3/12       FUNCTIONING OF THE HUMAN BEING

In order to differentiate the psychic processes that face themselves in the mind of each individual, Sigmund Freud, one of the founding fathers of the psychoanalysis, have made use of a personality's topological representation while clearing three big power stations of psyche called :

Id < === > Ego < === > Superego

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( The brief following definitions are not mine. )

 =>  Id   <=

« It is the set of the instinctive, sexual and aggressive impulses.»

« It is the mass of unconscious with which the child is born ; it is "the devil within the body", a pot of the devil where accumulate, bubble and explode the dark strengths, our instincts. Freud calls these strengths the Id. It is the lower zone of our psyche, the nocturnal sphere of our tropisms (1), of our instinctive, erotic, aggressive impulses, with what they have of better or of worse.»

« The Id is unconscious and doesn't have a morals. »

« The impulses of the Id go to the shortest, to the most direct, in the goal to appease a desire and merely to suppress what is hindering its satisfaction.»

(1) Tropism : « Growth or progression of an organism in a given direction, under the influence of an outside excitation.»

=>  Superego  <=

« It is a sort of psyche controller that requires instinctive renunciations. It designates the process that all along our life perpetuates the moral instructions and the defenses stemming from the schooling, of the restrictions brought to the primary activity of the Id, of the education, emanated of the people who surrounded us in the childhood, the father in particular, defenses that are then internalized. »

« The Superego, inheritance of the complex of Oedipus, appears later than the first processes. »

« It is the introjection of the parental defenses, representatives themselves of the social constraints. »

« It is the psychic process that has for mission to filter what is moral (to behave in the good way), of what is amoral (to behave in the evil way.) »

« A strong Superego allows the individual to know how to behave and to control his impulses without cancelling out his own personality. »

« A weak Superego brings a practically inexistent moral sense, introducing excesses of behavior asked by non controlled instincts. »

« A too stern Superego can bring an excessive behavior, capable to go until fanaticism, to defend what one believes to be the good.»

=>  Ego  <=

« It is the instrument of coordination between the instinctive impulses of the Id and the outside world.»

« It is the product of an evolution by which the unconscious becomes conscious.»

« The Ego is in charge of canalizing, directing, the use of the energy of the instincts in accordance with the requirements of the reality, helped by the use of the Superego as an ally. »

« It must face different fears : the one of the instincts, of the moral Conscience and of the reality, and to assure its security that consists in avoiding the displeasure, it is using different defensive acts that are as many maladjusted attitudes : the tendency to deny what is real, with fantasies, to take the place of the one that frightens. Whereas the Id is unconscious, the Ego is partly conscious.»

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« The relations between these three psychic processes are variable. »

« The Id ally itself with the Ego when the moral ideal is weak with regard to the pressure of the instinctive life. »

« It can also obey the Superego against the Id when the moral Conscience is stern.»

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It is possible to deduct the following remarks from these definitions :

THE BODY AND THE SOUL

One can say, summarily, that every individual is composed of a body (physical world) and of a soul (spiritual world).

The body is only a material vehicle borrowed momentarily by the soul, like a car is only a vehicle of transportation for its driver. The body acts as support to the soul so that this one can evolve in the terrestrial material world, in the goal to go through ordeals.

This body-vehicle has no power of decision.

God the Creator of this body submits it therefore to some completely unconscious strengths, THE INSTINCTS, that one can also call desires of survival, and that the psychoanalysts call the Id.

The desires of survival have only for unique goal to assure UNCONSCIOUSLY the good working of the body-vehicle, as well as its reproduction.

During their satisfaction these desires of survival (or instincts) bring a feeling named pleasure.

Among all desires of instinctive survival here are three examples :

* The hunger obliging the body to absorb some food in order to regenerate the dead cells, in the goal of not declining and also to acquire a dose of energy.

* The sexuality whose purpose is the renewal on this earth of the worn-out bodies (dead) that the soul has quit.

A weak Superego (moral sense) can drive to the rape or the paedophilia.

* Aggressiveness (First cause of the barbarism)

The scientists, to the difference of the Genesis red literally, teach us that the first humans to populate our earth were not Adam and Eve, but the pithécanthrope and the sinanthrope.

The supermarkets didn't exist at that time and they knew neither the cultivation nor the livestockfarming.

