Divine Attachment Figures

Religious figures who serve as psychological attachment figures, often replacing or overriding human attachment needs

• You are told a divine figure is akin to a parent who loves you more than your actual human parents.

• You seek emotional comfort exclusively from prayer instead of reaching out to people.

• You fear abandonment by the deity more than by any human being.

Potential clinical implications (especially in high control settings)

• Displacement of emotional needs from human relationships may occur.

• Hypervigilance about “displeasing” the divine figure can develop.

• Maladaptive coping strategies could be based solely on spiritual bypassing.