Defining the Self: Where Do the Fields of Psychology and Religion Intersect?
Panelists -
Phoebe Farber, Ph.D., Professor and Psychotherapist, Montclair State University
Rabbi E. Noach Shapiro, LCSW, St. Barnabas Medical Center
How does one think about the self? What is meant when a person says “I”? Psychology’s and Judaism’s answers, though not without interesting intersections, are largely divergent and point us in different directions. Though both look at aspects of the self in terms of experience and perception and ways of seeing the world, as fields of study and modes of engagement they exist in largely different spheres, the former focused on the life of the mind, the latter on the life of the soul. The foundational fathers of psychology (Freud, Wilhelm Reich, William James, Carl Rogers) emphasized their secular roots and leaned in the direction of biology, not spirituality. But at least in the context of the self, there are areas of overlap and complementarity that may expand our vision of both psychology and religion.
Since the time of Freud, psychology has focused primarily on the self as an internal entity, a landscape of perceptions and experiences where all roads lead inward: emotion, thought, motivation, conflict, identity – areas both conscious and unconscious. Therapy is a process that addresses the self in relation to others to some extent, but it is primarily a solipsistic project. The aim is to explore the depths of the patient’s individual experience and emotional life. The traditional arc of a psychological session begins with exploration, moves on to reflection, hopefully to insight, and ultimately, ideally, to acceptance of self. Typical questions in a therapeutic session might include “How do you feel?”, “What causes that feeling?”, “How can you change or alter that feeling?” The goal of such questioning is the reduction of distress and the cultivation of self-understanding and insight. The various methodologies – whether traditional analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, insight-oriented therapy, or another – have a common goal of increasing psychological insight and reducing emotional distress. Problems of the mind are addressed by thinking about the life of the mind.
If psychology focuses our attention inward, Judaism at first blush appears to direct our attention outward, away from the particularity of the self and toward the larger realms of family, community and God. The self is seen as part of a larger entity, with primary commitments not to individual insight but to the collective project of honoring each other and honoring God. The mitzvoth are examples of the ways we are obligated to serve others rather than ourselves. While it is perhaps unduly reductionist to frame it thus, it is nonetheless instructive to consider that, for Judaism, the essence of life’s journey is moral, not psychological. We have obligations to ourselves, to be sure. But we also have obligations to others, in multiple realms. And meeting our myriad obligations is what leads to a meaningful, fulfilling life.
If psychology places the individual on an island, Judaism places the individual in a complex web. Neither is right or wrong. Each has things to learn from the other. A knowledge of both, in theory and practice, will perhaps better equip practitioners in either realm to meet the needs of those in their charge.
In this workshop, we will discuss the different frameworks that psychology and Judaism bring to an exploration of the self, focusing particularly on how aspects of the Judaic tradition might expand the psychological conversation to include non-traditional ways of thinking about the self. Through text study of original rabbinic and biblical sources as well as psychotherapy case study presentations, we hope to evoke a rich and vibrant dialogue between the disciplines, between the individual and the collective paradigms. Rather than ask, “How do you feel?” One might pose, “Where are your commitments?” Such a discussion will, in real and practical ways, deepen our personal, spiritual and/or clinical practices.
Phoebe Farber, Ph.D., Professor and Psychotherapist, Montclair State University
Rabbi E. Noach Shapiro, LCSW, St. Barnabas Medical Center
How does one think about the self? What is meant when a person says “I”? Psychology’s and Judaism’s answers, though not without interesting intersections, are largely divergent and point us in different directions. Though both look at aspects of the self in terms of experience and perception and ways of seeing the world, as fields of study and modes of engagement they exist in largely different spheres, the former focused on the life of the mind, the latter on the life of the soul. The foundational fathers of psychology (Freud, Wilhelm Reich, William James, Carl Rogers) emphasized their secular roots and leaned in the direction of biology, not spirituality. But at least in the context of the self, there are areas of overlap and complementarity that may expand our vision of both psychology and religion.
Since the time of Freud, psychology has focused primarily on the self as an internal entity, a landscape of perceptions and experiences where all roads lead inward: emotion, thought, motivation, conflict, identity – areas both conscious and unconscious. Therapy is a process that addresses the self in relation to others to some extent, but it is primarily a solipsistic project. The aim is to explore the depths of the patient’s individual experience and emotional life. The traditional arc of a psychological session begins with exploration, moves on to reflection, hopefully to insight, and ultimately, ideally, to acceptance of self. Typical questions in a therapeutic session might include “How do you feel?”, “What causes that feeling?”, “How can you change or alter that feeling?” The goal of such questioning is the reduction of distress and the cultivation of self-understanding and insight. The various methodologies – whether traditional analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, insight-oriented therapy, or another – have a common goal of increasing psychological insight and reducing emotional distress. Problems of the mind are addressed by thinking about the life of the mind.
If psychology focuses our attention inward, Judaism at first blush appears to direct our attention outward, away from the particularity of the self and toward the larger realms of family, community and God. The self is seen as part of a larger entity, with primary commitments not to individual insight but to the collective project of honoring each other and honoring God. The mitzvoth are examples of the ways we are obligated to serve others rather than ourselves. While it is perhaps unduly reductionist to frame it thus, it is nonetheless instructive to consider that, for Judaism, the essence of life’s journey is moral, not psychological. We have obligations to ourselves, to be sure. But we also have obligations to others, in multiple realms. And meeting our myriad obligations is what leads to a meaningful, fulfilling life.
If psychology places the individual on an island, Judaism places the individual in a complex web. Neither is right or wrong. Each has things to learn from the other. A knowledge of both, in theory and practice, will perhaps better equip practitioners in either realm to meet the needs of those in their charge.
In this workshop, we will discuss the different frameworks that psychology and Judaism bring to an exploration of the self, focusing particularly on how aspects of the Judaic tradition might expand the psychological conversation to include non-traditional ways of thinking about the self. Through text study of original rabbinic and biblical sources as well as psychotherapy case study presentations, we hope to evoke a rich and vibrant dialogue between the disciplines, between the individual and the collective paradigms. Rather than ask, “How do you feel?” One might pose, “Where are your commitments?” Such a discussion will, in real and practical ways, deepen our personal, spiritual and/or clinical practices.