Mystical Experience as an Expression of the Idealizing Self object Need †Theology Paper

Mystical Experience as an Expression of the Idealizing Self object Need – Theology Paper Free Online Research Papers Mystical Experience as an Expression of the Idealizing Self object Need Theology Paper As the other in the religious conversion is perfect and infallible, the experience of merger achieves the felt quality of perfection rendering the transformed self perfect as well. The merger with God may offer the opportunity for a relationship that circumvents the demands of relationships with separate others who have wishes and needs of their own. (Ullman, 1989, p.147.) Introductory Comments about Religion and Psychology Throughout history human beings have reported experiences interpreted variously as spiritual, transcendent, religious, or mystical. Karen Armstrong (1993) called this an arresting characteristic of the human mind and a fact of life (p. xxi). Rudolph Otto (1923) referred to homo religiosus as a way of describing this uniquely human interest in the divine. Rolland challenged Freud about his omission of this aspect of religious experience in Future of an Illusion (1927). Freuds response was dismissive on two counts: first and most interesting, he had not experienced this oceanic feeling, and secondly, he thought it could be understood as a regressive phenomenon originating in infantile maternal longings. Laski (1961) wrote about the rare joy and feeling of contact with ultimate meaning of transcendent origin in ecstatic experiences. These experiences were not restricted to particular religious triggers. Maslow (1964; 1966) investigated peak experiences of contact with th e holy or sacred, the beauty of nature, and feelings of harmony with the universe. These were not rare and exotic experiences, but rather the pinnacle of his need hierarchy. And most recently, Jeffrey Rubin (1996; 1997) describes non-self-centered subjectivity: . . . a psychological-spiritual phenomenon that is implicated in a range of adaptive contexts . . . It is something many people have experienced, for example, creating art, participating in athletics or religious experiences, or in love. It is characterized by heightened attentiveness, focus, and clarity, attunement to the other as well as to self, non-self-preoccupied exercise of agency, a sense of unity and timelessness, and non-self-annulling immersion in whatever one is doing in the present (1997, p. 80) For the purpose of this chapter, I have chosen to delimit this range of experiences to particular kinds of mystical experiences in which there is an element of what Evelyn Underhill (1912) called the unitive feeling what is psychologically called a merger experience. Ellwood (1999) regards mysticism as an interpretive category and defines it as: . . . experience in a religious context that is immediately or subsequently interpreted by the experiencer as a direct, unmediated encounter with ultimate divine reality. This experience engenders a deep sense of unity and suggests that during the experience the experiencer was living on a level of being other than the ordinary. (p. 39) The attempt to understand mysticism psychologically has a history as long as psychology itself beginning with the French psychopathology tradition, continuing into German studies in psychology of religion, and on to the American psychologists of religion working at the turn of the twentieth century. James Leuba, a member of the Clark school (a program in religious psychology founded by G. Stanley Hall in the late 1800s), was convinced that religious experience lacked a transcendent object and could be explained entirely by psycho-physiological processes. He was perhaps the only American at the time to take such a strict point of view. There were many apologists. Henri Delacroix (1908) thought mystics possess a special aptitude for a rich subconscious life and that the stages of a mystics life represent new and creative existence. While not exactly an apologist, Theodore Flournoy (1903a), Swiss psychologist and friend of William James, suggested the principle of the exclusion of the transcendent as necessary for a genuine psychology of religion. He argued psychologists are not in a position to affirm or reject the independent existence of a religious object and should confine themselves to observation and understanding. The Gifford Lectures of 1901-1902 resulted in the premier psychology of religion at the time, William James The Varieties of Religious Experience. James assumed the same stance toward the religious object as Flournoy, and so have many others since. In psychoanalytic circles, Rizzutos Birth of the Living God (1979) has already become classic. She explains her position:This book is exclusively a clinical, psychoanalytical study of postulated superhuman beings as experienced by those who do and do not believe in them Questions about the actual existence of God do not pertain here. My method enables me to deal only with psychic experiences. Those among my patients who believe are unshakeable in their conviction that God is a very live person. To understand them I must accept that belief as a reality to them. (1979, pp. 3-4) More recent psychoanalytic treatments of religion, notably those of Jones (1991) and Rubin (1996; 1997) have called for a mutually (if not reciprocal) influencing relationship. Psychoanalysis is challenged by religion to examine its own idolatries, values, self-care ethic, and pathologizing tendencies. Religion is challenged to examine its uncritical self-idealization and the ways in which its practices and beliefs may promote or sustain psychopathology. Wulff calls for the principle of inclusion of the transcendent to give transcendence the prominence it deserves without reifying it or identifying it with any one tradition or set of symbols (1997, p. 645). Self psychology represents an example of a moderate position in its interpretation of religion, and suggests in contrast to the previous positions, that religious experience, belief and practice may be understood as an expression of the state of the self and its particular life-long needs for a sense of being special, a need for the experience of alikeness, and a need for affiliation with the admired. These selfobject needs for mirroring, twinship, and idealization may all be operative in mystical experiences and in experiences of the divine, as well as in adherence to particular religious beliefs and practices. Self Psychology with its developmental trajectories for each selfobject need, recognizes that the mere presence of religion does not automatically convey the meaning, function, or derivation of the experience within the personality. Clinicians countertransference or confusion about how to deal with the material, often results in religion being pathologized or ignored. Her ein lies the relevance of Meissners (1984) observation that many religious people are very anxious about exploring the unconscious dimensions of their faith, lest it be psychologized away, and the relevance of Kohuts observation that the insights of the psychology of the self enable us to shed our intolerant attitude toward religion . . . (1978). This chapter will explore certain aspects of mystical experience as an expression of the idealizing selfobject need. Kohuts developmental continuum of idealization will be reviewed with attention to optimal developmental experience and to expressions of pathological (or archaic) forms of idealization. The cases of Mr. X and Mr. U in Restoration (1977) and the implications of the idealizing selfobject need for a psychology of mystical/religious/spiritual experience are considered. The chapter concludes with the clinical vignette of Mr. S, the mystical experience he reported in light of the selfobject needs expressed inside and outside the treatment, and a series of questions for. The Idealizing Selfobject Need and Its Relation to Religious Experience In discussing the selfobject functions of religion, Kohut gave more attention to idealization than to mirroring or twinship. In some ways, idealization has the most obvious link to religion with its fundamental desire to merge with or affiliate oneself with the calming perfection and omnipotence of the selfobject. The object of mystical experience is often described with reference to power and perfection. The need or motivation for idealizing selfobject experience derives from the childs