CONFESSION AS A HEALING TOOL FROM FEELINGS OF GUILT AND SHAME

Abstract

In modern conditions, marked by an existential crisis and the rupture of social ties, feelings of guilt and shame turn into destructive factors that destroy the integrity of the individual. Despite the current stage of development of psychotherapeutic practices, the phenomenon of confession as a spiritual, religious and philosophical category still needs to be understood as an effective mechanism for healing from emotional and, sometimes, physical wounds. The combination of a secular psychotherapeutic approach with the centuries-old Christian tradition of the sacrament of confession allows for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of transforming internal burdens into a resource for personal growth, which is extremely relevant for the modern post-traumatic community. The article aims to theoretically substantiate confession as an integrative tool for healing the individual, combining the psychological externalization of experience, the philosophical category of self-care, and the Christian understanding of metanoia (change of heart, according to Jesus Christ). The study is aimed at revealing the dynamics of the transition from alienation caused by shame to the ontological renewal of the individual. Special attention is paid to the phenomenological differentiation of guilt and shame as modes of human existence, as well as the search for ways to harmoniously combine spiritual discipline with psychological support for the traumatized individual. The methodological basis of the article is a comprehensive approach that combines phenomenological analysis with philosophical and anthropological discourse to reveal the internal experience of confession as an act of existential renewal. The integration of theological developments with modern psychological methods allows us to systematically describe the transformation of the individual in the conditions of spiritual work on oneself. Confession today is a complex process of metanoia, that is, an internal transformation that requires a person not just a formal recognition of actions, but a profound change in worldview. It has been established that guilt, having a rational ethical nature, requires an act of restitution, while shame is an ontological vulnerability that provokes existential isolation. It has been proven that confession acts as a tool for deconstructing shame through the verbalization of hidden pain before the Absolute. The role of the priest as a witness to a person’s intimate dialogue with God has been analyzed and the importance of a systemic, procedural approach to caring for the soul in the same way that a person cares for his body, and perhaps even more, has been emphasized. The Christian category of metanoia gives the psychological process of therapy an eschatological perspective, hope that transforms guilt from a factor of stagnation into a responsibility for the future. The study demonstrates that confession effectively separates the act/sin and the personality, returning a person a sense of self-worth and the ability to continue living. Confession is a fundamental resource for overcoming the consequences of trauma, as it allows you to process both specific guilt and deep feelings of inferiority. The effectiveness of the sacrament of confession in modern conditions is achieved through the integration of professional self-knowledge, spiritual struggle and sincere reconciliation with others and with your own essence. The results obtained confirm the feasibility of integrating confessional elements into modern psychotherapeutic protocols for working with people experiencing moral crises.