Desire for a sense of power and religious suicide in psychobiographical research: combining personality and sociocultural theories

Abstract

The article presents two theoretical perspectives that provide a helpful framework in psychobiographical research, especially when psychobiographies concern religious suicide. The first is typical in contemporary psychology, a subjective analysis focused on the individual, looking at life course/lifetime in the light of personality psychology. The second one is represented by anthropological research on the concept of honour-shame and the sociological works of E. Durkheim. Contemporary psychobiography should consider sociocultural context and refer to social sciences (anthropology, sociology). This applies in particular to the psychobiographies of people representing a world of values different from the Western world, i.e. non-WEIRD people. The problem is especially true of monotheistic religions that grew up in the world of honour-shame cultural code (Middle East, Mediterranean culture). The natural human need for psychological power is then woven into a specific set of beliefs and values that may, in extreme cases, favour the decision to commit suicide. Suicide acts seen in this perspective are no longer the act of sick or socially alienated people but often the act of fully healthy, conscious, educated and socially integrated people. Such a dramatic decision may become the only way to regain a sense of dignity, strength and control.