Psychological Insights of Jesus and Freud

Lee, Byung Wook

Abstract

The gospel according to John states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Really the word is the core of our life, and it is the only route for true liberation and rescue. We accept that everyone of us is a psychologically incomplete being, and we agree that Jesus and Freud had deep psychological insights gained through keen observation and introspection. Even though there were vasts spans of time between the lives of these individuals, Jesus and Freud seemed to put our painful psychological conditions at ease. Jesus suggested repentance and forgiveness, where as Freud suggested gaining insightful self-knowledge through free association and an analyst's interpretation. However, Western society has generally disregarded these basic underlying messages with respect to serious introspection. In my opinion, I think that Jesus and Freud were epistemological revolutionists who threw the whole deceptive world. They wished to cure the painful human conditions through spiritual rebirth and alteration of the ego, respectively. Although they both failed to accomplish their very ambitious goals during their lifetime, their messages have been advanced by their followers. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes to Father, but by me." On the other hand, psychoanalysis is the hard narrow way to the psychological truth.