Author: Roy Barsness

Journal of Psychology and Christianity, Vol 25(1), Spr 2006. pp. 44-53

Abstract:

This article turns its attention towards analytic and theological understandings of the pull toward the Other, and the role of surrender and transcendence in the therapeutic process. The author argues that the innate nature of our being is not only Other-driven but also Other-seeking and that meaning in life is both a movement towards authentic living and towards transcendence. At the core of our search for meaning in our lives, vis-à-vis our interpersonal world, lies the search for the holy. It is suggested that the sacred is essential both theologically and psychologically in our quest for authentic meaning in our lives. It is further argued that the work of surrender and transcendence most often appears in our most doubtful moments. Through the use of a case study, terror, mystery, and hope are demonstrated as the author surrenders to the unknowable regions of the analytic hour and the transcendent is revealed.