Extraordinary demons are startled when the money complex is touched. And no complex is kept hidden with more secrecy. Patients more readily reveal what’s concealed in their pants than what’s hidden in their pants pockets. (Hillman)
Psychologist James Hillman reports that in a study done on therapists’ taboos, analysts were surveyed regarding what they felt they must never do with a patient. It was discovered that touching, shouting and hitting, drinking, kissing, nudity, and intercourse were all less prohibited than was ” lending money to a patient.” Money constellated the ultimate taboo. Pretty amazing. Or not.
Think about the following words: Depression. Inflation. Values. Obligation. Worth. Deficit. Loss. Gain. Promise. Confidence. Failure. Trust. Think of the meaning of these words and the parallel between money and psychology, Hillman suggests. And he cites the following as further evidence of how money touches every aspect of our lives:
-Money is the number one reason married couples split.
-Many families are torn apart by economic and inheritance issues as parents pass away.
-Money is one of the biggest triggers of stress and anxiety in people’s lives.
-Money has become equated with status, and people start to believe that who they are is defined by the dollar and the status it buys.
-Money may be the greatest taboo. Many people would rather talk about their sex lives than their money lives.
There is an individual and cultural identification with money in the (often unconscious) belief that it’s the solution to most problems and represents a scale for success and happiness. Who among us doesn’t dream of winning the lottery? In our major religions, there is almost a love-hate kind of relationship with money, with many double-bind kind of messages.
Money is a necessary element of survival, for sure, but how much does it influence us and our choices where maybe it doesn’t belong . . . Instead of our owning money, how much does money own us?