UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

MODULE 8
CHAPTER 8

Discovering the Self: The Spiritual Self

 Different Functions of Religion

 Different Techniques of Religion
 Logotherapy: Finding and Creating Meaning

“Kulo” and the Right of Expression

On June 17, 2011, an art exhibit entitled “Kulo” featured the works of 32 artists from the
University of Santo Tomas. After few days however, this exhibit reaped various negative criticisms
particularly the Catholic Church and the believers. They argued that the exhibit is blasphemous and
sacrilegious. It displayed the images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary mixed with other phallic
visual arts, and one featured a condom. Several days later. Even the lawmakers and the President
himself, condemned the said exhibit and ordered for the closure of the said exhibit, stating that the
said exhibit does not cater the interest of the public, which the Cultural Center of the Philippines
ought to promote

Various sectors of the society however have different opinion on the issue. According to
various artists, the exhibit is a form or manner of expressing one self and art is the end product of
such expression. As an art, it is devoid of any moral judgment. According to them, the act of
condemning the exhibit is only an indication that the Church remains a powerful social institution
that dictates even to social aspects that should no longer within its intrusion.

On the other hand, one famous columnist opined that the possible filing of the criminal
charges against the organizers and artists of the exhibit may be pushed through, however, the
prosecutors may find the problem of what constitutes obscenity as a crime, for after all, the artist
created such an art work merely for art’s sake.

Sources of Data: Dennis Carcamo, the Philippine Star, August 9, 2011

Fr. Joaquin Bernas, "Art and the Right Not to Speak.” Philippine Daily Inquirer August 10, 2011
 “Two persons may look at the same thing but they may look at it differently.”
Perhaps, this is the reason why the issue on the propriety of the "Kulo" exhibit created
different views from people of various walks of life. For one, the exhibit appears to be a
mockery of the social institution which has been the guardian of the society's moral. For
another, the closure of the exhibit appears to be a power play and indicates a continuing
conflict of interest between the powerful and the powerless, the former being in the
better position to define the rules in the society.

The above mentioned story reveals the influence of religion in the

conceptualization of self. The belief may be different in accordance to how self was
formed but it is a clear indication of spiritual conception of self.

Throughout our history humans have attempted to understand and explain the
world in which people live. During all the time, religion has been an important part of
social life. Religious beliefs and practices are found in all known contemporary
societies.

If a group believes that it is being directed by a "vision from God" psychologists

do not attempt to prove or disprove the revelation. Instead, they assess the effects of
the religious experience on the sense of self. What sociologist are interested in is the
social impact of religion on individuals and institutions.

The Spiritual Self

Since the beginning of time man has been perplex by the happening of natural
phenomena. Much as human is given the rationality to think of some adverse
perceptions, yet he is still affected by some occurrence like birth, death, natural
calamities like typhoon, hurricane and the like which are beyond his understanding. For
lack of explanation, primitive men turned to their beliefs, that they attributed the natural
phenomena to some external and non-personal forces with magical or supernatural
power he considered sacred. To this he rendered awe, obedience and reverence.
Rituals and other practices accompanied the sacred belief. Primitive men offered
prayers, superstitious propitiation and incantation. Rituals like food offering before
planting and harvesting for productive yields to thank the Supernatural Being or to
appease its angers. Hence, this crude practice of reverence gave birth to Animism.

Animism is the belief that everything in the surrounding is inhabited by unseen

being or spirit. Because the realm of the primitive people’s belief and practice were far
and wide diverse religion started.

What Is Then Religion

 Religion, etymologically a Latin word religare meaning “to bind together.” The
binding together depends on how people interpret religion.
 Religion is the belief in supernatural being and the institution and practices
associated with the belief.
 Religion involves a set of symbols which arouse feeling of reverence and awe
which are likened to rituals and ceremonies like church services practiced by
community of believers.
 Religion is culturally entrenched pattern of behavior composed of sacred beliefs,
emotional feelings accompanied by overt conduct implementing the beliefs and
feelings. (San Juan & Centeno, 2011)
 Aside from the above definitions, it can just be simplified that religion is Bond
between God and Man So if there is a bond between God and man and the
human self will simply be good in behavior, thinking and feeling

The Functions of Religion

1. Stability and cohesion – shared religion binds people closely together
a. Religion forms a balanced and cohesive moral community. It is a means of
protecting individuals from anomie, alienation and the threats of disruptive mass
movements and so maximizes the individual’s potential for happiness.
b. Shared religious experiences provide the social cement for group unity and
consensus.
2. Social identity – shared religion gives people an identity and social membership
a. This is achieved through special naming ceremonies, in christening and baptism
in the Christian church. For Durkheim group solidarity is affirmed and heightened
during collective ceremony and ritual.
b. Religion represents the necessary power of the social group over the otherwise
isolated, anomic individual.
c. Religion serves to integrate the person into the society. It is functionally useful for
people to grow up identifying with a particular place or nation, to strengthen a
person’s sense of national commitment, especially if either religion or nation
come under threat.
3. Collective conscience – religion unites people in moral ways
a. The group affirms its belief in the central values through its commitment to the
religious system. These sentiments produce “value consensus”
b. Religion thereby generates and maintains the collective conscience. This was
observable in its effects and was open to scientific study just as other social
effects could be studied and analyzed, by collecting relevant statistics, through
careful observation and recording or other experimental methods
c. Durkheim saw society as a moral community, whose members were socialized
into accepting appropriate patterns of behavior over time. This is an unending
process since people are always being integrated into new groups, adopting new
norms, absorbing new values and adapting new patterns of behavior.
d. An orderly social life is only possible when people share moral values, in this
way, society becomes embedded in the individual
4. Socialization and social control – religion represents the value system of the
society
a. It is a conservative force which contributes to moral and wider social order and
stability
b. Many cultural norms are given sacred legitimacy by religious beliefs, e.g. the Ten
Commandments provide a prescription for an orderly lifestyle. By promoting such
values through family. School and church, the process of socialization occurs
 c. Appropriate modes of thinking and behaving are controlled in ways which will
promote the good, orderly society

