MMPI-2 and Bible Study

The Bible study is based on the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The passage is John 1:1-18. It also refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

The following is a brainstorm of the possible difficulties a person may have when studying the passage. It also speculates how a person may feel connected to the passage. Lastly, it speculates how CCC may help a person in dealing with the said difficulties.

The hypothetical person has one out of the 10 clinical scales elevated. Future discuss might include validity scales and more extensive 2-point and 3-point codetypes.

Clinical Scales 

Hypochondriasis: They are preoccupied with physical complaints, fears and anxieties about physical illness. They view their body as a source of pain and fear and discomfort, rather than pleasure. Others view them as demanding, complaining and egocentric for imposing demands. They generally have trouble expressing anger, which is often symbolised by symptoms. They are stubborn and lack drive. Yet, they could be long-suffering.

Possible difficulties: They probably find v14 where Word became flesh as off-putting, why would a Spirit need to limit itself in flesh, and somehow it is good and full of grace and truth. They may also find the exchange between John and the Jews, as in vv19-28 disturbing because they struggle with assertiveness.

Possible connections: they may find the poetic style in vv1-5 resonating with their egocentricity, finding some comfort. Also, John’s poetic style, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness in v23, is comforting.

Possible Help: CCC 461, as mentioned in the commentary on v14, emphasises that Word became flesh to empty himself, which would resonate with their long-suffering experiences. CCC 718 in the commentary on v21 emphasises the Spirit’s work in preparing everything, which could offer comfort to an over-burdened hypochondriac.

Depression: They could currently be experiencing grief as a reaction. Or they could be depressed, anxious, have low self-esteem, feel useless and be pessimistic. They have a narrow interest, low morale and may be irritable. They may have low appetites in all forms of pleasure. They may self-deprecate and have low efficiency. They may be self-critical and prone to feeling guilty easily. College students with depression may have problems in their romantic relationships, learning issues, and vocational choices.

Possible difficulties: The word “confess” in vv19-20 may disturb a depressed person due to the connotation of guilt and the Pharisee’s accusatory intentions.

Possible connections: the interplay between the themes of light and darkness in vv4-5 may interest them, as darkness thematically connects with depression.

Possible Help: CCC 1997 talks about grace being a participation in the life of God and the baptismal grace. Reflecting on what called them to baptism or confirmation as a light calling them out of darkness may inspire some motivation and remind the person of their intrinsic value as a child of God. CCC 597 emphasised individual responsibility, which could help a depressed person reflect on whether some of the guilt they experience belongs to them. When a person experiences a catastrophic loss, they could unfairly blame themselves.

Hysteria: A hysterical person has a strong need to be accepted and liked. They can lack self-assertiveness and dislike confrontations and “making waves”. They play the correct social role and are threatened by any loss of social approval. When anger is expressed, it may be done in an inappropriate or impulsive way because it is poorly integrated and breaks through the individual’s denial.

A hysterical person may have had an unhappy childhood at home. A parent could be explosive and episodically rejecting. In some cases, caregivers discouraged the expression of negative affect and emphasised being positive and brave in the face of distress. Because of difficulties with intimacy, a hysterical person may have physical and emotional intimacy problems with their spouse and tends to be somewhat dependent.

Possible difficulties: They may find vv10-11, where He is in the world and the world knows Him not, and coming to His home, the people receive Him not, disturbing because it may remind them of the rejections from their childhood. They could be angry at people’s rejection of Christ.

Possible connections: They may find John’s encounter with the Jews and Pharisees in vv19-28 resonating with their experience of having to be “brave” and “good soldiers” in the face of pain.

Possible help: CCC 720 discusses the new birth at baptism, offering the possibility of remedies for sufferings in childhood. CCC 1216 mentions that baptism makes a person a son of light and makes him light himself. If a person is light in his own right, there would be no need to be dependent, seeking acceptance. Maybe they can forgive rejections from their parents.

Psychopathic Deviate: An Individual with such a trait can react to an extreme situation, such as divorce, by “emotional numbing” They may also feel anger and bitterness that is externalised. Or it may be characterological, where they generally feel alienated and lack empathy. They can be manipulative or selectively report. They may have a history of acting out and being rebellious. Such a trait reflects externalised anger, irritability, and a resistance to being controlled. This anger may be turned against family, society in general or both. They may show impulsiveness and poor judgment. As such, they often have atypical sexual histories and extramarital relations. Yet they instinctively think outside the box, a hallmark of creativity.

