The fall of the symbol: the psychological and historical Heuristics of prejudice against the religious symbols and Masonr

• Grant number: 12/05243-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: January 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Sueli Maria Pessagno Caro
• Grantee: Marcel Henrique Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Unidade de Ensino de Americana. Centro Universitário Salesiano de São Paulo (UNISAL). Liceu Coração de Jesus. Americana , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 12/17327-0 - The religious-masonic symbolism in historical monuments in Portugal: the presence of mystical-religious elements in the historicity of Freemasonry, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Before bibliographical research about "The religious symbols and Psychology and Masonry," the curiosity about a deeper investigation on this theme has cropped up. It begins from the idea that, in contemporaneity, there is an exclusion of the religious symbols, as well as a latent fear around the Masonic brotherhood, that uses these symbols and keeps on being accused of conspiracy and Satanism. This research has its start with the principles of symbology, analyzing its psychological focus. Great names in Psychology, such as Yung, have dedicated themselves to studying this theme. This work is also going to present the thoughts of great theorizers of religions, such as Campbell, and experts on Masonry, such as Alberton. The investigation intends to follow a historical and psychological approach, when it comes to the religions, to understand, in a scientific way, how the symbols developed, emphasizing the understanding of a social prejudice around Masonry. This research is going to follow the bibliographical research models, as well as documental research referring to the masonic symbols and doctrines. The questions which were presented for the development of this project were: Why is there such a big prejudice around Masonry? What can the Psychology of religions answer about it us? Why all the Masonic practices are, many times, accused of satanic conspiracy? Where does this fear come from? Why is the man of our times so far from the religious symbols which always been part of humanity? These are the questions that this research intends to answer, among others.(AU)