Mysticism, Dependency, and Oral Imagery Experience of Union With

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Mysticism, Dependency, and Oral Imagery 123 122 Journal of the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research Vol. 3, No. 2 April, 1980 was the "oceanic" or mystical feeling. He considered this experience of union with God or the world a pathological at MYSTICISM, DEPENDENCY, AND ORAL IMAGERY tempt to recapture infantile omnipotence. Adults usually experience ego as well-differentiated from the external world; By Mary Jo Meadow "the ego-feeling we are aware of now is thus only a shrunken vestige of a far more extensive feeling - a feeling which embraced the universe and expressed an inseparable connection of the ego with the external world" (Freud, 1929/1952, p. ABSTRACT: Freud considered mystical experience a pathological, regressive 768). attempt to recapture infantile omnipotence while for yogic psychology the trust implied by the oral imagery of mystics represents the higher stages While Freud acknowledged that this "primitive" ego feeling "V of spiritual growth. Although Erich Fromm, Erik Erickson, and Jane Loev- may coexist with a more mature ego differentiation m some (I inger - other psychological theorists cited - do not specifically address adults, he saw it as a way the ego denies the threatening dan mysticism, their views toward acceptance, dependency, and trust can be re gers of the external world. "I can imagine that the oceanic lated to mystical consciousness and probably can be used to describe the feeling could become connected with religion later on. That psychological orientation of some mystics. feeling of oneness with the universe which is its ideational content sounds very like a first attempt at the consolations of religion, like another way taken by the ego of denying the t on or publication of Mystics, those persons claiming direct experience of God dangers it sees threatening it in the external world (Freud, or Ultimate Reality, typically report their ineffable exper 1929/1952, p. 770). Thus, for Freud, mystical experience is iences with noetic qualities in symbolic language. Their im a regressive phenomenon, and the oral imagery of some mystics agery often involves seeing their God as parent, child, lover, betrays its dynamics. adversary, friend, adviser - a variety of interpersonal rela tionships. The sexual imagery of mystics has been the most FROMM AND DEPENDENCY ON GOD explored. This paper focuses on dependency, deity as parent,

personal use only. Citati and related oral imagery. Erich Fromm related matriarchal concepts of deity to an underlying human wish for a mother's unconditional love. rums. Nutzung nur für persönliche Zwecke. RELIGIOUS AND MYSTICAL DEPENDENCY Patriarchal deity concepts are somewhat less primitive, yet "inasmuch as God is the father, I am the child. I have not

tten permission of the copyright holder. Many mystics consider themselves as children or infants emerged fully from the autistic wish for omniscience and om being succored by God as nurturing parent. Tl.is image is nipotence. ...I still claim, like a child, that there must be congruent with the Christian Bible where one is instructed to a father" (Fromm, 1956, p. 70). According to Fromm, more ma •i: pray to "our father" for one's needs. Indeed, many religions ture individuals move beyond conceptualizing deity as parent 11 prescribe an attitude of "spiritual childhood" which is com to using the God-symbol to stand for chosen values. r monly most pronounced in their mystical traditions. St. Therese of Lisieux, in The Story of a Soul, taught: "To remain Fromm cited some dangers in seeing deity as an all-powerful little...is to expect everything from God, as a little child parent. "The more perfect God becomes, the more imperfect be ip-i expects everything from his father. ...I have not wished to comes man. He projects the best he has onto God and thus im grow up, since I felt myself incapable of earning my living, poverishes himself. Now God has all love, all wisdom, all jus the eternal life of heaven." tice . ... In worshipping God he tries to get in touch with that part of himself which he has lost through projection (Fromm, Propriety of the Erich Fromm Document Center. For Eigentum des Erich Fromm Dokumentationszent Rechteinhabers. des Erlaubnis der schriftlichen – bedürfen von Teilen – auch Veröffentlichungen material prohibited without express wri express without prohibited material Some medieval mystics reflect a strong oral imagery. In 1950, pp. 48-49). This leads the individual to expect little her Showings, Julian of Norwich referred to "the breasts of of self and fail to accomplish for oneself what one might. Christ" by which one is nurtured. Using similar imagery, Thus Fromm saw dependency on deity as childish behavior, al Teresa of Avila, in Conceptions of the Love of God, spoke of most as negatively as Freud did. being sustained by the divine milk" with whicfTTier God contin ually nourished her; she developed an idea of God as "great ERIKSON AND~BASIC TRUST

mother" and herself as daughter. In Oeuvres (I, Chapter 8), Magdalen of Pazzi also uses oral imagery: "By the breast of Erik Erikson sees the more positive aspects of trust and Thy divinity, Thou dost give to the soul a milk so sweet and acceptance in the oral imagery of mystics. Discussing psycho- smooth that when it has tasted these delights it acts like a sexual developmental stages (Erikson, 1963), he says that in child who cries at being weaned." adulthood one ideally fully develops a basic trust which ori ginated in infancy. This task, which requires a high level FREUD AND INFANTILE OMNIPOTENCE of personal integration, involves ripening two kinds of trust: in the powers of the universe and in one's own striving and Freud dismissed mystical imagery as regressive in response meaningfulness. For Erikson, the infant's basic trust is the to the suggestion that the ultimate source of all religiousness

Meadow, M. J., 1980: Mysticism, dependency and oral imagery, In: The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, Chico Vol. 3 (April 1980), pp. 122-126. 124 Journal of the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research Mysticism, Dependency, and Oral Imagery 125

seedbed upon which the institution of religion is founded. .,tn;,i tasks As in Loevinger's model, persons may be The full development of this trust in the highly matured Crated along the growth continuum by the behaviors they mani person produces a vision very similar to that attained by the fest! Etchlevel of development will be terminal for some world's great mystics. Both the mystic and the integrated individuals. individual fully accept limitations of self and the universe, do not fear death, and have an accepting trust in goodness and meaningfulness.

