1 | | SINCE the days of Freud, psy- | | | | Emotion and Spirit
By Clare Garner | | | | |
| | choanalysts and churchmen have | | | | | | | “smother” rather than “illuminate” |
| | been pitted against one another, | | | | | | | conscience. |
| | fighting to prove that they have | | | | | 8 | | Dr Symington’s biography |
| | the cure for the ills of the soul. | | | | | | | mirrors a move in some sections |
| | But now a man who should know | | | | | | | of society away from the Church |
| | - a former Catholic priest turned | | | | | | | and into the arms of therapists. |
| | analyst - says it is time for them | | | | | 9 | | He grew up “in the bosom of |
| | to patch up their differences and | | | | | | | Catholicism” and was sent to |
| | form an alliance. It is the only way | | | | | | | Ampleforth, the Catholic board- |
| | for them both to survive into the | | | | | | | ing school in Yorkshire, where he |
| | 21st century, he says. | | | | | | | was taught French literature by |
2 | | Neville Symington, a member | | 6 | | In his book Emotion and | | | | Cardinal Basil Hume. At 21, he |
| | of the British Psychoanalytical | | | | Spirit: Questioning the Claims of | | | | enrolled in a seminary and then |
| | Society and one of its leading | | | | Psychoanalysis and Religion, to be | | | | became a curate in east London. |
| | thinkers, maintains that both | | | | reprinted by Karnac Books in | | 10 | | But in 1968, at the age of 31, |
| | religion and psychoanalysis are | | | | March, Dr Symington argues that | | | | his life changed. “I realised the |
| | failing, but for opposite reasons. | | | | religious faith and therapy must | | | | irrelevance of Catholic practice to |
3 | | “Psychoanalysis is largely | | | | learn from each other. Few | | | | people’s real lives,” he said, |
| | failing to heal those with sick | | | | psychoanalysts have turned their | | | | recalling his departure from the |
| | minds because it is devoid of | | | | attention to religion - Freud was | | | | Church. The 2nd Vatican Coun- |
| | those core values which have | | | | an atheist - but in the past | | | | cil’s ruling on contraception was a |
| | been central to all the great | | | | 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| | | | deciding factor, he added. |
| | religious traditions,” he said. | | | | | 11 | | He decided to train as a psy- |
| | “Traditional religions fail in the | | | | | | | choanalyst and has practised ever |
| | world today because they apply | | | | | | | since. He sees psychoanalysis as |
| | their values in a realm which is | | | | | | | “a spirituality-in-the-world” and |
| | irrelevant to the modern world.” | | | | | | | the field for mystical union with |
4 | | He continued: “I think we’ve | | | | | | | “the Ultimate” as being within the |
| | come to the end of the era where | | | | | | | closest emotional bonds. Religion |
| | revealed religion can provide the | | | | | | | and psychoanalysis have a joint |
| | necessary guidance for people | | | | | | | goal: “The conversion or trans- |
| | living in the contemporary world. | | | | | | | formation of actions which are |
| | It’s a question of formulating an | | | | | | | destructive into actions which are |
| | emergence of a new religious | | | | | | | constructive.” |
| | value system that could marry up | | | | | 12 | | Instead of prayer, psycho- |
| | with psychoanalysis.” In order to | | | | | | | analysis has interpretation, but |
| | do so, both had to relinquish | | | | | | | while confession concerns “things |
| | “excess baggage”: the creeds, | | | | | | | that the penitent knows about”, |
| | dogma, rituals and theories which | | | | 18 months he has noticed a | | | | psychoanalysis deals with “those |
| | only obscure the deeper values | | | | growing interest in spirituality | | | | things of which the patient is |
| | they are trying to express. | | | | among psychoanalytic circles. | | | | unaware”. |
| | Dr Symington, 61, who emi- | | | | “There’s some realisation that | | 13 | | Much of what Dr Symington |
| | grated to Australia 12 years ago, | | | | there is something missing,” he | | | | says echoes New Labour’s emp- |
| | was in London last week as a | | | | said. | | | | hasis on personal responsibility. |
| | guest speaker at the BPS. He is on | | 7 | | Freud founded a movement | | | | Tony Blair has been attempting to |
| | a mission to stimulate a dialogue | | | | which replaced a puritanical | | | | reinstate the values of religion |
| | between thinkers from traditional | | | | perspective with “one of under- | | | | into public life. It appears that Dr |
| | religions and the psychotherapeutic | | | | standing, of empathy, the neutral | | | | Symington is trying to do the |
5 | | movement. The conver- | | | | stance, one of acceptance”. But in | | | | same for therapy. |
| | sation would, he admits, be “uncomfortable”. | | | | so doing, “the baby has been | | | | |
| | He only has to | | | | thrown out with the bath water”, | | | | ‘The Independent on Sunday’, |
| | mention the word “moral” to a | | | | Dr Symington said. Psycho- | | | | January 25, 1998 |
| | psychoanalyst and he is interpreted | | | | analysts, who regarded the indi- | | | | |
| | as meaning “moralistic”; | | | | vidual’s own feeling as “the only | | | | |
| | “virtue” is instantly translated as | | | | index of action”, were liable to | | | | |
| | “hypocrisy”. | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |