Do Spiritual Beliefs Influence our Mental Health?

Last May I signed up for an environmental psychology class with Professor Jeffrey Kiehl at Pacifica Graduate Institute. The sustainability side was fascinating but what I enjoyed most was the introduction to Jungian and depth psychology. 

We looked at the effect that unconscious archetypes have on mental health at a group level and how these archetypes are expressed in religions, narratives and cultural identities. Our spiritual beliefs play a big role in how we connect with the unconscious (both individual and collective), with each other, and with the planet. 

For example, ancient belief systems often attributed certain behaviors to the influence of gods and goddesses like Venus, Mars or Cupid. When a person acted out that part of their psyche in a way that was disfunctional or disruptive (maybe too much jealousy, fear or ambition), they had a conceptual framework that could be used to describe how they were feeling as well as clarity on what needed healing. If my ambitious or competitive nature got the best of me, I could easily say “Mars is getting the best of me; I need to do something about this.”

Whether we saw that Mars energy as external and supernatural, or internal and subconscious didn’t matter. Only that we had a framework to work through those feelings. The rise of monotheistic religions has had the unintended consequence of eliminating this pathway to healing and integrating the psyche; as we learned in class, the world has actually seen a rise in psychological and emotional problems. 

This isn’t to say that everyone needs to be pagan or polytheistic. I personally feel that most religious beliefs were meant to be symbolic and not literal, connecting with a Higher Power through our imagination and intuition. But the mental health tendency does highlight a need to connect with the psyche and the unconscious. We can do this with energy healing, astrology and tarot.  

And obviously, counseling works! After thinking about it for eight years, I have finally decided to apply to a masters degree in counseling psychology with an emphasis on Jung. In time I hope to combine counseling with the techniques in my energy healing books. 

Reiki hugs, 

Regina 

>>  On another note; here is a write up of the environmental psychology class. 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to heal yourself. Find her on Instagram.com/reginachouza or on Facebook, as DiaryofaPsychicHealer.

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