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SearchDoes the Course have anything to do with Freud's teachings about the life instinct and the death instinct (thanatos)?
Question:
Does the Course have anything to do with Freud's teachings about the life instinct and the death instinct?
Answer:
You are referring to the ideas of "eros" and "thanatos." Yes, Sigmund Freud had many contributions in understanding the mind. The eros that Freud described was still related to the body. The thanatos, or death wish that he described, was also still related to the body. Jesus reveals in the Course that the ego is the death wish and the ego is a belief in the mind. The form is only a symbol of the ego belief. Jesus pulls the definitions of life and death away from form and into states of mind. Death is anything that is not constant joy—irritation, annoyance, murder or rage. Even a sigh of weariness, fatigue, is a representation of the ego belief. The Spirit's purpose brings a feeling of vitality, unlimited energy, joy, and is not related directly to the body. For a time, it seems to be demonstrated through the body—in smiles and hugs and many expressions of love. But in deep meditation, the mind begins to lose awareness of the body. The body is only a teaching device and is very temporary. The body and world become more peripheral in one's own consciousness as you become aligned with the Holy Spirit.
Love,
David