You and Religion

THE

ENTHUSIATIC

REACTION TO "DEPTH

PSYCHOLOGY

IN RELIGION", A TALK GIVEN BY LEO J. ZEFF, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, PRINTED IN THE JANUARY ISSUE OF THE LADDER, PROMPTED THE DOB TO HAVE

A SPEAKER AGAIN IN MAY. THE FOLLOWING

HIM AS

IS A RE-

PORT ON THE TALK GIVEN AT THAT TIME ON "WHAT THE EASTERN PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS CAN MEAN

To You".

"ESSENTIALLY, IHAVE COME TO CONSIDER PSYCHOTHERAPY TO BE A RELIGIOUS PROCESS," MR. ZEFF DECLARED. NOT THAT ITS GOAL IS TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE FAITHFUL CHURCH MEMBERS, BUT THAT IT IS A PROCESS WHEREBY THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE PSYCHOTHERAPIST WORK TOGETHER SO THAT THE INDIVIDUAL CAN DISCOVER AND COME TO REALIZE THE HIGHEST VALUES IN HIS LIFE, WHICH IS WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE ALSO THE GOAL FOR RELIGION.

"THIS STUDY HAS BEEN THE RESULT OF AN INTENSIVE EXPLORATION OF EASTERN PHILOSOPHIES AND RELIGIONS MADE NOT ONLY FROM AN ACADEMIC POINT OF VIEW BUT INCLUDING TO SOME DEGREE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE WAY OF LIFE RELATED IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE SAGES WHO ARE BEING

PRESENTED HERE. IN ADDITION, IT INEVITABLY DRAWS UPON 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A PSYCHOTHERAPIST."

MR. ZEFF POINTED OUT THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TEACHINGS OF THE EASTERN SAGES, CHRISTIANITY AND MODERN DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY. "THIS SIMILARITY DID NOT BECOME APPARENT," HE POINTED OUT, "UNTIL I WAS APLE TO PUT ASIDE ALL OVERLAYS AND DISTORTIONS OF THE TEACHINGS THEMSELVES AND PENETRATE TO THE HEART OF THE WISDOM OF THESE SAGES' OWN WORDS."

INHERENT IN THE PROBLEM OF BRINGING THE EAST AND WEST TOGETHER IS THE GREAT DIFFERENCE IN GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARD LIFE OF THE TWO CULTURES, HE SAID. "THE EASTERNER DEFINES LIFE IN TERMS OF 'BEING', THE WESTERNER IN TERMS OF 'ACTION'. PEOPLE OF THE EAST ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHO' AND 'WHAT THEY ARE; PEOPLE OF THE WEST ARE MORE CONCERNED WITH 'WHAT' AND 'HOW MUCH THEY CAN DO. IN ADDITION, PEOPLE OF THE EAST ARE MORE PREOCCUPIED WITH LIVING THE KIND OF LIFE