Unconscious Spirituality: Toward a Contemporary Conceptualization

Summary

The concept of unconscious spirituality has not been adequately explored in academic literature, despite its presence in various psychotherapeutic theories and practices. This article aims to address this gap by presenting the history and complexity of unconscious spirituality, discussing theories from James, Jung, and Frankl, and concluding with a proposal for defining it as an unperceived connection with the sacred and one's true self. The authors hope to contribute to a more inclusive understanding of this concept.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Until now, the concept of unconscious spirituality has not received sufficient academic attention. Despite the fact that it surfaces now and then in various psychotherapeutic theories and clinical practice, it lacks appropriate conceptualization. The aim of this article is to address this issue. We shall begin with a short presentation of the history and complexity of the concept of unconscious spirituality. Subsequently, we will discuss at some length the theories of James and Jung, to then focus on the much less explored work of Victor Frankl. Lastly, we will turn to some contemporary clinical theories and conclude with a proposal for defining unconscious spirituality as an unperceived connection with the sacred, especially as a connection with one’s true self or spiritual core. We hope that this will be a meaningful contribution to developing a more inclusive and universal conceptualization of unconscious spirituality.

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