LOEVINGER AND EGO DEVELOPMENT In Jane Loevinger's (1966; 1976) ego development model we find another suggestion that the "orality" of mystics need not necessarily be regressive. Loevinger posits that devel opment occurs in an orderly sequence of stages with each suc cessive stage laying the groundwork for following stages. Since each stage is a potential fixation point in adults, each S it af 1976) Thus yoga holds it more difficult to re i& may be used to describe different "types" of persons. The ceive than to give At thischakra one becomes aware o when model posits in ego development four main streams of growth: surrender and receptivity are •W^rig^^iSg^8^. on or publication of one becomes what one is willing to swallow. nysr.ics, uiu impulse control, interpersonal style, conscious preoccupa 2S to swallow what their God pours out ^-"hlv Xarced tions, and cognitive style. Although only some aspects of Surrendered trust for which this chakra - a highly advancea IIP' interpersonal style are important for our consideration here, one - ds Beyond this chakra Ue those which represent a ,,0 '• mystics commonly show congruent growth in the other areas. fully realized union with the divine -a state, of course, The earlier stages - impulsive and self-protective - por which mystics claim to have attained. tray unacknowledged dependency; people are used as sources of personal use only. Citati supply or are manipulated. The succeeding conformist and self- SUMMARY

rums. Nutzung nur für persönliche Zwecke. aware levels of development are socially dependent stances, but also without acknowledged awareness. Conscientious types Freud clearly saw mysticism as representing gross regres stress personal responsibility and self-management. However, sion while an opposite opinion is expressed in yogic psychol- tten permission of the copyright holder. at the next - individualistic - level, recognition of many oev here mystical orality and the trust it implies represent complex issues concerning dependency surface. The individual istic person sees distinctions among various types of depen dency and has an increasing toleration of personal limitations. Finally, persons at the autonomous stage acknowledge and have attitudes ?owarI dependency and trust which can be applied to deep respect for emotional interdependence; they highly value mystical mentality. In these systems, »e.£" S^/fJsttw emotional ties and accept their bonds. While respecting the 'i: autonomy of self and others, one here is concerned with self- understanding and self-fulfillment in the social context. In proolbfyd««erlb.d the tmderlyins psychological stance or at the highest - integrated - stage, one has fully accepted per least some myscics. sonal limitations and renounced the unattainable. Although

Propriety of the Erich Fromm Document Center. For wri express without prohibited material Eigentum des Erich Fromm Dokumentationszent Rechteinhabers. des Erlaubnis der schriftlichen – bedürfen von Teilen – auch Veröffentlichungen Loevinger does not specifically discuss religious issues, this model depicts recognition and acknowledgement of dependency as integral to personal growth. One could so interpret the_ REFERENCES oral symbolism mystics use to describe their relationship with Erikson, E. H. Childhood and Society.. New York: Norton, 1963. their God or Absolute Reality. Freud, S. Civilization and its Discontents. In HutchinsR. *•<«;>• YOGIC CHAKRA PSYCHOLOGY Great Books of the Western World (Vol 54: Freud, pp. 807-884) (Tans. jTRivieTeT. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1952. (Originally In yogic psychology, the chakras (or centers of spiritual energy) describe milestones along the path of development sim Fromm?E'S1^S^^Ml^i-- «- H— Yale University Pre.*s, ilar to those of Loevinger's stages. Although the chakras are portrayed as "located" along the spine from the"coccyx through Fro™!5?! The Art of Loving.. New York: Harper &Row Colophon Books, the throat, with several higher cerebral chakras, they should 1982. (Originally published, 1956.) be understood as constructs. Chakra psychology asserts that Goleman, D. The Varieties of the Meditative Experience. New York. each person's spiritual energy is more or less concentrated around one chakra with its corresponding psychological and Loevir.ger?'j!97The meaning and measurement of ego development. American Psychologist. 1966, 21, 195-206.

Meadow, M. J., 1980: Mysticism, dependency and oral imagery, In: The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, Chico Vol. 3 (April 1980), pp. 122-126. KB*^ ••*.'*- •:7-?v.L*!

126 Journal of the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research J V'

Loevinger, J. Ego Development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1976. Rama, S., Ballentine, R., & Ajaya, S. Yoga and Psychotherapy. Glenview IL: Himalayan Institute, 1976.

MYSTICS CITED

Julian of Norwich, Showings. AE Magdalen of Pazzi, Oeuvres, I, Chapter 8. if l" Teresa of Avila, Conceptions of the Love of God. of If Therese of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul. re w as li co Is I* li. ca'. bel aui

on or publication of th. Mary Jo Meadow, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the De partment of Psychology at Mankato State University, Mankato, Minnesota 56001. Her Ph.D. is in Clinical and Personality >0 Psychology; psychopathology is her major area of clinical Pa expertise; and the study of religion and spirituality is the in major focus of her research and theoretical writing. She cei personal use only. Citati presents papers regularly at meetings of The Society for the sp< er rums. Nutzung nur für persönliche Zwecke. Scientific Study of Religion, The American Academy of Reli gion, and Division 36 (Psychologists Interested in Religious sf pu.

tten permission of the copyright holder. Issues) of The American Psychological Association and is currently spearheading an effort to establish a new division ph on Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychology in The American tic Psychological Association. She is a mystic and an Academic Inc Member of The Academy of Religion and Psychical Research. hoa The article above is a revision of a paper presented by Dr. pre Meadow at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological anc us Association, New York, September, 1979. kri mar.

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Meadow, M. J., 1980: Mysticism, dependency and oral imagery, In: The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, Chico Vol. 3 (April 1980), pp. 122-126.