5. Meaning and purpose – religion gives meaning and purpose to people’s lives

a. In the face of death, disease and the hazards of everyday living, people are
vulnerable to all kinds of disasters beyond their control. Religious beliefs offer
people comfort in times of crisis
b. It is the institution which gives people the strength to continue and promotes the
long-term maintenance of society as a result.

Techniques of Religion
The practice of religion pertains to the general acts followed by the Laity in accordance
with the religious requirements. This points to the overt conduct of the laity or believers
performing the beliefs and feelings.

Prayer – This is the communication to the Supernatural Being through speech or

thoughts. It simply means conversation with the Almighty.

Divination – It is the elevation of a person’s weak state to GOD. It is process of which a

man strive to perfect his imperfection (Bernardo, 2016)

Ceremony – This refers to a number of interconnected rituals done at specific time and
place. Examples of these are Holy Mass, solemnizing marriage, priest’s ordination
and tedium

Sacrifice – This is expressing reverence to GOD or any perceived spirits or

supernatural powers. For instance, abstinence and fasting. For the Catholic,
abstinence is not eating meat on Lenten season and Good Friday during Holy Week.
Fasting is having one full meal a day and small meals the rest of the day. Fasting is
simply a sacrifice

Reverence – This pertains to the feeling of awe coupled with love and admiration a
person offers to the Almighty or Supernatural Power
Duty – This tries to please the Almighty by reverent act. For instance, it is the duty of
anyone to follow GOD's Ten Commandments Thou Shall Love Thy Neighbors and
Thou Shall Not Kill.

Rituals – This is a means of sanctification. Sanctification involves act of purification,

supplication and thanksgiving (Schmidt, et. al. 2005) In a simple way rituals are
expected means of performing religious acts. For instance, praying, making the sign of
the cross, processions, way of the cross on Lenten Season - for the Catholics.

Sacred Objects - These are objects attributed to the Supernatural Power such as the
Bible, rosaries, prayer books and crucifix. To the Catholic, the bread and wine
sanctified during Holy Mass is a very sacred symbolism of the life of Jesus Christ

Taboo - This pertains to negative presentation of propitiatory devices or action wherein

a person should refrain from certain act not in conformity with the desire of the Almighty.
It refers to the "thou shall not" behavior For instance, thou shall not practice incest (San
Juan & Centeno, 2011)

Logotherapy: Finding and Creating Meaning

Viktor Frankly refers Human spirit in Logotherapy as that which is uniquely human.
Logotherapy is based on the premise that the human is person motivated by a "will to
meaning,” an inner pull to find meaning. Here is a list of tenets or doctrine that
represents basic principles of logotherapy.

 Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones
 People's main motivation for living is their will to find meaning in Life.
 People have freedom to find meaning in what they do, and what they experience
or at least in the stand they take when faced with certain situation of
unchangeable suffering (Frankl.1959, Retrieved)
According to Frankl, people can discover this meaning in life in three different ways:

1. By creating a work or doing a deed

2. By experiencing something or encountering someone
3. By the attitude people take toward unavoidable suffering and that “everything can
be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedom — to choose one's
attitude in any given set of circumstances" Mostly psychotherapies make
philosophical assumption concerning the human person that cannot be proven
definitely.

Here are Assumptions of Logotherapy:

1. The human being is an entity made of body, mind and spirit. This first
assumption pertains to the body (soma), mind (psyche) and spirit (moos). The
body and mind are what a person has, and the spirit is what a person is.
2. Life has meaning under all situations even the miserable ones. This second
assumption is "ultimate meaning". This is difficult to comprehend but it is
something everyone experienced and it represents an order in a world with laws
that it goes farther beyond human laws.
3. People have freedom to find meaning in what they do and what the experience or
what they stand for. This third assumption is viewed as people's own motivation
for living and acting.
4. People have freedom under all circumstances to achieve the will to find meaning.
The fourth assumption is that that people are free to their will to meaning and this
can be done under any situations.
5. Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decision is to be
meaningful. This fifth assumption states that the meaning of the moment is more
practical in everyday living than ultimate meaning. Unlike ultimate, this meaning
can be found and fulfilled. This can be possible by following the voice of society
or the voice of one's conscience.
 6. The individual is unique. This sixth assumption deals with one's sense of
meaning. This is enhanced by the realization that people are irreplaceable. In
essence, all people are unique with an entity of body, mind and spirit. All go
through unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning. All are free
to do these at all times in answer to certain demands.

KEY IDEAS

1. If a group believes that a being is directed by a "vision from God" psychologists do

not attempt to prove or disprove the revelation. Instead, they assess the effects of the
religious experience on the sense of self.

2. Religion deals with one's sense of meaning.

3. Self is affected by cultural factors including religious beliefs in which they achieve to
find meaning in everyday living