The Oceanic Feeling: A Whisper from the Divine?

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In chapter one of Civilization and Its Discontents, Freud starts by discussing the validity of the feeling of religion and he ponders if it is based on a misunderstanding of the world. Freud terms this feeling of "oceanic oneness" as a feeling that people report when they are feeling at one with the universe. Freud also states that many people interpret this feeling as evidence of a higher power. Freud did not have those feelings and he was skeptical of its religious significance. Freud suggested that it may be a way of coping with the feeling of isolation and insignificance that comes from living in a large and impersonal world. In chapter one, Freud goes on to say that a psychoanalytic explanation of this feeling is necessary and then he takes a stab at it.

In this chapter, Freud discusses the development of the ego in early childhood
Freud states that the ego extends into the unconscious id and has a definite boundary from the outside world. The state of being in love can blur the ego's boundaries. Pathology can also disturb the ego's boundaries. Freud also believed that the ego's self-recognition can be disturbed and that its boundaries between itself and the outside world are immovable. Freud believed that this feeling of oneness that is associated with religion and believing in a higher power may be a regression to an earlier state of mind in which the ego is not yet separated from the outside world. Freud admitted that it was difficult to prove or disprove this hypothesis.

The infant's ego is initially fused with the external world and it only gradually learns to distinguish between itself and the outer world by a process that is driven by the need to avoid pain and seek out pleasure.

Freud believed that this feeling of oneness with the universe/ higher power was a vestige of the original feeling of the ego and that this feeling is probably present in many people to varying degrees.

Freud pondered the possibility that this feeling of oneness is a glimpse into our deepest selves and our connection to the world around us.

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Freud discusses the concept of conservation of memory in the mind

Freud makes an analogy of the fact that we can find traces of ancient Rome in the modern city to finding traces of our earliest memories in our minds.

It is possible for the way that the ego feels in our infanthood to exist alongside the ego feels in its highly developed state of maturity.

Freud stated that one part of an attitude or impulse can survive unchanged while another part undergoes further development.

Freud's analogy of Rome and the human mind suggests that our minds are layered with our earliest memories and that they are still present even though they are buried under the layers of development which has implications for our understanding of ourselves and our world

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Freud discusses the limitations of our ability to understand the mind in terms of spatial representation.

Freud gives another analogy:

He imagines a city where all the buildings from the past are still standing even though they are now stacked on top of each other.
He states that this would be impossible in the real world because the same space cannot hold two of the same things at the same time.
Freud compares this city to the human mind by stating just as this city preserves traces of its past so does the mind.

Freud points out that events such as trauma or inflammation can damage and lead to the loss of memories.

This is a good analogy; however, the mind is more resilient to change while cities are constantly changing.

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Need for Religion

Freud believed that the need for religion is more likely derived from the child's feeling of helplessness and the longing it evokes for a father
Freud discusses how the oceanic feeling could become connected with religion later on
This feeling is a first attempt at the consolation of religion and another way of the ego denying the dangers it sees threatening it in the external world.
Freud stated that he found it difficult to work with these theories or to prove them. but that he was sure that the "oceanic" feeling may play a role in a religious belief.

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Conclusion

Freud's arguments are based on both psychological and philosophical reasoning and he uses his knowledge of the development of the ego to argue that the "oceanic" feeling is likely related to an early stage in development. He uses his knowledge of the history of religion to argue that the need for religion is more likely derived from the child's feeling of helplessness and the longing for its father.

The author's arguments are persuasive, but they are not without their critics. Some people have argued that the "oceanic" feeling is not simply a regression to an early stage in development, but that it is a genuine experience of something beyond the self. Others have argued that the need for religion is not simply based on the child's feeling of helplessness, but that it is also based on a desire for meaning and purpose in life.

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