. Carl Jung in the 1930's observed that the scientific-materialist emphasis on physiological-quantifiable-measurement doctrine marginalizes critical concepts and ideas such as good and evil or right and wrong - as Einstein rightly pointed out. For that reason mainstream psychology abandoned the larger part of spiritual and religious beliefs due to that fact.
When it comes to an individual it is very difficult to definitely prove specific characteristics in part due to the complexity of the individual (there is a study of one of the personality theories which has shown that to a degree the categories are artificial and invalid). However when it comes to sociology which encompasses tens of thousands of years of religious and spiritual beliefs. To paraphrase the physicist Josephson, many scientists (and many Christians as well in my view) get hung up on the "supernatural" aspect of spiritual and religious beliefs.
If you set aside the "supernatural aspect and focus on the beliefs and the function, then there are tons of evidence - such as the prehistoric spiritual beliefs in stone worship which lasted from the mesolithic age to the bronze age and was universal throughout human cultures in the world and was present on every continent. Not many psychologists would be interested in stone worship or spiritual beliefs in animal spirits, the fact that spiritual and religious beliefs clearly were pivotal in building and creating social structure, then it is clear that the Synthesis-Consensus of Frankl, Jung, and James that "spirit" creates meaning is definitely true and a reality that psychologists should pay attention to.
Brief Summary of The Integrative Synthesis-Consensus: "Spirit" Creates Meaning
1. William James, in his classic work, the Varieties of Religious Experiences, convincingly demonstrated that "spiritual experiences create a "sense of reality." It is rather obvious when you read James' descriptions of peoples' experiences then see James' descriptions of the peoples' religious-spiritual beliefs - or sense of reality. Furthermore, there are some existential studies which show that do support the idea that spiritual beliefs - in certain circumstances, situations and with certain people - do create meaning. The synthesis of Viktor Frankl, Carl Jung, and William James that "spirit, spiritual processes, and religious beliefs create meaning, and a sense of reality, and ultimately - Meaning Structures, Reality, and Truth.
2. The idea of the Synthesis-Consensus that spirt and spiritual processes create meaning is actually very simple. Spiritual and religious beliefs have played a pivotal role in the history of humanity, and while they have shortcomings, religious and spiritual beliefs have played an absolutely vital and creative role and function in the emergence and 'rise' of humanity and the evolution of the human being. As Emile Durkheim rightly argued, religious and spiritual beliefs created the norms, laws, morality, and social structure of society.
In the end, the truth and vitality of an idea depends entirely on how one presents an idea or theory. Now, as Steve Clarke emphasizes in an article, Jonathon Haidt, in explaining Emile Durkheim, a founding father of sociology, "focuses on moral intuitions"
(2001, 2012),
and emphasizes "participation in religious communal activity" as opposed to the role of "belief," as well as the 'institution of morality.'
3 The New Integrative Approach changes the focus and emphasis of Durkheim's argument from morals to the fact that religious and spiritual beliefs create social ideals such as compassion, justice, righteousness, charity, and so on. Furthermore i feel it is necessary to highlight and emphasize that in the history of humanity the creation of compassion as an ideal which is pivotal principle and law in every major religion is a tremendous achievement for humanity. In my view, most 'Psychology of Religion' books do not pay proper attention to the significance of the social ideal of compassion in human society and history. So, in shifting the orientation of Durkheim's argument, even the briefest overview of human history shows that spiritual and religious beliefs were a very powerful-creative force in the development and evolution of human social structure and human consciousness.
Some "materialist" scientists only too often demand "proofs" of spirit and spirituality (like tens of thousands of years of human history in beliefs in spirituality are meaningless and irrelevant). Religious and spiritual beliefs have been a very powerful influence in human history, societies, and cultures for tens of thousands of years. So Human history contains volumes and volumes of how spiritual and religious beliefs have shaped and formed human societies and culture - volumes!
As a point of information, I should remark that none of the five 'Psychology of Religion' books I have had a reference to Carl Jung's statement that "Spirit gives meaning to [his] life." And the Psychology of Religion books also definitely did not have the Synthesis-Consensus that I outline here. Nor did any outline The argument originating from Durkheim's argument that religious and spiritual beliefs 'create society' that spiritual and religious beliefs create social ideals.
Paul Wong, a very reputable and well-known psychologist and author, after I approached him with a brief summary of my “New Approach,” looked over my brief summary, and made some thoughtful comments. Paul Wong observed that “Your approach is new in the sense of a broad-minded integrative approach , breaking down the artificial traditional divide between science and religious, or scientific psychology versus humanistic or psychoanalytic psychology.” He went on to suggest that a title of “A new integrative approach" would be suitable." In a nutshell, the argument the New Integrative Approach makes is that spirit, spiritual processes, and religious beliefs create meaning and a sense of reality, and ultimately Meaning Structures, Reality, and Truth.
Introduction
Emile Durkheim, a founding father of sociology back in his 1912 book, The Elementary Forms of Religious Life Durkheim emphasized that religious and spiritual beliefs create social ideals, such as Compassion, Truth, Justice, Equality, as well as Morality and Righteousness. These social ideals are pivotal principles and tenets, not only of every major religion, but also have become embedded in social norms and values in society, as well. Emile Durkheim, stated unequivocally that “Today we understand that law, morality, and scientific thought itself are born from religion, have long been confused with it, and remain imbued with its spirit.” (p62 el) Durkheim argues that religious and spiritual beliefs effectively gave birth to and created society. It would seem very self-evident, from even a precursory review of historical evidence which easily and readily reveals an absolute abundance – even over-abundance - of facts and evidence to support the argument that religious and spiritual beliefs [and spiritual processes] are involved in meaning-creation and the creation of social ideals!
