Catholic Apologetics Online

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God

Man

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The Religion of the Bible

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A Definite Christian Faith

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Moral Teachings of the Catholic Church

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The Church and Social Welfare

Psychoanalysis

1092. Does the Church approve in general the study of books on psycho-analysis?

No. In the first place, no Catholic could adopt the general theories and practices advocated by the psycho-analysts. When it comes to the question of studying their writings and teachings, the Church could do no more than sanction such a study by those whose professional duties require such a study. The Church could not approve of a layman's reading of these works through morbid curiosity. Many writers on psycho-analysis seem sex-mad. They drag in painful illustrations of sex abnormalities, treated not in technical language, but in a captivating popular style calculated to secure sales - and sin. Many of these writers manifest such perversion of mind that they would be fit subjects for treatment by their brother analysts. In general, the study of psycho-analysis must be classed as a useless and dangerous procedure for the ordinary layman, and one not fit for a Christian.

1093. What do you think of Freud's theories?

As a system, Freudian psycho-analysis must be rejected as false and most pernicious. The study, as such, of unconscious psychological processes can be very useful. But psycho-analysts have fallen into absurd exaggerations, and their pretense to furnish a new basis for all human activities in art, education, morality and religion must be utterly rejected.Even as a therapeutic treatment of neurosis, psycho-analysis is dangerous. The discovery of the harmful element in psychic life does not mean a cure. Often a complete re-education of the patient is necessary. The Catholic confessional has all that is good in psycho-analysis, but with safeguards unknown in this pretended new science.Freud simply inverts psychology, making the unconscious and the instinctive more important than conscious and rational life. Most loathsome is his over-emphasis of sex. For him, the most sacred truths of religion, the highest aspirations of the soul, the purest devotion and heroism have the same source as crime, perversion, and the most brutal impulses of the lower animal nature.His theories would mean the end of freedom and morality. Man is but a bundle of impulses, according to him, and is determined by blind instinct in such a way that he is not the responsible author of his conduct. Few theories so degrade man to the level of the brute beast. My opinion of Freud's theory, then, is that there is nothing in it of any great value, whilst there is much in it calculated to do immense harm.

1094. The psychologist told me that 75 per cent of those who come to be psycho-analyzed are Catholics. I wonder why this is?

I wonder "if" it is. I am inclined to regard the statement as an exaggeration calculated to allay the possible reluctance of a Catholic to adopt the treatment. It is my duty to warn Catholics against doing so. What have we against that particular form of psycho-therapy which calls itself psycho-analysis? Firstly, it is far from emancipated from the essentially materialistic and un-Christian philosophy of Sigmund Freud. Whatever be its empiric value to nerve specialists, criminologists, and educators, this value is more than offset by the abuses and errors associated with the practice as a rule.Secondly, psycho-analysis as commonly expounded, overinsists upon sex-complexes, as if they were the foundation of human nature itself. Many psychoanalysts are rectifying and eliminating this overinsistence; but it is still a factor to be reckoned with. Thirdly, psycho-analysis tends to regard intelligence as subservient to instinct and emotion; whereas reason must control, and not be controlled by lower impulses.Fourthly, psycho-analysis is largely deterministic in its outlook, denying free will and moral responsibility, attributing conduct too easily to unconscious forces beyond our control.Fifthly, it makes no allowance for sin as a moral evil. It inculcates the falsehood that self-restraint is unnatural and harmful. Any self-indulgence is justified if it will seem beneficial to the patient. "Do it - and forget about it," is better than an internal struggle against temptation, according to many psycho-analysts. This is directly opposed to the doctrine of self-denial taught by Christ.Finally, it is folly to put oneself into the hands of anybody who claims to be a psycho-analyst. The analyst wants to get at the contents of the supposedly subconscious mind, in order to drag ideas and emotions to the conscious surface. He requires a self-revelation from earliest infancy, and by a process of transference of discovered complexes, seeks to free the mind from obsessions and the trammels of the past. Without great care, the procedure can lead to the moral ruin of the soul. Even for psycho-therapy, leaving out psycho-analysis on Freudian principles, a German psychologist demands that the practitioner have the wisdom of an experienced priest, the analytic ability of a lawyer, the pedagogic capacity of a good teacher, the trained reasoning powers of a philosopher, and the medical knowledge of three physicians. If these are the requirements of a good practitioner of psycho-therapy, where does the average psycho-analyst come in? And is it too severe to say that Catholics may not submit to psycho-analysis unless they are at least sure of the Christian and moral principles of the analyst whose services they seek?

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MORE FROM VOLUME 3

• About the Author
• Preface
  - Msgr Fulton J Sheen
• Author's Foreword
  - Dr Rumble, MSC

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