Anthology of psychology. Part 2. Christian psychology.

 Hello. Today I want to talk to you about Christian psychology. Last time we briefly acquainted with the main currents of secular psychology. Recall that the basic principle of today's most popular psychological schools, is materialism. 

 What is Orthodox psychology and how does it differ from popular secular psychological teachings? 

 The main difference of Christian psychology from the secular, is that Christian psychology looks at man as a spiritual being. While secular psychology looks at a human as a material being and denies the spiritual essence of man. It should be clear that in Christianity psychology under the spirit refers to the mind and its components: thinking, memory and imagination. The spirit is a person and according to what Christianity claims the spirit (personality) is indestructible (eternal). The spirit is primary, matter is secondary.

 Human nature is unique. It is amazing how connected the two worlds: spiritual and material. Unfortunately secular psychology denies the human spirit, essentially abandoning the existence of the individual. Claiming that man is the pinnacle of evolution, secular psychology reduces man to the level of the animal. 

 Christian psychology, by contrast, concentrates on the center of the human personality, the spirit.
From the spirit emanates the thought, the thought creates a desire, desire leads to action. Christian psychology is the science of the soul.

 Let us dwell on the two components of man: the spiritual and the material.
Everything that can be perceived sensually, measure, see, touch, smell, hold, explores secular psychology, thus limiting its capabilities. 

 If you examine a man only on the level of sense perception, then the person can be perceived only as biological and physiological object which has biology, physiology and psyche. The psyche is the fact that concentrated in the Central nervous system. Secular psychology and psychotherapy is precisely this materialistic approach, all the mental functions of a human connects with the brain. Secular psychology, psychiatry and medicine only affects the brain in the brain to find the causes of all mental disorders and human diseases.

 Christian psychology looks into the depths of the human spirit. As we have said, the spirit is the source of everything. All that is good and evil, good and bad, moral and immoral, honest and false. What is the spirit of man, so are thoughts, and therefore of the case. Man as a vessel and to fill the vessel, this choice. Sweet source is running sweet water from a bitter source, bitter. 

 Christian psychology says that man is the image and likeness of God, in other words, God with a small letter. The only question is, what the person filled? Man is given freedom of choice, is the most valuable gift that man possesses. That is what filled the man all of his life, not only him, but all the people who surround him.

 The Christian psychology is based on sacred Scripture, patristic teaching and the experience of the Church. Patristic teachings reveal to man the endless possibilities of self-knowledge. Reading them, people are able to see another side of you, really (no dreamy) assess yourself and get really useful advice. The best psychologists are Holy. They are his life showed and proved that people are able to get rid of passions (psychological issues, diseases and disorders). What Maslow and Freud said in the 20th century have been studied in detail and described the saints in the "Philokalia" and other creations.

 Reading the saints, we will find the answer to any question interesting us. Affects depth and wisdom of the patristic teachings.
Christian psychology gives a huge amount of theory, and most importantly offers a person the real way, which passed, people will change their soul, will find true joy, learn to overcome any difficulties. 

 People need role models, by the way, looking at which we would say: "Yes, I want to be like that also want to live and to enjoy life." And here are the essential images of the saints. Patristic teaching it as a guide as Navigator, show man the right way.

 You ask why the saints? 

In fact many in the world are decent, honest, educated, educated people to whom we can look up to. This is true, but the saints were equal to God was to make any sacrifice even to death, if only to get closer to God. To draw near means to be healed, to be purified, to become Holy. Unfortunately, few of us capable of such a feat.

 So the Christian psychology on the basis of the patristic teaching is the most available "a lighthouse in a stormy darkness of our time, which will direct us to the right path, the Path to God. 

 Patristic teaching is a topic for another post. Next time I will try to introduce you to some of the patristic teachings.

 Thanks to all who read, I hope the information presented was useful for you. 

 Finish your post Athos saying:  "Watch where you're going, and then come where you look". (Simeon Afonskiy)