Furthermore, there, also, happens to be a rather remarkable consensus among the psychologists, William James, Carl Jung, and Viktor Frankl that "spirit" and spiritual processes create meaning as well as a sense of reality. Viktor Frankl, Carl Jung, William James all agreed that spiritual processes create meaning and a sense of reality.
1. Carl Jung, a psychoanalyst and contemporary of Sigmund Freud, observed that "Spirit gives meaning to his [man's] life" (CW8:643)
2. William James emphasizes in his classic work, originally published in 1902, The Varieties of Religious Experiences that "They [spiritual experiences] determine our vital attitude as decisively as the vital attitude of lovers is determined by the habitual sense,..… (P.47) William James goes on to say that religious experiences and spiritual experiences create and generate a “sense of reality” (p.48)
3.Furthermore In the anthology, Meaning in Positive and Existential Psychology (2014), edited by Batthyany and Russo-Netzer, Paul Wong, the prominent positive-existential psychologist, observes: “Frankl considers meaning seeking as stemming from one’s spiritual nature.” (p.156) The argument that “Spirit” or spiritual processes create meaning, of course, dovetails into Durkheim's argument that religious and spiritual beliefs create norms and social ideals, and, in fact, society as well.
Spiritual-Religious Beliefs were Pivotal in the Development of Social Structure
If I had the opportunity to explain religious and spiritual beliefs to a young person of today, many of whom as the 2018 Barna study points out, feel that spirituality and religious beliefs are not relevant, I would first highlight that for tens of thousands of years, human beings have believed in spiritual and religious beliefs, and though spiritual and religious beliefs have a dark side, spiritual and religious beliefs are pivotal in human history and have made almost a countless number of very productive and beneficial accomplishments. The truth of it is that spiritual and religious beliefs, for better or worse, were pivotal in getting us to where we are today. that as Emile Durkheim emphasizes, spiritual and religious beliefs have played a vital role in the creation of the norms, values, morality, social ideals, and, in the end, society itself.
To realize the factual reality of Emile Durkheim's argument that spiritual and religious beliefs are pivotal in shaping and building societies and human culture, early human societies-tribes. Among 'traditional-primitive' tribes such as Native American or the Australian Aborigines and many others, had Totemic societies. The beliefs in animal spirits which during the hunter-gatherer stage constituted a powerful drive being, self-evidently, an evolutionary adaptive trait were then via transference made into powerful social-political symbols. That is, "Totems connect human societies to the surrounding world and allow humans to construct social hierarchies that mirror those observed in nature. Totems are most frequently animals though they may also (rarely) be a plant, or even inanimate objects or forces such as the sun, moon, rain, or thunder." ( Anthropology iresearch - http://anthropology.iresearchnet.com/totemism/)
In Australian Aborigine society, there were taboos and rules about a tribe being able to consume the totem animal or plant, as well as complex rules for inter-tribal conduct and protocol. Socially the totem served as a symbol of unity and cohesion much as the America Flag does today for Americans. The Australian Aborigines had some strict rules for inter-marriage between clans. What is interesting is that many of the totemic beliefs of the Australian Aborigines were relatively widespread and similar beliefs-behaviors can found among some early Native American societies-tribes - even though continents apart.
The synergy between spiritual and religious beliefs and social-political structure is widespread and nearly universal in cultures throughout the world. In ancient Greek religion, the pantheon of God was portrayed in the context of a patriarchal family 'ruled' by the powerful father figure, Zeus. Zeus reigned over a contentious and unruly family which consisted of siblings, children, as well as a jealous and vengeful wife. From archaeological discoveries of the Mycenaean age, it is clear that very early Greek history had a social structure were mostly oligarchies of oen sort or another ruled by patriarchal families whose intrigues were reflections to a degree of the twisted plots among family members in the pantheon of Gods. So here again humans successfully were able "to construct social hierarchies that mirror those observed in nature" - or in this case the human environment.
Sumerian religion \which emerged as the first literate civilization in Mesopotamia, was essentially theocratic governments until the arrival of kings-lugals - which created a hybrid social-political structure. The Sumerians created a palace-economy with a centralized over-ruling organization which controlled crop production and distribution of some goods. A centralized government was necessary because the Sumerians subsisted on crops which required centralized irrigation systems. The priesthood resided full-time in temple complexes, and administered matters of state especially the complicated and very substantial irrigation needs and processes necessary for the civilization's survival.
Cuneiform, or wedge shaped, started as pictures but later turned into symbols, and you combine them to make words or names. Pictographs which first emerged roughly around 3500 B.C. that were lists or ledgers of commodities identified by pictures of the objects, and appeared to be matched with numerals and personal names. Most of the cuneiform records refer to the issues: How much grain was produced last year; How much livestock and of what kind they had last year; How much a share of grain was given; How much grain was offered to the gods. As cuneiform developed and evolved the capability for communicating the basic concepts-ideas of their social, religious, and political culture developed. In general the Sumerians regarded their gods and goddesses as having the duty and responsibility for creating and managing order - including all social or natural order. A pivotal belief was the belief that man was created to serve the gods - which it perfectly with their religious-social order and structure.
Here is a link to a longer version of the New Integrative Approach: https://www.spirittruthandmeaning.com/new-approach