The Educational Impact of Freud’s, Jung’s, and Frankl’s Views on Religion in Postmodern Society

Abstract

The study revealed theoretical and practical aspects of the influence of religious and psychological concepts of S. Freud, C.G. Jung, and V.E. Frankl on the psychological well-being of students in the education system of South Korea. S. Freud’s understanding of religion as a defence mechanism has been found to explain its ability to reduce anxiety and help students to cope with learning stress, which is confirmed by a significant reduction in anxiety levels among students who regularly practice meditation techniques. The Jungian view of religious symbols reveals their potential for psychological integration through interaction with archetypes of the collective unconscious, which manifests itself in a significant improvement in social interaction and a marked reduction in aggressive behaviour. V.E. Frankl’s existential approach emphasises the importance of religion as a source of meaning in life, which is especially important for overcoming the existential vacuum in modern education, which is reflected in the growing trust in school psychologists. The integration of spiritual-oriented practices into the system of psychological support for students has led to improved concentration and strengthening social ties between students. A three-level system for implementing spiritual practices has been developed, including individual, group, and school-wide levels, providing a comprehensive approach to psychological support. It is revealed that the combination of Western methods of psychological counselling with elements of Eastern spiritual practices creates a culturally appropriate approach to psychological assistance in the educational environment, taking into consideration on the Confucian and Buddhist traditions of South Korean society. The study reveals the mechanisms of influence of religious and psychological concepts on the educational process and offers practical recommendations for the introduction of spiritual-oriented approaches in the school education system. The study is limited by its focus on South Korea, which may restrict the applicability of the findings to other cultural contexts. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported data could introduce biases in evaluating the effectiveness of spiritual practices. Future research should explore the long term impact of these practices on students' academic and psychological development across diverse educational systems. It would also be valuable to create more robust evaluation methods to assess both short-term and sustained outcomes.