Faith and psychology

HOW important it is that we get to have a clear idea about the intimate relationship between faith and psychology! At the moment, it seems that psychology is largely grounded and ruled by one’s feelings, moods, temperament or some organic elements alone, if not by some cultural or social factors, or even by mere ideologies.

            There are even those who develop their psychological life along lines of mere techniques, or worse, by some drug-induced sense of stability and calmness or other escape and defense mechanisms.

            Obviously, for those who are already psychologically sick, these techniques and drugs are indeed necessary. But we have to be clear that they are precisely for the sick, and not for those who are supposed to lead a normal psychological life which we presume everyone of us should pursue.

            Ok, for those who are supposed to be normal, they can also avail of these techniques and drugs sometimes as a way to relieve some momentary stress. But the ideal state should be that we would be freed of these things.

            That’s why we need to reiterate the fundamental and indispensable role of faith in our psychological life. It is faith that gives the whole picture of our life. It includes both the good and the bad side about us.

            It tells us who we are, how we are supposed to be and to behave in the different and even conflicting situations in our life. It precisely sees to it that our thinking, desiring, feeling, acting, or the whole gamut of our psychological life are those proper of our dignity as persons, not mere objects, and ultimately as children of God.

            It tells us how we are supposed to understand and live through our successes and victories. When times are good, how should we feel? Should we not be thankful and be more humble so as to be more resolved to give ourselves more to God and to others?

            It also tells us how we are to react and to proceed whenever we encounter difficulties, trials, or whenever we commit mistakes, fall sick, suffer misfortunes, etc. When times are bad, are we not supposed to go to God for the sure and final relief and cure?

            “Come to me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you,” Christ said (Mt 11,28) We should never forget these words. Again, he reassured us: “In the world you shall have distress. But have confidence, I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16,33)

            It’s important that we realize that our faith, which always goes together with hope and charity, is the terra firma on which the seed of our psychological life should be planted, watered and made to grow to its fullness. It will always have a direct relevance in our psychological life. It’s not meant to be optional item in the menu.

            It makes us understand the real meaning of our whole life. It tells us what would comprise our true joy and development. It teaches us how to handle our defeats and losses, how to find meaning in them, and even how to take advantage of them to attain our genuine good.

            We should highlight some more the crucial role of faith in our psychological life, its intrinsic relation to psychology. A psychology that ignores or marginalizes the faith is always suspicious.

            But, yes, we also have to explain and clarify how the faith is related to psychology. Quite often, psychology’s indifference to the faith is due to an inadequate or erroneous mentality that puts them into two disparate, even hostile compartments in our life. We should reinforce the link between them.

            Nowadays, many people, even the young ones, already carry heavy psychological baggage because they cannot resolve certain questions and issues in their lives, and even those which can be considered as basic and easy questions and issues to answer.

            Because there’s a lot of ignorance and confusion around, all kinds of self-inflicted and easily avoidable complications come about. People lack time and, worse, the disposition and skill to think and reflect, to study things thoroughly and to pray. That’s why they cannot help but pile up mountains of problems and complications in their lives.

            We also have to explode the bias that considers faith as something too mysterious or too spiritual to be of any value in scientific psychology. We need to remind everyone that it’s precisely in one’s thoughts and desires, in one’s judgments and decisions, and the accompanying feelings, etc., where we can see the state of one’s soul.

            Definitely, faith and psychology are intrinsically linked.