Viktor Frankl, observed back in the 1940’s, “The pictures by which the individual sciences depict reality have become so disparate, so different from each other, that it has become more and more difficult to obtain a fusion of the different pictures.” (p. 7 will) The advantage that being self-taught and having such a wide diversity in background is that this allows me to connect the dots between the different branches of social science and psychology – which is helpful, for instance, when writing about a theory that explains religious beliefs. In synthesizing concepts and theories a diverse and broad academic background would be very helpful. The pivotal question of contemporary social sciences would seem to be how we view and understand ourselves! The way we think and act depends to a very large degree on how we see ourselves and our worldview. So, our way of looking at things determines our actions and behaviors and gives us orientation and direction in our community and in our society, and thus shapes the future - being, in essence our destiny! The Model or Paradigm of the human being would necessarily include our needs, drives, desires, passions, thoughts, beliefs, meanings, as well as our hopes, dreams, and purpose(s). So, what could possibly be more important than how we view ourselves and our world and how we understand ourselves?
Prejudices and Preconceptions of Psychologists
Now, one might think that psychologists would be the most receptive as well as the most objective when it comes to religious beliefs and spirituality. From hard experience, as well as from reviewing studies of psychologists’ views, however I have found that not to be the case. I do actually have a letter from Governor Hogan, as well as from Senator Van Hollen expressing interesting research in spirituality. It was somewhat of a rude awakening when I couldn't even get in the door to talk to the chair or assistant chair of psychology at Towson University, a local university. A study cited by the psychologist Daryl Bem states: psychologists, compared to all the other social sciences, are, in truth, the least open-minded and understanding when it comes to psychic and spirituality. In their book, Transcendent Mind, the psychologists, Baruss and Mossbridge, point out that the superstition stigma attached to spirituality is so strong that some psychologists are effectively banned and aren't able to publish their papers. In fact, it is really a bit shocking, but the Nobel-prize winning physicist Josephson was literally ostracized by his fellow 'scientists' because of his interest in psychic phenomena. Josephson was even sent a letter 'unwelcoming' him to a convention and advising him not to attend.
A Hypothetical Problem for Spirituality
It is only with the recent rise of modern psychology and science, that spirituality and spiritual-psychic experiences have been put down as “superstitious” or even as ‘mental illness.’ Shamanism is believed by Karen Armstrong, the notable religious scholar, to have been in full swing during the paleolithic age. Armstrong highlights the fact that drawings and figurines of human- shamans appearing to have animal spirit beings rendered in the drawing and figurines were found with some frequency in the cave drawings of the prehistoric caves in France and Spain, dating back twenty to thirty thousand years ago. Since spirits, spirituality, and religious beliefs have been around for tens of thousands of years so it would seem likely that the human brain has “factory installed” spirituality software, as it were. Now with psychology being as repressive as it is, one might argue that this spiritual repressive could have a hindering or disabling effect on human consciousness.
Legislation Needed
In any case, my argument is that psychology and psychologists are so repressive of spirituality and, in my view, so discriminatory regarding spirituality that legislation requiring course in spirituality be taught in colleges for health reasons would be reasonable. People should have the tools for physical and mental health readily at hand. If Medical Universities are teach courses in spirituality then colleges and universities ought to do the same!
Here is the link to a series of blogs-essays about spirituality in psychology: https://www.spirittruthandmeaning.com/how-psychology-got-spirituality-and-religious-beliefs-pretty-s...