experience of the loss of his or her original sense of narcissistic perfection. The idealizing need reflects one strategy to the problem of recovering a sense of perfection. The self attempts to merge or affiliate with the perfect other sharing in the others perfection, thereby protecting oneself from an empty and depleted sense of a defective self. A more technical definition is offered in Analysis of the Self (1971):It is the state in which, after being exposed to the disturbance of the psycho logical equilibrium of primary narcissism, the psyche saves a part of the lost experience of global narcissistic perfection by assigning it to an archaic, rudimentary (transitional) self-object, the idealized parental imago. (p. 37) The idealizing experience and related inevitable disappointments in life (optimal frustrations) result in the internalization of basic values and ideals. In addition, the earliest merger experiences provide the foundation for development of the capacity to calm and soothe oneself, to manage anxiety without undue difficulty, to regulate inner tension. Eating disorders, substance abuse, compulsive sexual activity, and perhaps delinquent behavior are all evidence, at least in part, of a deficit in the capacity to soothe oneself, and by inference, of an early disturbance in the experience of the idealized selfobject. The Developmental Continuum of the Idealizing Need The earliest point on the developmental trajectory of the idealizing selfobject need is experienced by the infant as a merger with the stable, calm, non-anxious, powerful, wise, protective selfobject that possesses the qualities the self lacks (Wolf, 1988, p. 55). Kohut (1971) described the experience of the child feeling bereft and insignificant without constant union with the selfobject who possesses these idealized qualities. Development progresses toward being able to recognize details of the environment more clearly; and beyond being able to love and hate (Kohut, 1971, p.38). The later, or more mature end of the continuum is illustrated by the capacity to be sustained by and to feel secure in the empathic resonance (rather than merger) with the idealized selfobject. The calming functions and ideals of the selfobject have been internalized and assimilated, becoming psychological structures within the self. Imperfections are observed in (reality) without resorting to splittin g defenses in which everything is either all good or all bad. The self learns to recognize and accept that the ideal is not ideal (Kohut in Elson, 1987, p. 81). Merger with the idealized selfobject and the requirement of perfection in the other gradually give way to a clearer and more realistic sense of the surround. This occurs through a process of de-idealization and transmuting internalization in which the child experiences incremental disappointments in an empathic environment and becomes increasingly realistic about the idealized parent imago. Kohut suggested, for example, that the experience of a childs undetected lie by the parents introduces the fact that the parents are not omniscient. Kohut also speculated that a maturational readiness to perform the function, as well as some withdrawal of the function by the selfobject would enhance the more mature development of the idealizing need (Kohut in Elson, 1987, p.98). To summarize, the developmental trajectory of the idealized selfobject experience begins in a merger with the perfect other in an effort to manage tension regulation and feelings of insignificance and imperfection. In the oedipal phase, acceptance of the childs idealizing needs plays a crucial role in superego formation and in the formation of gender identity. In adolescence and young adulthood, more advanced cognitive development permits the recognition of parental shortcomings. Often, idealization needs are directed to the peer group and popular culture until the adolescent and young adult have internalized his or her own set of ideals, values, and goals. Wolf noted the adolescents own values consist of partly parental, partly cultural, and partly a critique of both (1988, p. 58). In old age, there is a need to idealize community and to be confirmed as an especially valuable guide and model for the communitys ideals (Wolf, 1988, p. 60). Effects of Developmentally Inadequate Idealization Experience Generally speaking, insufficient empathy for the childs idealizing needs results in the continuation of archaic expressions of idealization into adulthood. Insufficient empathy may be characterized by a rejection of the childs idealizations, or by sudden loss of or extensive disappointment in the idealized selfobject, such as may occur in situations of divorce, substance abuse, domestic violence, or death. Wolf described the ideal-hungry personality as being able to experience him or herself worthwhile only by finding selfobjects to whom they can look up and by whom they can feel accepted (Wolf, 1988, p. 73). It is worth noting here that Ullman (1989) observed many converts were struggling with feelings of unworthiness and low-self-esteem prior to their religious or spiritual experiences. Excessive frustration in infancy and early childhood may result in difficulty sleeping (self-soothing) and difficulty managing anxiety. Traumatic disappointment up to and through the oedipal phase seriously interferes with the capacity to assume functions related to positive idealizing experiences (i.e., structuralization) and may result in a kind of developmental fixation, a renewed insistence on, and search for, an external object of perfection (Kohut, 1971, p. 44). There can be gross identification with the lost parent rather than an internalizing of structure (identification as a counter to the experience of mourning, Freud, 1917 E). In Restoration of the Self (1977), Kohut discussed the case of Mr. U in which there was significant failed maternal empathy and the development of a fetish. An attempt to idealize the father followed. The idealizing function the mother might have allowed Mr. U, as an infant, was a merger with her strength and calmness, thus assisting him to develop a capacity for self-soothing. Instead he resorted to stroking his own skin and the soft selfobject surrogates of his fetish. The turn to the father at this juncture is considered a secondary idealization. The father rejected Mr. Us attempts to use him as an idealized parent imago and therefore Mr. U had no opportunity to obtain self-soothing structures through this potential merger, nor any opportunity to incrementally experience de-idealizations allowing integration of the selfobjects shortcomings. This resulted in two opposite responses to the disappointment: 1) Mr. U became despairing and hopeless about an unreachable ideal, and 2 ) the ideal was regarded as worthless; he became superior to it (Kohut, 1977, pp. 56-57). The archaic grandiose self was reactivated in response to the injury of being rebuffed by the idealized parent imago. Kohuts further notation has relevance for understanding the function of religious experience. Mr. U created,. . . a psychological situation of merger with a nonhuman selfobject that he totally controlled, and thereby deprived himself of the opportunity to experience the structure-building optimal failures of a human selfobject. (1977, p.56) In a similar vein, Kohut (1984) revisited this notion of creating substitute selfobjects through visual imagery when there seemed to be no plausible selfobjects in ones environment. Specifically, he suggested a self psychology refinement of the concept of regression-in-service-of-the-ego and spoke of a positive evaluation of the capacity to conjure up the presence of individuals [in order] to carry out acts of supreme courage (Kohut, 1984, p. 76). He had in mind martyred resisters to the Nazis. In noting the selfobject transference in the treatment situation as a new edition of the relation between the self and selfobject in early life, Kohut reported several cases with religious preoccupations. In one case he was treating (during the early stages of his self psychology theory development), Kohut consistently refused the patients idealization. She became deeply religious and continued the unresolved idealizing transference in an intense religious experience (Kohut in Elson, 1987, p. 77). Regarding his work with a young man whose idealized father died when he was nine years old, and who expressed interest in the figures of Gandhi, Jesus, and