Why Do So Many Fall into Religious Dogma?

 A Psychological and Spiritual Analysis

Throughout history, religion has been a dominant force in shaping cultures, governing societies, and guiding individual behaviour. While it might provide comfort and community to some, it has also been used as a tool of control. The tendency of human beings to surrender their autonomy to religious dogma is not simply a product of cultural conditioning - it is rooted in deep psychological mechanisms, many of which were explored by thinkers such as Carl Jung, Niccolò Machiavelli, and the Gnostics.

The Fear of the Unknown: A Primal Instinct

At the heart of religious dogma lies fear. Chief among these fears is the fear of the unknown - the uncharted terrain of death, suffering, and the seemingly chaotic nature of existence. Human beings are neurologically wired to seek patterns and certainty; when faced with uncertainty, they gravitate towards systems that offer concrete answers. Religious doctrines often present a neatly ordered universe: good versus evil, heaven versus hell, salvation through obedience. Such clarity is seductive.

Carl Jung noted this tendency when he wrote of the “collective unconscious,” a repository of shared human experience filled with archetypes - universal patterns or symbols. One of the most potent of these is the Wise Old Man or Father Figure, which represents wisdom and protection. For many, God fulfils this archetype. Belief in an all-knowing, all-seeing paternal figure who has a plan is comforting because it relieves the believer of responsibility. In Jung’s terms, surrendering to this archetype can prevent individuation - the psychological process of becoming one’s true self.

The Delegation of Responsibility

To think critically, to act with spiritual maturity, requires confronting life’s ambiguity. But ambiguity is difficult, and many would rather outsource their moral and existential decision-making to a religious authority. Machiavelli observed that rulers benefit when subjects look outside themselves for salvation. In The Prince, he advises leaders to appear religious while wielding power pragmatically. This highlights a disquieting truth: the masses often prefer to be led by illusion than to face the discomfort of self-sovereignty.

In this delegation of responsibility, the individual becomes spiritually stagnant. Dogma becomes a substitute for direct experience. Rather than exploring the divine within, the believer is instructed to submit to external authority - priests, sacred texts, traditions - believing that obedience is the path to salvation. This passive spirituality denies the Gnostic principle that true enlightenment comes from inner knowledge.

Gnosticism and the Call to "Know Thyself"

The Gnostic tradition, often deemed heretical by orthodox religion, rejects blind faith. At its core is the radical idea that salvation comes not from without, but from within. Gnostics teach that divine knowledge (gnosis) is accessible only through introspection and spiritual awakening. This aligns closely with Jung’s concept of individuation: the integration of the unconscious with the conscious self to realise one’s wholeness.

To the Gnostic, external religious structures are often traps - constructed illusions (or “archons”) that keep the soul bound in ignorance. The true spiritual journey involves breaking free from these structures, recognising the divine spark within, and assuming full responsibility for one's own path.

The Illusion of a Saviour

The belief in a saviour - be it a deity, prophet, or divine messiah - offers psychological relief. If someone else can redeem you, you are spared the burden of redeeming yourself. But as Jung warned, “No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.” The journey toward illumination involves a descent into the self, confronting shadow aspects, and emerging with authentic understanding.

This descent is often avoided in organised religion, which prioritises conformity over confrontation. True spirituality demands that we abandon the idea that someone else - be it Christ, Buddha, or a guru - will “save” us. Instead, it asks us to awaken to the fact that salvation must be self-realised.

From Dogma to Illumination

The psychological appeal of religious dogma is easy to understand. It satisfies the craving for certainty, authority, and absolution. But it also stunts spiritual growth by preventing the individual from embarking on the inner journey necessary for true self-knowledge.

To mature spiritually is to awaken from the comforting illusion of external salvation. As both Jung and the Gnostics recognised, enlightenment comes not from submission, but from self-realisation. And only when we accept that no one is coming to save us - that the responsibility is ours alone - can we begin the genuine work of illumination.