Jung and the Importance of Religious Experience: the Therapeutic Effect of Inner Experience through Sandplay Therapy

Abstract

Jung saw religious experiences as the most important human factor and introduced us to the psychological and ontological values of these religious experiences. Jung’s profound psychological insights helped religious people take a new perspective on their religious life. This paper focuses on Jung’s interest in various religious areas, including understanding of Christianity, the relationship between Christianity and shadow, and the relationship between psychotherapy and religious sanctification. Among the many psychotherapeutic approaches that Jung Psychology utilizes, sand play therapy has been developed based on a deep understanding of the collective unconsciousness and ego conscious development process. Through clinical case study, this researcher analyzed on how sand play therapy affected the client’s religious maturation process. Sandplay therapy provides a window through which change and integration of the mental structure can be seen. As a result, it helps us to experience the symbolically expressed self and to integrate unfulfilled areas, which contributes to the sanctification process and provides insights for us to see life in abundance and depth.