Martin Luther King, Kohut concluded, There is a shift from the attempt to regain a lost personified strong ideal to a religious-like drifting attitude toward the world (Kohut in Elson, 1987, p. 286). It was Kohuts experience that when a treatment ended with an incompletely analyzed idealizing transference, the patient often became preoccupied with religion or broad religious attitudes. Kohut explicitly said he was not adverse to religion, but that in some patients he felt the religious interest was psychologically obligatory and not freely chosen. In one case, the religious interest was maintained all the time against reality resulting in a pollyannaish attitude that everyone was good, an attitude that mitigated against a more needed realism in the patients job and his hiring practices (Kohut in Elson, 1987, p. 287). In Restoration (1977), the case of Mr. X illustrates again the pathological implications of an inadequate idealized parent imago. He presented himself to Kohut with an interest in joining the Peace Corps and with a Christ-identification, both of which Kohut came to regard as the carriers of an archaic grandiose self. One aspect of his difficulties had been the mothers interference with Mr. Xs idealization of his father. The structural defects that resulted were dealt with by concretized erotic enactments. For example, Mr. X. would feel suffused with idealized masculine strength when he imagined himself crossing his penis with the penis of the priest as he was receiving the Host. Kohut understood it necessary to shift Mr. X from an addictive erotic representation to a reactivation in the transference of Mr. Xs relation to his father, the idealized selfobject. This required shedding the Christ-identification his mother had fostered in her Bible reading to him and simultaneously di sengaging the father-surrogate, God, which had represented his mothers unconscious imago of her own father (1977, p. 218). While Kohut theorized the possibility that participating in religion or spirituality could meet appropriate selfobject needs, it is clear that he also viewed involvement in things religious as potentially serving pathological or defensive functions within the personality. Implications for Religious Belief and Experience The developmental fate of the idealized parent imago, whether mature or archaically vulnerable to narcissistic injury, may find expression in some form of spirituality. Whether in particular theological beliefs or in varieties of religious experience, the need to affiliate with perfection can often be observed in both the characterizations of the divine as well as in the emotional longings which precede many conversion experiences. Ullman (1989) interviewed converts to Catholicism, Judaism, Hinduism, and the Bahai faith and concluded that the religious realities of these converts consisted primarily of the promise of unconditional love and protection by a figure perceived as infallible, rather than in an ideological search for the truth (p. 191). Kohut introduced the consideration of mystical experience and nature religion in his discussion of archaic idealizing needs and the concept of fuzzy idealism. He noted two expressions of fuzzy idealism in religious experience. The first related to what he called vague religious preoccupations which lacked focus upon a clearly delimited admired figure (1971, p. 85). As noted above, idealizing transferences deflected by the therapist that remain unengaged in the treatment sometimes resulted in the patients turn to religion or spirituality. The predisposition for such a turn related to early developmental disruptions in the idealized selfobject experience. Secondly, the early loss of or traumatic disappointment in an idealized figure sometimes resulted later in an interest in nature religion or philosophy (e.g., Thoreaus work). The appeal of these experiences is the absence of a human being experienced as selfobject who may disappoint again. The fuzziness of these idealizations p rotects the believer from a certain form of narcissistic injury while at the same time providing a needed experience of idealization. Kohut also observed the not infrequent presence of a tendency to mystical merger experiences in archaic expressions of the idealizing selfobject need. The dynamic of merger was the key focus for Kohut and suggested to him a response to earlier developmental expressions of this selfobject need. It is significant to note that he discussed both healthy and pathological forms of merger. Healthy merger must be initiated from the mature aspect of the personality, should not be the only automatic response to stress, should be controlled and controllable, should be a choice, and should be capable of tolerating delay (Kohut in Elson, 1987). In contrast, pathological merger experiences in adulthood are a response to the inadequately fulfilled, phase appropriate merger needs of childhood. Kohut noted that in actual behavior, though there is a longing for an intense archaic merger experience, the more typical protective response is a strict avoidance of circumstances and experiences that mi ght provoke a feared regression and a loss of control. In psychology of religion studies, there is basic agreement as to the major characteristics of mystical experience regardless of era or tradition (James, 1902; Underhill, 1911; Leuba, 1925; Otto, 1923; Stace, 1961; Hood, 1975, 1977, 1978; Ellwood 1999). James concluded The Varieties with an observation about mysticism: personal religious experience has its root and centre in mystical states of consciousness (p.292). He had suggested four marks that justify the name of mystical: 1) ineffability the experience is difficult to articulate (p. 292); 2) noetic quality new states and depths of insight which are ususally authoritative for the individual (p. 293); 3) transiency the experience lasts no more than one-two hours; 4) passivity . . . the mystic feels as if his [or her] own will were in abeyance, and indeed sometimes as if he [or she] were grasped and held by a superior power. (p. 293) An additional characteristic discussed is union. This overcoming of all the usual barriers between the individual and the Absolute is the great mystic achievement. In mystic states we both become one with the Absolute and we become aware of our oneness (1902, p. 321). Following a review of the literature, Ellwood concluded, . . . what the pattern finally says is simply that there is a direction toward union in the serious spiritual life. While common motifs may appear, no two advances toward union are the same (1999, p. 175). A few brief quotations illustrate this characteristic longing for union. From Catherine of Sienna, a thirteenth century mystic: My me is God (in Flinders, 1993). From Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, about her conversion to Roman Catholicism: . . . but I wanted to be poor, chaste, and obedient. I wanted to die in order to live, to put off the old man and put on the Christ. I loved, in other words, and like all women in love, I wanted to be united to my love (1952/1981, p. 149). Thomas Merton, a 20th century priest and theologian, wrote poignantly of the longing to close the distance he felt between himself and God: My God it is the gap and the distance that kills me. That is the only reason why I desire solitude to be lost to all created things, to die to them and the knowledge of them . . . For I knew it was only by leaving them that I could come to you (1948, p. 461).The experience of union or merger in mystical experience is a controversial topic in r eligious and psychological circles. Merton (1966) suggested regressive features in mystical experience are not uncommon and are even necessary to attain the earlier stages of the experience, but that deeper experiences should be beyond regressive elements. Though Mertons attitude seems open, the rejection of regressive elements in deeper, presumably more mature kinds of mystical experience suggests an equating of regression with pathology. Traditional psychoanalysis has regarded mystical experience as a regression to the narcissistic state of the infant. However, as noted earlier, Kohut recognized the narcissistic dimensions of religious experience, allowing for both archaic and mature transformations of narcissism. Self psychology brings a more complex psychological understanding to these phenomena. It appreciates how the seeking of union or merger may manifest as a