Paper Session A

9. Religious Experience as Selfobject Experience

Religion and Spirituality (Part 1 of 2)

Self Psychology Page | 23rd Conference Program

Overview

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the dialogue within self psychology about the function of religious experience in the context of clinical/therapeutic work. I will suggest ways to hear/evaluate religious experience as selfobject experience. To do so I will briefly highlight some of the literature of pastoral care and counseling which suggests parallel themes of therapeutic practice primary in self psychology and which relate to selfobject functions of religious experience. Finally, I will suggest four ways of thinking about religious experience as selfobject experience: providing compensatory self structure, enhancing the development of self structure, sustaining self cohesion, and providing opportunities for self transformation.

Self Psychology Page | 23rd Conference Program