They had to eat to survive and had to be content with pickings and with the flesh of the animals that they killed. For that to make they had to catch their preys by force, therefore to have a very aggressive behavior.

Nowadays in our country the problem of food is greatly facilitated to us.

But the instinctive aggressive desire is always present in each of us, it always tries to appear since it is a completely unconscious survival desire.

Its consequence is a desire instinctive to destroy or to kill.

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When the Ego is not strong enough to resist the instincts, these unconscious desires, badly integrated, are very powerful and strongly influence the conduct of this Ego. As a consequence of a restricted intellect, the submissiveness to the instincts therefore brings the barbarism, the savagery in the behavior of every day.

So happens a behavior that the science and the justice calls vice or perversion, and that the religion calls sin.

Among these vices (or sins), here are three examples, with their definitions as given by the psychoanalysts :

SADISM : « It is a perversion consisting in causing somebody or an animal suffering, which can go until its/his/her death, while feeling exquisite pleasure and enjoyment to this suffering and to this death. »

MASOCHISM : « It is a perversion causing a tendency to like to suffer, to enjoy his/her own suffering voluptuously. »

PAEDOPHILIA : « It is a perversion in which the child is preferred to the adult in the sexual intercourse. »

Some people with a very low spiritual level are then conditioned, because they are prisoners of their instinctive needs, and as a consequence, they react negatively, cruelly, in their everyday life.

One can mention the aficionados as an example.

By wanting to justify their sadistic attraction and jouissiveness for the suffering, the blood, the cruelty of this practice, and in order to silence the tiny parcel of conscience that is in them, the aficionados are coming to the conclusion that one enters in afiction (irrational love of the bullfight) by passion, this being in agreement with God's will.

Passion : « Violent, impetuous movement (lat passio, of suffered, to suffer), of the being toward what she/he wants ; powerful and continuous emotion that dominates the reason and that orients the whole conduct.»

Small Larousse in color 1987

But other persons with a level of conscience very evolved, live in the simplicity and are capable of an Universal Love for everything that exists on earth. They dedicate their life and their efforts to help the persons unhappy or mistreated. These are the people who understood the futility that can lead the excess of instinct, as well as the excessive materialism.

They don't follow something else that the teachings of the true religions.

One can mention Sister Emmanuelle, abbot Pierre, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, etc... in example.

An individual is really the master of his destiny when he is perfectly capable to control his instincts.

 He is not submitted to them anymore because, on the contrary, he dominates them.

Instincts : "Interior feeling, independent of the thoughts, that is driving the animals in their behavior. The instinct carries to execute some acts, without having the notion of their goal, to use some means relatively the same, without ever trying to create some others nor to know the reports that exist between the means and the goal."

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The soul animates the body, gives it life and, to simplify, one can say that it is the Ego.

Every soul is composed of immaterial values more or less developed as fear, insurance § hate, love § jealousy and desire, tolerance § spitefulness, goodness § selfishness, compassion § indifference, respect of the other § deceitfulness, loyalty § greed, generosity § superstition, knowledge § etc...

It is the level reached by each one of these features of the soul that makes an individual's personality.

The purpose of the human life is to do his best in order to dominate the instincts, or desires of survival of the human body, in the goal of improving the spirituality level of the soul.

Jacques-Benign Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux :   

      "While the soul asks for a thing, the pleasure requires another one. "

      "Then the soul, being captive of the pleasure, becomes at the same time the enemy of the reason. "

Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans   7 - 14 to 26 :

« For we know that the law is spiritual – but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate. »

« But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me.»

« For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. »

« For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want ! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.»

« So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. »

« For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. »

« Wretched man that I am ! Who will rescue me from this body of death ? »

« Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord ! »

« So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.»

The false asceticism,   Bible Colossians 2-16 to 23

« Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days – these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ ! »

« Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind. He has not held fast to the head (Jesus Christ that, with his members the Christian, form one body) from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. »

« If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world,  (primitive and coarse conceptions on God) why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world ? “Do not handle ! Do not taste ! Do not touch !” These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings.Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body – a wisdom with no true value – they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.  (To satisfy the bad tendencies of the human nature, the instincts or desires of survival of the human body. )

The new life in Christ   Bible Colossians 3-1 to 17

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. »

« Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died (with the Christ, by the baptism) and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.»

« So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth : sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. »

« But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man (the natural man with his bad tendencies)  with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. »

« Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian (tribe considered completely outdated) , slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.»

« Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. »

« And to all theses virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The dangers of the world   Bible 2John   2-15 to 17

« Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.»

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In a broadcast talk-show, to the network of American National TELEVISION, to the program The TRUTH, when the girl of Billy Graham, a well-known preacher, has been interviewed, the presenter Jane Clayson asked her :

"How could God let such a horror occur ? "

( The events of September 11, destruction of the World Trade Towers in New York.)

This girl, Anne Graham, gave an answer as deep as shrewd.

"I believe that God has been saddened by this, all as we are it.

But during years we told God to leave our schools, to come out of our governments and to come out of our lives."

"And as a gentleman that he is, I believe that God retired himself quietly."

"How can we hope that God will give us His blessing and His protection if we insist so that he leaves us alone? "

Concerning the recent events, terrorist attacks, slaughter in the schools, wars, etc.

"I believe that it began with Madeleine Murray O'Hare that complained for abolishing the prayer in the schools, we said WE AGREE."

"Then another said that we should not read the Bible in the school !

The same Bible that teaches" you won't kill, you won't steal, and like your neighbor as yourself" and we said WE AGREE."

"Then, the Dr Benjamin Spock said that we should not beat our children when they act badly because their small personalities would be traumatized and we could damage their self-esteem (the son of the same doctor committed suicide) and we said that an expert should know of what he speaks no matter what he tells us, and we said WE AGREE."

"Then someone said that the teachers and the headteacher must not give our children a spanking when they behave badly. As well as the school administrators said that it was not necessary to punish a student when he behaves badly because we don't want to give us a bad press...and we don't want to be sued...surely (there is a big difference between discipline and to infringe, to beat, to stun, to humiliate, to give a kick, etc.) And we said WE AGREE."

"Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want it.

They won't even have to tell it to their parents (medical confidentiality.) And we said WE AGREE. "

"Then some wise men, members of  schools staff meeetings said, since these boys (and they are going to make it all ways) let's give some condoms to our students. They have need of it. Therefore they will be able to have all the fun that they want, and we won't have to tell their parents that they received (the condoms) them at the school. And we said WE AGREE."

"Then a part of our duly elected governmental representatives said that it was not important what we make in private as long as we make our work well. And we agreed with them and we said, including the President (Clinton), what one makes in private as  long as I have a job and that the economy is good, it is well. "

"Then someone pursued by saying, let's let make the magazines of nude girls and let's say that it is healthy because it made us to recognize and to appreciate the beauty of the feminine body. And we said WE AGREE."

"Then someone took this recognition otherwise and went farther to a stage and to publish pictures of naked children and then to push further while making them available on Internet. And we said WE AGREE."

"Our society is allowed to promote the free choice. And then it is the industry of the entertainment that enters in the decors and let's allow the TV to make the promotion of the shows of violence, profanity and the illicit sex. And let's record the music that encourages the rape, the medicines, the murder, the suicide and the satanic themes. And one tells us that it is only an entertainment, that there are not any negative secondary effects and that no one takes it seriously. Therefore we can go ahead."

"Now, we wonder why our children don't have a conscience, why they don't understand the whole wrong that they make, why they don't make the difference between the good and the evil, and why they can kill without emotion the strangers, their friends and themselves. "

"Probably that if we long enough and strong enough think about it, we will then come to the conclusion that we will be able to understand it !  "

"I think that this has to do with the proverb : "We harvest what we sow ! "

"It is peculiar to see to what point it is simple for people to reject God and to wonder then why their world becomes a hell, to what point we believe everything that is in the newspapers and we reappraise everything that the Bible says. "

"It is peculiar to see that we can send "jokes" by email that spill like a flash in the pan but when one sends some messages about God, people think of it twice before sharing them. "

"It is peculiar to see that some immodest, coarse, vulgar and obscene articles propagate themselves so easily and freely but that public discussions on God are suppressed of the schools and enterprises. "

"It is peculiar to see that when you are going to share this mail, you won't probably send it to a lot of people of your address book because you don't know what they believe or what they will think about you. "

"It is peculiar to see that we worry more of what the people think about us that of what God thinks of us. "

"Share this message if you believe that it is worthwhile, otherwise throw it away !   No one will know it ! "

"But if you throw this process of reflection, don't complain about the bad state of the world in which we live ! "