psychologically regressive phenomenon, but may be in the service of the ego in utilizing religious experience to realize the nuclear program of ambitions and the actualization of certain ideals (e.g., Gandhi or Day). Or, in mystical experiences, the merger may assuage the narcissistic vulnerability of possible re-traumatization with idealizing selfobjects. As Ullman noted (1989), merger with God protects from the demands of other relationships at greater risk for disappointment and thus the possibility of increased awareness of ones imperfections. Clinical Vignette In the clinical setting it is sometimes difficult to clearly separate specific selfobject needs from one another, and in this case there are significant mirroring needs as well as the idealizing focus of this chapter. Mr. S was a single, 28 yr. old graduate student, who sought psychotherapy for a long-standing problems with anxiety. In the second hour, he reported a life-changing event that he regarded as a mystical experience. I saw him intensively for one and a half years until an external situation necessitated a move out of state. He traced the beginning of his anxiety back to seventh grade when he began wondering about the nature of the universe. Was it predominantly benevolent or not? What was real? How did he know that this life was not just a part of a dream God might be having? What was the meaning of life?. He suffered much internal anguish and in the face of being unable to resolve these questions, put them aside. In the tenth grade, Mr. S experienced another expression of anxiety in the form of an obsession about his own mortality (the father was also afraid of death and hyper-vigilant about safety and contagion). At age 22, Mr. S suffered the most intense and nearly debilitating outbreak of anxiety yet, related to beginning a practicuum following college. He was aware of panic about doing a good job. The intensity of these attacks gradually abated, though he continued to experience a fairly consistent internal sense of dis-ease and anxiety that eluded his understanding. Family History Mr. S was the youngest child in his family and throughout the therapy, Mr. S said relatively little about his siblings or his parents. Mother died several years previous to the treatment after a protracted illness that began while Mr. S was in high school. The anxiety attacks had begun shortly after she left the family home requiring institutional care. Mothers illness and death were understood as connected in a significant way to Mr. Ss feelings that he should be doing something important with his life, perhaps as a way of redeeming her suffering. He thought this feeling had motivated him earlier to pursue leadership positions and to initiate charitable activities. Mr. S reported some fairly nominal involvement in mainstream Protestantism during his childhood. He recalled that in fourth grad, he was interested in god and the Devil for three or four months, and then had little or no interest in religion for another ten years. He was confirmed in eighth grade, but said it had meant nothing to him. He described himself as an agnostic who wanted to believe, but experienced himself in his early twenties as being frightened about closing his eyes to pray. He made a few efforts to attend retreat weekends and to do some reading in psychology and religion, but found these too emotionally taxing, at least until he had a life-changing conversion experience. The Religious Experience In the second session and with a great deal of hesitance about my response, Mr. S related a very significant experience, the details of which were more fully disclosed over the following months. He had been out with his girlfriend and was driving them back to her house. They had not been getting along very well and were in the midst of an argument when she turned to him and said, You are so self-centered. Before Mr. S could respond, he felt something coming into him and had to pull the car over because he could not concentrate on driving. He felt pervaded with an unconditional love that he had never before experienced, a sort of cosmic orgasm. He experience adoration for the Godhead and a presence within him. Mr. S felt that God had communicated with him and, in effect, had reassured him about the benevolent nature of the universe. There was nothing for him to fear. He described a vague visual element toward the end of this experience that seemed to be something like a slowl y swirling galaxy. The most intense part of the experience lasted about an hour. Mr. S was left convinced of the reality of God and that his life pursuit should be related in some way to disseminating the truth he had learned. This experience was a critical turning point for Mr. S. Subsequently, he felt a greater tolerance for his anxiety and felt that it had diminished. An earlier sense of needing to do something important with his life in a public arena was reinforced, as well as, confirming a sense of being special. More specifically, Mr. S seemed to identify himself with figures like Martin Luther and Abraham Lincoln in that perhaps like them, his internal suffering was a necessary preparation in order to do great things. Discussion Mr. Ss reactions to the therapeutic relationship seemed to follow Kohuts description of how persons with narcissistic personality disorders respond to empathic breaks, that is, instead of relying on the empathic connection with the therapist, there is a return to archaic selfobject relations. Following a feeling of greater attunement from the therapist, Mr. S would often come to the next session feeling disgruntled about therapy and feeling he expected answers from the therapist which only he could find. Only God could really understand him and I regarded this as regression to an archaic merger. Mr. Ss experiences of anxiety, the function of his religious experience, the confusion he felt about his ambition and his experience of grandiosity are difficulties illustrative of the various disturbances of a narcissistic personality disorder. He demonstrated aspects of a mirroring transference within the therapy (as evidenced by his soliciting my admiration, his vulnerability to mis-attunements, and his identifications with historically great figures). Also present was an extra-therapeutic dimension of an idealizing transference to certain male figures and to his experience of the divine. There were disturbances in at least two sectors of the self, the grandiose-exhibitionistic self and the idealized parental imago. The extent of Mr. Ss anxiety lead to the conclusion that there was a defect in the structure of the self, specifically, a deficiency in the calming structures which serve the self-soothing function of the idealized pole of the self. Kohut (1984) suggested that suc h a defect derived from either a congenital propensity to experience excessive anxiety and/or failure of empathic responses from selfobjects early in life. It can be inferred that Mr. S did indeed experience a failure of idealized maternal and paternal selfobject omnipotent calming, resulting in an adequate capacity for self-soothing. Though his anxieties had manifested in a number of ways, fundamentally it seemed that a disintegration anxiety had been stimulated early in life, a fear of destruction of the self based upon the unavailability of empathic selfobjects. This was related to mothers illness and death, and the loss of selfobject functions that she may have provided and the reactive feelings of being destined to do something great that immediately preceded her death. The emergence of archaic grandiosity could be understood as a defense against the impending loss, against the helplessness he felt as he watched his mothers condition deteriorate, against the demise of the preconscious wish in his dreams to rescue her in order to restore himself, and a retreat from the disappointment in his fathers inability to save the mother. Mr. S felt he needed to be God for himself. A vertical split was observed in his conscious fear of becoming a hamburger-flipping misfit in contrast to his feelings of being destined for great things. Healing these splits then became the underpinning for further psychological development. Mr. Ss experience contained classic mystical characteristics in the difficulty of articulating the experience; the new insight of a truth; transiency (the experience lasted about an hour); and passivity the experience came upon him. The