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Guilt within Christian Consciousness
Metamodern Musings in Christian Apologetics
Is the act of repentance merely the psychological defense mechanism against the cycle of guilt, a magical prayer of ornate language adorned with self-reassuring misinterpretations of theology? There is obviously something more involved in this act, which makes sense, as one is literally requesting mercy at the footstool of the Lord. Often times when tumultuous patterns begin cropping up in my thoughts, some of them will pass the “thought-action barrier”, the metaphysical analog to the body’s well known blood-brain barrier — even performing a similar function as well. Those times in which my actions lead to moral error, not always are they going to render forth consequences in my practical existence. At least not in the realm of my day-to-day materialistic interaction with the world, they do indeed remain, however. In times of great sorrow over one’s own misdeeds it can seem as if consciousness is taking the shape of the action itself. The memory of the event along with the dialogue associated with it can replay like an endless loop seemingly powered forth by the energy of shame. Shame, at times, can evolve to excess worrying through the mental simulation of outcomes, a sort of fictitious mind movie constructed from the fragments of thoughts, thoughts that beckon to the unpunished action. That call, almost narcissistically, to your own…
