Religion, Narcissism and Fanaticism

Religion, Narcissism and Fanaticism
Author: Tamas Pataki
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2024-04-25
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1315519798

Religion, Narcissism and Fanaticism traces the historical and psychosocial development of religiosity and applies anthropological and psychoanalytic perspectives to the understanding of religions, particularly their fanatical and fundamentalist expressions. Religious ideology, practices and institutions satisfy many human needs, including those arising from our hysterical, obsessional, and narcissistic dispositions: the need to segregate the good and bad aspects of our personalities; to belong to an idealized group; and to feel secure and special by identifying with, or living in the orbit of, a supposedly omnipotent figure. But these needs and their modes of satisfaction are distorted by religions which may then nurture and accommodate malign characteristics, especially in the case of the monotheisms, narcissistic inflation or grandiosity. The book shows how interactions between religious ideology and personal development become intricated in the narcissistic pathology which underlies much of the violence and religious aggression in the world today. It presents both a new account of the historical and psychosocial development of religiosity and a powerful polemic against the religions which delusorily satisfy some of the very needs they create. The book will appeal to psychoanalysts, anthropologists, philosophers, sociologists, and all those interested in the place of religion in the modern world.

A to Z of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder Encyclopedia

A to Z of Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder Encyclopedia
Author: Sam Vaknin
Publisher: Narcissus Publishing
Total Pages: 931
Release: 2014-12-13
Genre: Psychology
ISBN:

Almost 1000 pages of A to Z entries: the first comprehensive encyclopedia of pathological narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder in clinical and non-clinical settings; family, workplace, church, community, law enforcement and judiciary, and politics.

Doctor's Orders

Doctor's Orders
Author: Robert Deam Tobin
Publisher: Bucknell University Press
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2001
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780838754665

Doctor's Orders shows how the foundational novel of the German tradition, Johan Wolfgang von Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, documents the rise of medicine as an institution structuring the self and society. It sheds light on the Bildungsroman that this novel established, provides a groundbreaking overview of the role of medicine in eighteenth-century Germany, and addresses larger questions concerning the relationship between medicine and literature.

Pathological Narcissism FAQs

Pathological Narcissism FAQs
Author: Sam Vaknin
Publisher: Narcissus Publishing
Total Pages: 645
Release: 2013-06-01
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 9989929122

Dozens of Frequently Asked Questions regarding Pathological Narcissism, relationships with abusive narcissists and psychopaths, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Religious Hatred and Human Conflict

Religious Hatred and Human Conflict
Author: Andrew Floyer Acland
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2023-09-12
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1000931730

Religious Hatred and Human Conflict focuses the lens of psychodynamic psychology on a phenomenon that often confounds conventional thinking – the intensity of conflict with religious or quasi-religious dimensions. The book highlights six dimensions of religion: identity, doctrine and practice, emotion and experience, mythology, sacred values and power and control, exploring how these can give rise to religious hatred and lead to marginalisation, persecution and even genocide. It also explores reasons for the evolution of religion and religious hatred, and their relationship with human behaviour through contemporary issues such as fundamentalism, martyrdom, clerical narcissism and apocalyptic belief. Acland examines how religious hatred and conflict may be transcended by facilitating processes of dialogue and diapraxis which enable a systematic understanding of prejudices and projections. Last, it offers practical methods and strategies for helping individuals and communities grow beyond the constraints of religious hatred, treating religious hatred as a psycho-spiritual problem that requires self-understanding. Identifying the implications for professionals in conflict resolution and mediation, politicians, community leaders, diplomats and anyone working to prevent or reduce conflict where religious belief is a factor, this book sets out how those tasked with intervening can respond to the challenges involved. It will also be highly relevant reading for students and researchers of psychology and religious studies.

The Enigma of the Suicide Bomber

The Enigma of the Suicide Bomber
Author: Franco De Masi
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2018-03-21
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0429920636

Why does someone resolve to take his own life in order to murder other people? What is the state of mind which allows him to commit such a monstrous act? This book explores the mental state that compels certain individuals to perform murderous, suicidal acts and emphasizes that, whereas a suicidal terrorist attack can be described as a crime against humanity, its protagonists cannot necessarily be classified as criminal or insane. There is no such a thing as a "typical" suicide terrorist - each attacker differs in age, sex, family status, culture, and even religion. Indeed, the common elements in suicide terrorism should perhaps be sought not so much in the individuals concerned as in the dynamics rooted in their group, family history or country. It may be extreme situations experienced by the group situations that are either objectively extreme or perceived as such that give rise to paradoxical behaviour at individual level. Psychoanalysis is well placed to consider this terrain.

Non-Western Identity

Non-Western Identity
Author: Byron G. Adams
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2022-02-02
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 303077242X

Identity is a construct strongly rooted and still predominantly studied in Western (or WEIRD; Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) contexts (e.g., North American and Western European). Only recently has there been more of a conscious effort to study identity in non-Western (or non-WEIRD) contexts. This edited volume investigates identity from primarily a non-Western perspective by studying non-Western contexts and non-Western, minority, or immigrant groups living in Western contexts. The contributions (a) examine different aspects of identity (e.g., personal identity, social identity, online identity) as either independent or interrelated constructs; (b) consider the associations of these constructs with aspects of intergroup relations, acculturative processes, and/or psychological well-being; (c) document the advancement in research on identity in underrepresented groups, contexts, and regions such as Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South America; and (d) evaluate different approaches to the study of identity and the implications thereof. This book is intended for cultural or cross-cultural academics, practitioners, educators, social workers, postgraduate students, undergraduate students, and scholars interested in studying identity. It provides insight into how identity in non-Western groups and contexts may both be informed by and may inform Western theoretical perspectives.

The Narcissist and Psychopath in the Workplace

The Narcissist and Psychopath in the Workplace
Author: Sam Vaknin
Publisher: Narcissus Publishing
Total Pages: 93
Release: 2009-01-02
Genre: Psychology
ISBN:

How to identify narcissistic and psychopathic bullies (colleagues, bosses, suppliers, authority figures) in the workplace and how to cope with them.

Narcissistic and Psychopathic Leaders

Narcissistic and Psychopathic Leaders
Author: Sam Vaknin
Publisher: Narcissus Publishing
Total Pages: 167
Release: 2010-09-08
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

Narcissistic and psychopathic leaders come in all shapes and degrees of virulence. Learn to recognize them in various settings (the workplace, religion/church, or politics) and to cope with the toxic fallout of their "leadership".