experience may have served, initially, as a defense against a narcissistic injury and the potential fragmentation Mr. S experienced when his girlfriend made the observation of his self-centeredness. The exposure of his archaic grandiosity may have been threatened. The experience also functioned as a merger with a transcendently experienced, omnipotent and calm, idealized selfobject. This experience, and the return to it through less intense experiences of prayer and meditation for relief from anxiety, contained a schizoid quality in its avoidance of human intimacy. It may also have served as a creative adaptation through which Mr. S discovered a new selfobject and attempted to remobilize arrested development in the idealized sectors of his perso nality. The religious dimension of Mr. Ss life was not without its conflicts that expressed disturbances in the spheres of ambition and ideals. Mr. S reported having a great deal of resistance to praying and wondered why, since, There was no other feeling like it. During prayer, Mr. S observed that he had to become aware of himself as human, with difficulties and anxieties; that God was God, and he was not. On the other hand, it was during these times when Mr. S felt best about himself, when he was most real about himself. He felt okay, happy, joyful, and calm with an increased sense of self-esteem. Conclusion This chapter reviewed Kohuts concept of the idealizing selfobject need, its definitions and functions, and its developmental trajectories. The need to affiliate with perfection as a solution to the loss of ones own sense of perfection is especially relevant to a psychological understanding of mystical experience. Certain forms of mysticism function as a form of fuzzy idealism in which disappointment in the experience of human selfobjects is avoided by appealing to a vague sense of perfection. Union or merger dimensions were recognized as an aspect of mysticism, but one that does not automatically assume pathological meaning. The clinical vignette of Mr. S considered the adaptive functions of his religious experience in the consequent lessening of anxiety in his life, as well as how the experience served a protective function against the exposure of archaic grandiosity. A number of questions arise from these explorations. Does a developmental view necessarily have to imply that a merger experience is regressive in a pathological way? Postmodern perspectives challenge these linear models and the maturity morality implicit in them. Can psychological structure be accrued through experiences with a sacred other? Based on perception of the divine as empathic, are experiences of transmuting internalization possible (e.g., unanswered prayer as an optimal frustration)? Might God be viewed as a substitute selfobject created out of the absence of suitable selfobjects in ones environment (see Bacals notion of a fantasy self-object and A. Ornsteins concept of the curative fantasy)? How can the experience of self-transcendence from a self psychology perspective be understood? Are there reciprocal dimensions of influence between the spiritual experience and the therapeutic experience? How does the work in the transference affect ones spiritual experience and how might a spiritual experience affect the working through of a transference? What gender differences may be present in these experiences? Self psychology provides a helpful theoretical framework not only for a psychology of religion, but also for assisting the therapist/analyst in the clinical situation by suggesting a way to understand connections between selfobject needs, the transference, its genetic origins and developmental fate, and the relation of all this to the nature of a patients spiritual experience. Kohuts approach undeniably includes an empathic and therapeutic understanding of things spiritual and offers a deeper grasp of the role and function of this aspect of human experience. Unwittingly, he is very much in concert with that most famous psychologist of religion, William James who a century ago suggested that, To the medical mind these ecstasies signify nothing but suggested and imitated hypnoid states, on an intellectual basis of superstition, and a corporal one of degeneration and hysteria. Undoubtedly these pathological conditions have existed in many and possibly in all cases, but that tells us nothing about the value for knowledge of the consciousness which they induce. To pass a spiritual judgement upon these states, we must not content ourselves with superficial medical talk, but inquire into their fruits. (1902, p. 317) REFERENCES Armstrong, K. 1993. A history of God: the 4000 year quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Day, D. 1952. The long loneliness: An autobiography. San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers (1982). Delacroix, H. 1908. Etudes dhistoire et de psychologie du mysticisme. Les Grand mystiques chretiens. Paris: Felix Alcan. Ellwood, R. S. 1999. Mysticism and religion. Second edition. New York: Seven Bridges Press. Flinders, C.L. 1993. Enduring grace: Living portraits of seven women mystics. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco. Flournoy, T. 1903a. Les principesde la psychologie religieuse. Archives de psychologie, 2, 33-57. Freud, S. 1917E. Mourning and melancholia. In Freud: General psychological theory, pp. 164-179. New York: collier Books, 1963. ______. 1927. The future of an illusion. In The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (24 vols.). Vol. 21, 1961, pp. 1-56. Translated from the German under the general editorship of J. Strachey. London: Hogarth Press, 1953-1974. Goldberg, C. 1996. The privileged position of religion in the clinical dialogue. Clinical social work journal, 24, 125-136. Hood, R. 1975. The construction and preliminary validation of a measure of reported mystical experience of transcendence. Journal for the scientific study of religion, 12, 441-448. ______. 1977. Differential triggering of mystical experience as a function of self-actualization. Review of religious research, 18, 264-270. ______. 1978. Anticipatory set and setting: Stress incongruities as elicitors of mystical experience in solitary nature situations. Journal for the scientific study of religion, 17, 279-287. James, W. 1902. The varieties of religious experience. New York: Longmans Green. Jones, J. 1991. Contemporary psychoanalysis and religion: Transference and transcendence. New Haven: Yale University Press. Kohut, H. 1971. The analysis of the self: A systematic approach in psychoanalytic treatment of narcissistic personality disorders. New York: International Universities Press, Inc. ______. 1977. Restoration of the self. New York: International Universities Press, Inc. ______. 1978. The search for the self: Selected writings of Heniz Kohut: 1978-1981, Vols. I and II. Edited by Paul Ornstein. Madison, Connecticut: International Universities Press, Inc. ______. 1984. How does analysis cure? Chicago: University Press of Chicago. ______. 1987. The Kohut seminars on self psychology and psychotherapy with adolescents and young adults. Edited by Miriam Elson. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. Laski, M. 1961. Ecstasy: A study of some secular and religious experiences. London: Cresset Press. Leuba, J. 1925. The psychology of religious mysticism. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Maslow, A.H. 1964. Religion, values, and peak experiences. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. ______. 1968. Toward a psychology of being. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Meissner, W. 1984. Psychoanalysis and religious experience. New Haven: Yale University Press. Merton, T. 1948. The seven storey mountain. New York: Octagon books, 1978, second printing, 1983. ______. 1966. Comments on Prince and Savages Mystical states and the concept of religion. In the R. M. Bucke memorial society newsletter. Otto, R. 1917. The idea of the holy: An inquiry into the non-rational factor in the idea of the divine and its relation to the rational. Translated by J. W. Harvey. London: Oxford University Press, 1923. Rizzuto, A. 1979. Birth of the living God: A psychoanalytic study. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Rubin, J.B. Psychotherapy and Buddhism: Toward an integration. New York: Plenum. ______. 1997. Psychoanalysis is self-centered. In Soul on the couch: Spirituality, religion, and morality in contemporary psychoanalysis. Edited by C. Spezzano and G.J. Garguilo. Hillsdale, New Jersey: The Analytic Press, pp. 79-108. Stace, W. T. 1960. The teachings of the mystics. New York: New American Library. Ullman, C. 1989. The transformed self: The psychology of religious conversion. New York: Plenum. Underhill, E. 1911. Mysticism. London: Methuen and Co. Wolf, E. S. 1988. Treating the self: Elements of clinical self psychology. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Wulff, D.M. 1997. Psychology of religion: Classic and contemporary. Second Edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Inc. Research Papers on Mystical Experience as an Expression of the Idealizing Self object Need - Theology PaperThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionMind TravelEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Assess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Genetic Engineering

Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Australia - Essay Example Australian government reforms introduced at various points in time has been also contributed to the economic development of this country. In addition sectors such as Mining sector have played a major role in ensuring a good economic growth in Australia. Australia GDP growth Australia gross domestic product rose by 2.6 percent in 2008. Export and the banking industries have also greatly contributed to the impressive economic growth. This paper therefore aims to make an analysis of the economic and cultural situation in Australia and examine the various factors that have contributed the positive growth in Australia. As already seen in paper one Australia is one of the world’s biggest markets and therefore entering Australia for investment requires a lot of hard-work. Before a company ventures into business in Australia it must first of all come up with clear and logical marketing objectives and strategies that will enable the company successfully venture into Australian market. As discussed in paper one new companies that want to enter into the Australian markets are likely to face a number of challenges that include competition from other companies producing similar products and the challenge of familiarizing their company to Australians and ensure that Australians are made aware of the company and its product before it is officially launched. In addition it should also be able to come up with strategies that it can employ to gain control of the product through exports and distribution. New companies must therefore anaylse their marketing objectives and strategies and ensure that measur es taken will enable them successfully enter in Australia as well as continue to remain in the Australian market. This paper will therefore explore the various strategies that the company will employ when venturing into business and come up with mechanisms it intends to use to overcome the possible challenges it is likely to face in order to successfully enter the

How and why did the Industrial Revolution change the class system of Research Paper

How and why did the Industrial Revolution change the class system of Great Britain - Research Paper Example The low class was at the lowest level of the pyramid and was made of majority of the British population who worked in the farms and industries owned by other citizens. The upper class was the top most system and was majorly made of the members of the royal family among other rich and influential members of the societies. The emergence of the industrial revolution in the country created a major shift in the class system in the country, resulting into an upset and the empowerment of the low class citizens. Industrial revolution created a major shift on the traditional class systems in the country and led to the empowerment and enlightenment of the low class. Industrial revolution changed the British social fabric in a number of ways and this influenced the position of the low and high class citizens alike. During this period in the history of Great Britain, the citizens thinking and behavior was confined to their status in the society. This created a situation where emphasis was placed on the position of the family and the place of birth of an individual as opposed to their abilities and skills2. However, the emergence of the industrial revolution during the Victorian period completely changed everything in the country. As opposed to emphasis and focus on the social hierarchy, this period witnessed a shift towards economic class and empowerment. The industrial revolution contributed to the shuttering of the traditional Georgian society and focuses on social class and defined the new Victorian era. The 18th century social changes that were witnessed in Great Britain came as a result of the new invention, legislations and impetus that added to the country’s economy3. Before the industrial revolution, the royal reserve and bank system was under the control of the high class members of the society. Few citizens were allowed to access loans and therefore participate in the different industrial and agricultural

Cybercrime in Todays World Essay Example for Free

Cybercrime in Todays World Essay I have been asked to write a paper concerning cybercrime in the world today. I will go over what cybercrime is, how much it is affecting the United States, possible ways of enforcement and why or why not enforcement would be effective. What is a cybercrime, in your own words? Cybercrime is using computers or technology in order to steal information or to create fake identities over the World Wide Web. It is a growing problem in the world today, especially in countries like China, Japan and the United States where populations are high. Phone scams are another type of cybercrime as people will try to glean vital information from another by pretending to be a grandchild or a salesman. Cyberspace allows people to invade another person’s or company’s computer and download sensitive materials such as social security numbers, birth certificates and tax information. What is the extent of cybercrime in the United States? Computerescape. om says that â€Å"Cybercrime is widespread throughout the United States with 73% of American internet users being victims of cybercrime, either through viruses, online credit card or identity theft†*. With over 300 million Americans in the US, that comes out to 219 million Americans that have been or are currently victims of a cybercriminal. Most of the victims of identity theft are infants and the elderly. My own infant cousin had his social security number stolen shortly after his death. It took several months to recover it. How do you think we should control / enforce cybercrime? I personally believe that the only way to control cybercrime is to attach a major virus to sensitive files, so that when an unauthorized person tries to access it, it attaches itself to that person’s computer, downloads any information regarding the owner of the computer, sends that information to the authorities, and finally scrambles all data on the computer. The authorities will then be able to make an arrest and unscramble the computer so that evidence can be obtained. The offender should then have an appendage cut from their body on national television, so that others thinking of committing the same crime will hopefully be deterred. If the person should offend again, then they should be stoned until dead by the people that they have stolen from. Do you think enforcement can be effective? Why or why not? I don’t think that any type of enforcement would be effective as tracking anything in cyberspace is time consuming and if the person was determined enough, they would find a way around the enforcement. Security cameras are an excellent point. You can have the main points of a store being watched by cameras, but the only places you have issues with theft is in the cameras blind spots. A security system will alert you if someone comes in through a door or window, but isn’t programmed to respond if a person decides to cut a hole in the wall or ceiling and enter the premises without ever tripping the system. If someone wanted to commit a robbery and they knew that a police patrol car passed by every 45 minutes, they would wait until 10 minutes after the patrol car had passed and then rob the business, knowing that it would be at least another 10 minutes before police could respond. Criminals will always find a way to circumvent the enforcers of the law.

