Despite being a firm atheist and having constantly affirmed his atheism, Freud paradoxically demonstrated great interest in the religious phenomenon. He was seriously engaged in applying key elements of the psichoanalysis theory to interpret the origins and the nature of religion. In spite of that, his position concerning religion is constantly referred to as exclusively critical and negative. Our objective here is to demonstrate that the freudian text, besides its unquestionable critical aspect, also provides valuable contributions that can be very useful to a metapsichological understanding of the religious experience. His texts on religion provide diverse perspectives other than the scientific critic. They also provide theoretical support which enables new forms of theoretical constructions about pshichoanalysis and religion. An example of that would be the possibility of considering the concept of sublimation to the metapsichological study of the religious thematic. Those new possibilities found in the freudian text are relevant due to the frequent questioning related to religion made by the clients who permeate the contemporary clinic.
Freud, Sigmund; Religion; Neurosis; Sublimation; Psychic health