Psychological considerations of Shintoistic worship : can we explain the concepts of gods psychologically?

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  • 神道的信仰心の心理的分析 : 神の捉え方を心理学的に説明できるか
  • シントウテキ シンコウシン ノ シンリテキ ブンセキ カミ ノ トラエ カタ オ シンリガクテキ ニ セツメイ デキル カ

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The features of Shinto, thought to be one of the spiritual bases of the Japanese mentality, are analyzed on the basis of “high sensitivity” (HS) a psychological characteristic of Japanese people. Basically, due to this HS, people feel many signs of spirits or gods in the natural phenomena around them, and this leads to polytheism and animistic worship. Also as HS provides people with abundant spiritual feelings, and no conscious belief in abstract existence is necessary for them, they have a tendency to adapt atheistic attitudes and make secular demands for benefits in the world. Because of HS, people feel fear of revengeful spirits which are caused by unfortunate deaths, and try to comfort them through worship. People feel emotional ties with the spirits of ancestors, worshipping them as well. Different from monotheists who effortfully believe in God with little sign in this world, Japanese people base their concepts of gods on worldly feelings to nature and daily life, which does not enable them to have abstract ways of belief. This is thought to be a characteristic of Japanese people toward faith.

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