The Paranoia of Everyday Life: Some Personal,Psychological, and Pastoral Thoughts

Freud, early in his writings, makes the argument that paranoia results from the repression of distressing memories, paralleling hysteria and obsessional neurosis. The difference, however, is that paranoia makes use of a special psychic mechanism—projection—whereas hysteria makes use of conversion into somatic innervations and obsessional neurosis makes use of substitution or displacement. Drawing on recent research in paranoia, which suggests that feelings of paranoia are quite common among non-clinical populations, perhaps even as common as feelings of anxiety and depression in non-clinical populations, I suggest that paranoia “in everyday life”—that is, paranoia among non-clinical or so-called “normal” populations—results from the suppression (rather than the repression) of distressing thoughts (rather than memories). The mechanism of projection is still at work, but because paranoia in everyday life results from suppression rather than repression, it is much less severe but also much more common. I have followed the logic of Freud’s writings and I have used the method of introspection to come to this conclusion. I argue that pastors and other such persons would do well in knowing something about paranoia so that (1) they can deal more compassionately with those struggling with paranoia and so that (2) they can deal more compassionately with themselves, since it is likely, I believe, that many pastors often struggle with feelings of paranoia. I note several strategies for coping with paranoia as I deal with religious and psychological aspects of paranoia.