Antigone :: essays research papers

We are not what we are; we are who society recognizes us to be. The responses from society for our actions are what gives us our sense of self. Without other people your identity does not exist for it is society who acknowledges or denies the individual their identity. We are who society allows us to be. Society represents that which is more powerful than the individual. Society’s needs are always greater than the individual. The identity of the individual will suffer for stepping outside of the boundaries set by society for that individual. Society sets boundaries for individuals that give the individual a certain area of movement, actions, and speech. Those individuals that cross those boundaries not only could lose their identity but will most likely suffer societal penalties that often result in death. Those individuals that live their lives and reach for goals within their boundaries, using what is within their boundaries set by the society that individual lives in, will be rewarded by reaching their goals set within the scope of limits set by society. Using examples from the movie â€Å"The Return of Martin Guerre† one can see the importance of complying with the demands of society in order to obtain the desired identity. In 1527, a family with the name of Daguerre moved from French Basque country to a village called Artigat. This village had different moral attitudes about whom and what the individual is. The family understood this and from the beginning made changed to themselves that allowed society and the individual family member to fit together in a tighter fashion. For instance, the family Daguerre changed the name to Guerre in order to ‘fit in’ to their new society. Also the Guerre family learned to speak in a different dialect because their new found society also spoke that dialect. The most extreme example of conceding to the demands of society was the women in the family were no longer equal to the men in the family. This inequality of the sexes was demanded the most at the local church. The women in the Guerre family abided by these laws. In the end, these compromises made by the family in order to be accepted and contribute to their new society paid off. For instance, when an imposter threatened infiltration into the Guerre family the society of the town rose up and made efforts to back the family and protect them. If the family had not chosen to make concessions, then it would not be surprising if the society they lived in would leave them to their own devices for their own defense against the imposter.

An overview of blood doping Essay

Engaging in competitive sports can take a lot out of the body of an athlete. To be competitive, the athlete would require a lot of stamina. In order to maintain their endurance and drive for competition, red blood cells would have to be injected in the muscles of the athlete. By doing so, they would have a huge advantage over their rivals. This has paved the way for the birth of an illegal method called blood doping or blood packing. The Meaning and Rationale For Blood Doping Doping is usually conducted prior to the start of competition. The blood of the athlete will be collected and then processed so it will accumulate concentrated blood cells. Afterwards, the collected sample will be kept in a freezer so it will be re-injected into the athlete or matched with the sample of a donor before their scheduled event(Pollick, n. d). Blood doping is resorted to by athletes because they believe that getting additional red blood cells will provide more oxygen as well as other vital components to their muscle system which can pave the way for improved endurance and better stamina. For an athlete who is competing in events such as cycling or running, condition is more important than skills and strategies(Pollick, n. d). It is worth noting that another kind of practice known as â€Å"downstream† is a good method designed to maintain the physiological and biological balance of the body. This can be used to compensate for the undesirable effects of â€Å"upstream† doping(CNRS, 1998). Blood Doping Methods There are two ways of injecting blood into the body of an athlete. Autologous doping involves the transfer of the sportman’s own blood which has been frozen until required. Homologous doping, on the other hand, is the transmission of blood from a donor which matches the blood type of the athelete(Pollick, n. d). The History of Blood Doping Ancient Greece was the sight of the first doping attempts by sportsmen. They were believed to have utilized special food and stimulated ingredients to provide them strength. During the 19th century, Greek cyclists used caffeine, strychnine, alcohol, and cocaine(WADA, n.d). In 1904, Thomas Hicks won the gold medal in Olympics by consuming brandy and raw egg, and injecting himself with strychnine shots. By the 1920s, prohibitions on drug use was being put in place(WADA, n. d). The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in 1928 pioneered the bannig of performance-enhancing drugs among international sports federations. However, they proved futile due to the absence of testing methods. The problem becam worse with the introduction of synthetic hormones in the 1930s. It was only during the 1960 Rome Olympic Games when Knud Enemark Jensen, a Dutch cyclist, died as a result of amphetamine, did sports authorities made attempts in testing drug use among athletes(WADA, n. d). Cycling and football were the first sports events that conducted drug testing among their athletes. In 1967, the IOC instructed its Medical Commission to come up with an initial listing of prohibited drugs(WADA, n. d. ). By the 1970s, majority of the international sports federations were engaged in drug testing among their athletes. By this time, anabolic steroids were becoming popular particularly among athletes competing in strength competitions. The substance was added to the IOC list in 1976 which resulted to several disqualifications in the latter part of the 1970s(WADA, n. d. ). Drug testing became mandatory in the Olympics beginning at the Winter Olympics and at the Olympics in 1968. Anti-doping measures became even more dire with the death of Tom Simpson at the Tour de France(WADA, n. d. ). Successful Drug Testing Efforts The ten years covering the 1970s to the 1980s became even more complicated after suspicions of some countries engaging in blood doping were aroused. This was proven by the case of the German Democratic Republic. The most notable disqualification of the Olympic Games happened in 1988 when Ben Johnson, who was then the reigning world champion in the 100-meter event, was found positive for using anabolic steroids(WADA, n. d). In 1998, huge stacks of illegal medical drugs were discovered during a raid in the Tour de France. This was quite ironic since France was among the leading countries that enacted anti-doping laws since 1963(WADA, n. d). The scandal that tainted the reputation of the Tour de France as an annual sporting competition made the need for a separate anti-doping agency became even more urgent. A year later, the World Conference on Doping in Sports was initiated by the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland. During that convention, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was born(WADA, n. d) Over the years, blood doping has been a banned practice in the Olympic Games as well as in other international sporting events. A major dilemma that the Olympic Games experienced is the use of anabolic steroids, the human growth hormone, and other performance-enhancing substances. While considered illegal, athletes felt that in order for them to stay in a competitive level, they have no choice but to use them(CCES, n. d). With the crumbling of the Berlin Wall and the unification of East and West Germany in the 1990s, evidence surfaced proving that East Germany has been injecting performance-enhancing substances to their atheletes for over 20 years(Guttman, n. d). In order to combat the problem of doping, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) established the World Anti-Doping Agency in 1999. The aim of the agency was to monitor the use of drug in international sports events. As their contribution to this effort, each participating state established their in-house enforcement agencies to conduct monitoring and testing of their own athletes. Mandatory drug testing has become a requirement for competing in the Olympics. During the 2004 Olympic Games hosted by Athens, a record number of 20 athletes faced disqualification for drug penalties(WADA, n. d).

A Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis - 1052 Words

Name Instructor Name Class Date Walter Lee Younger in A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, tells the story of the Younger family, an African-American family living in poverty in 1950s Chicago. The family patriarch, Walter, is a limousine driver struggling to make ends meet and desperate to find a way to propel his family toward wealth. With his father’s death comes an insurance check for $10,000 and each member of the family has different ideas on what to do with it. Walter feels entitled to the money and wants to use it to open a liquor store, which he believes will make his family wealthy. However, his wife does not agree, and neither does his mother, to whom the check is going and who lives with the†¦show more content†¦He misses work even though his family needs the income, and he drinks even though it has negative consequences. In this section of the play, Walter is portrayed not as a family patriarch but almost as a child who is throwing a tantrum because his mother did not give him what he wanted . This is further emphasized when Mama does eventually give Walter the remainder of the money so that he can invest it. Once Walter has invested in the liquor store, his spirits lift. He behaves more like a family man, treating his mother and his sister respectfully and flirting with his wife when he takes her out on a date. This Walter is buried beneath the surface of his unhappiness and despair, and it’s only when it seems like he can see the light at the end of the tunnel that he starts to emerge as a friendlier person. However, his partner, Willy, ends up leaving with all of the money. Walter now has no liquor store and no money, his idea for a get-rich-quick scheme leaving his family in much worse shape than before. While this is going on, a white man from the neighborhood in which Mama bought a new house has offered the family a substantial amount of money to not move in; he does not want the white neighborhood to develop conflict with the presence of a black family. Af ter Walter loses all of the money, he decides that he will take Mr. Linder up on his offer. It is at this point that Walter has hit rock bottom. Previously, Walter hadShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of A Raisin Of The Sun Essay845 Words   |  4 PagesWriting Assignment 4: Character Analysis of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† The male protagonist of this story is Walter Lee Younger, an African American, who plays the roles of a son, husband, father, and brother. The story is set in a Chicago Southside apartment, â€Å"sometime between World War II and the present [1959]† (Hansberry 919). Walter is physically described as â€Å"a lean, intense young man in his middle thirties, inclined to quick nervous movements and erratic speech habits—and always in his voiceRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1322 Words   |  6 PagesIn the play â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† written by Lorraine Hansberry, she is able to take us to place to see what it was like for an African American family to survive in the mid-twentieth century. The play details how the main characters are going through an evolving social and economic position, as well as the evolving gender roles. Hansberry uses the characterization of Beneatha, Ruth, and Walter in order to show the expectations and assigned gender roles for the characters in the story. In shortRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis902 Words   |  4 PagesGordon: Segregation vs. Southern Pride Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† touches on many issues African Americans faced in the early to mid-twentieth century. One can analyze Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† from many angles, and come away with different meanings. While Michelle Gordon focuses more on segregation and housing discrimination that plagued African Americans on Chicago’s Southside in Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun†, William Murray emphasizes on Southern Pride and heritage. ThisRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis917 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry the Younger family faces many conflicts. This is mainly because they are living in Chicago in the 1950’s. This was a time where many African Americans were discriminated, which caused the family to have many issues with money, jobs, and family. Two characters from the pay that help influence the plot would be Mama and Ruth. This i s because of the roles they play, their conflicts, and their actions towards other character. Without the roles ofRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1026 Words   |  5 PagesIn A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, one of the featured characters is outgoing and ambitious Beneatha Younger, sister of Walter and daughter of Mama. Beneatha, commonly referred to as Bennie by her family, is an aspiring doctor and currently in medical school. In addition to these desires, she also acquires relationships with Asagai and George Murchinson, two prominent male characters, throughout the course of the play. Although her career choice and relations with these men are completelyRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1592 Words   |  7 Pagesacquisitiveness have always had the ability to turn people into someone they are not. Greed can tear apart families and friendships when a person neglects others for their own benefit. This is depicted perfectly in Lorraine Hansbe rry’s play A Raisin in the Sun which follows the lives of the Youngers, an African-American family living in 1950’s South Side Chicago. The focus is on a man named Walter Younger, who has the difficult decision of choosing between his personal dream and the progression ofRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Beneatha In A Raisin In The Sun1487 Words   |  6 PagesCharacter Analysis â€Å" A Raisin in the Sun† is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry about the life of an African American family during the era of segregation. The play starts off with the Younger family receiving a 10,000 dollar check from Mr. Younger’s insurance policy. The family argues over what they are going to do with it. Mama wants to buy a house with it, Walter wants to invest in a liquor store, and Beneatha wants to use the money to go to medical school. The contrast of the characters’ personalitiesRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Character Analysis1322 Words   |  6 Pages Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun, depicts the lives of the Younger family, an African American family living in the Southside of Chicago during the 1950s. The play takes place in their cramped apartment offering the reader insight into the arguments, discussions, and conversations that take place between the characters. In one scene, Hansberry specifically offers the reader a conversation between Asagai, an influential companion, and Beneatha to show us how disparate the Younger siblingsRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Raisin In The Sun798 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play a Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger is an African American man who portrays the role of a father, son, and husband. He has a dream to invest the incoming inherence into something that may help his family in the future. Once this idea comes to him it takes over his mind, and he cannot stop thinking about it. It acts as though its a drug, he addicted to talking about it. Also, when it is broug ht up in a conversation and someone disagrees he become very defensive. In addition, he isRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of A Raisin In The Sun1299 Words   |  6 Pagessoul longs for the satisfaction of meeting a goal? The obstacles along the way may cause one trouble, but one still strives for that personal satisfaction of knowing something grand was accomplished. A Raisin In The Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, gives off many aspects of the story’s characters wanting the reward of being able to say, â€Å"I did it†. Beneatha Younger, a passionate, strong-willed woman will do whatever it takes to pursue her dream of attending medical school. Along the way of wanting