Spiritually Sensitive Psychoanalysis: A Contemporary Introduction

163 Pages·2023·5.958 MB·English

by  Gideon Lev

“A moving, searching book in which psychoanal-
ysis and spirituality nourish, add to and enrich one
another as complex, multidimensional realities
continue to grow. Through interaction of overlap-
ping experiential practices, possibilities of the human
find new life. My congratulations to Gideon Lev for
undertaking the task of doing each domain justice,
while bringing out the power of their communion in
clinical practice and appreciative reflection.”
Michael Eigen PhD, author of The Psychoanalytic
Mystic, Faith, and Kabbalah and Psychoanalysis
“Lev’s book is both modest and extremely ambitious.
He recognises that there has been a ‘spiritual turn’ in
psychoanalytic therapy. He didn’t invent spiritually
sensitive psychoanalysis. But his achievement is to
demonstrate a deep understanding that there remains
a pressing need to mainstream this turn so that it
ceases to be niche, or remain the property of ‘transper-
sonal’ or ‘Jungian’ therapies. The original way in which
the book is structured achieves this important and
timely goal. Of equal significance is the broad range
of spiritual and religious traditions upon which Lev
draws. This represents a necessary ecumenicalism. At
a time when the fastest growing approach to spiritual-
ity is termed SBNR (spiritual but not religious), it is
the moment for psychoanalysis to make a somewhat
different contribution than it has up to now. Maybe
spiritually sensitive psychoanalysis is a new tradition
within which spirit coils weaves its web? And maybe
this book will find its way onto all relevant reading
lists?”
Andrew Samuels PhD, author of Persons, Passions,
Psychotherapy, Politics and A New Anatomy of
Spirituality

Spiritually Sensitive Psychoanalysis
This book provides an accessible introduction to spirit-
ually sensitive psychoanalysis, an analytic tradition
characterized by sensitivity to the spiritual and religious
dimensions of human life and oriented towards spiritual
growth.
Psychoanalysis has historically evinced severe suspi-
cion to all ideas and ideals of religion and spirit. However,
in recent years, a new analytic approach is emerging,
which recognizes faith and spirituality as crucial parts of
full, satisfying psychic life. This book explores the unique
ways in which this approach refers to and understands
core analytic issues such as transference, interpretation,
psychopathology and psychic development. It goes on to
expound the approach’s understanding of the analytic
relationship and the way it influences the spiritual person.
It also discusses the tensions arising between this emerg-
ing school of thought and the existing body of psychoan-
alytic knowledge.
Psychoanalysis is a practice that deals with the most
profound questions of life and creates shifts in the way
reality is perceived. Discussing freely and deeply its
spiritual aspects and aspirations will enlighten ana-
lysts new to the emerging spiritually sensitive tradition,
as well as those who are more familiar with it, and who
are looking for a comprehensive description of this fresh
approach to analysis.
Gideon Lev, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, philosopher and
spiritual seeker. He teaches at Tel Aviv University and is a
staff writer for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. His previous
books are llove (2015) and Truth Love Faith: A Psychoana-
lytic and Historic Look at the Meaning of Life (2018).
Routledge Introductions to Contemporary
Psychoanalysis
Aner Govrin, Ph.D.
Series Editor
Tair Caspi, Ph.D.
Executive Editor
Yael Peri Herzovich
Assistant Editor
“Routledge Introductions to Contemporary Psychoanal-
ysis” is one of the prominent psychoanalytic publishing
ventures of our day. It will comprise dozens of books that
will serve as concise introductions dedicated to influen-
tial concepts, theories, leading figures and techniques
in psychoanalysis covering every important aspect of
psychoanalysis.
The length of each book is fixed at 40,000 words.
The series’ books are designed to be easily accessible to
provide informative answers in various areas of psycho-
analytic thought. Each book will provide updated ideas
on topics relevant to contemporary psychoanalysis – from
the unconscious and dreams, projective identification and
eating disorders, through neuropsychoanalysis, colonial-
ism and spiritually sensitive psychoanalysis. Books will
also be dedicated to prominent figures in the field, such
as Melanie Klein, Jaque Lacan, Sandor Ferenczi, Otto
Kernberg and Michael Eigen.
Not serving solely as an introduction for beginners, the
purpose of the series is to offer compendiums of infor-
mation on particular topics within different psychoana-
lytic schools. We ask authors to not only review a topic
but also address the readers with their own personal views
and contribution to the specific chosen field. Books will
make intricate ideas comprehensible without compromis-
ing their complexity.
We aim to make contemporary psychoanalysis more
accessible to both clinicians and the general educated
public.
Aner Govrin – Editor
Psychoanalytic Field Theory: A Contemporary
Introduction
Giuseppe Civitarese
Psychoanalysis and Colonialism: A Contemporary
Introduction
Sally Swartz
W.R. Bion’s Theories of Mind: A Contemporary
Introduction
Annie Reiner
Herbert Rosenfeld: A Contemporary Introduction
Robert Hinshelwood
Neuropsychoanalysis: A Contemporary Introduction
Georg Northoff
Spiritually Sensitive Psychoanalysis: A Contemporary
Introduction
Gideon Lev
Psychoanalysis and Homosexuality: A Contemporary
Introduction
Leezah Hertzmann and Juliet Newbigin
Melanie Klein: A Contemporary Introduction
Penelope Garvey
Spiritually Sensitive
Psychoanalysis
A Contemporary Introduction
Gideon Lev
Designed cover image: © Michal Heiman, Asylum
1855-2020, The Sleeper (video, psychoanalytic
sofa and Plate 34), exhibition view, Herzliya
Museum of Contemporary Art, 2017
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an
informa business
© 2023 Gideon Lev
The right of Gideon Lev to be identified as author
of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including
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storage or retrieval system, without permission in
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Trademark notice: Product or corporate names
may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library
ISBN: 978-0-367-54865-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-54866-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-09093-9 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003090939
Typeset in Times New Roman
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
Contents
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction: A breath of life 1
PART I
Spirituality in context 11
1 Things in heaven and earth: Psychoanalysis
and spirit 13
2 A very peculiar science: A brief cultural
history of psychoanalysis 24
PART II
A spiritual model 41
3 Religious instinct, sacred unconscious
and the area of faith: Towards a new
model of the psyche 43