Psychology and Religion: Freud, Jung, and Frankl’s enduring insights
Pharos Journal of Theology March 28, 2026 Se-Ho Jang, Mesuk Cho, Seon-Ok Jang et al.
This paper compares the religious ideas of Freud, Jung, and Frankl, arguing that each thinker's views were shaped by a historical perception that contemporary society had lost meaning. Freud claimed religion was a 'doll dream' satisfying unconscious desires, while Jung saw it as a symbolic expression of the collective unconscious providing archetypes for individuation. Frankl's humanistic perspective surpassed the others by asserting that existential orientation and transcendence are critical to psychological well-being. Using a comparative hermeneutic approach, the paper analyzes these views in relation to mental health crises, education, intercultural dialogue, and the search for meaning. The authors note that Western existential and psychoanalytic philosophy may not fully accommodate the richness of religious experience.