If the trait is characterological, they may have a childhood history of being overindulgent and inconsistent, or emotionally unavailable. They may have survived by “emotional numbing”

Possible difficulties: They may find the concept of becoming children of God challenging because they tend to avoid emotional closeness with parent figures and other people (The antithesis of love God and love neighbour).

Possible connections: They may resonate with the interplay between the light and darkness in vv 4, 5, 9 and the contradiction of not being accepted in vv 10-12. They may feel anger at the exchange between John and the Jews and the Pharisees in vv 19-28.

Possible help: A close examination of vv 10-12 with the commentary, where Christ was not accepted, may resonate with their experience of alienation and loneliness. They may also resonate with John’s exchanges in vv 19-28, remarking on John’s uniqueness in the salvation history, and his creative response.

Masculinity/Femininity (Scale 5): A High scale 5 in a man suggests an introspective, inner-directed, and education-oriented individual who has a wide range of interests, including aesthetic and contemplative preferences. However, this pattern may reflect a discomfort with stereotypical masculine behaviours, activities, and interests in favour of a more non-competitive, contemplative, and, at times, passive style.

Low Scale 5 men show a traditionally masculine pattern of interests and behaviours. They are adventurous and enjoy action, outdoor activities, sports, and competitive or mechanical activities. They often appear rugged and can appear coarse. If educated, they tend to gravitate toward practical, action-oriented careers rather than those that involve nurturing or coaching others.

Women who have a high scale 5 can be described as assertive, competitive, tough-minded, sensible, practical, and not particularly interested in appearing or behaving in a traditional feminine manner. In women, moderately low scores suggest sensitivity and concern about relationships, intimacy, and processing feelings. These women are usually nurturing and supportive, although they may also be accompanied by passivity. Like their high 5 male counterparts, these women are fastidious, care about their appearance, and have interests that are intellectual, academic, or aesthetic. Some are attracted to sensitive men, with whom they enjoy communicating about emotions.

Possible difficulties: Individuals with a preference for sensitivity and education may find sympathy for the Jews, Levites, Priests and Pharisees. They may find John’s rugged style off-putting.

Possible connections: Traditionally masculine men and assertive and competitive women may find John’s ruggedness attractive. Especially the interactions between John and Pharisees, where John’s actions are the focus of their exchange.

Possible help: For individuals with a preference for sensitivity and education, CCC 597 in their analysis of individual responsibility vs group responsibility could be intellectually stimulating. The commentary on vv14,15, 19 may also interest the intellect. Lastly, the mini-essay in the book about Pharisees can be interesting too.

For individuals who are traditionally masculine or assertively feminine, a discussion about how to model after John and witness Christ in their actions could be interesting.

Paranoia: Paranoid individuals are highly sensitive, take things personally and are suspicious of others’ motives. They could be “injustice collecting”. Their feelings could have shades of jealousy, misunderstanding, and finding connection in unrelated events. They tend to project their problems. They tend to be argumentative and retaliatory to what they perceive as unfair accusations and criticism. They are hurt by failures of empathy. There could be significant, humiliating events in the background. The opposite of paranoia is cynicism.

Possible difficulties: They may be suspicious of v17 Christ’s grace superseded the Mosaic Law. They may be jealous of Christ as the only Son of God in the Father’s bosom in v18. They could also be entirely cynical of Christianity.

Possible connections: They may identify with John in vv 19-28, who endured interrogation from the Jews and the Pharisees.

Possible help: CCC 151 emphasises the Father being well-pleased with the Son, which may offer an experience of elevation instead of humiliation. A discussion of why John did not feel humiliated by Christ’s ranking before him might help. A discussion of why the Mosaic law was also a form of grace in the commentary on v16 may also help, as Mosaic law and Christ would no longer be seen as being on opposite sides.

Psychasthenia: Psychasthenic individuals often also exhibit personality traits from other scales. They are tense, anxious, guilty, and self-critically introspective. They feel self-conscious, insecure, inadequate, and inferior. A lack of self-confidence creates a tendency to procrastinate, feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities and obligations. They underestimate their own abilities in spite of evidence of success. They may suffer from “analysis paralysis” and general apprehension.

Possible difficulties: They may find John’s answer about unworthiness in vv26-27 disturbing because of their self-critical nature. They may also find John’s cryptic answers from vv19-28 akin to their “analysis paralysis”

Possible connection: They may find being given the power to become children of God in vv12-13 comforting because it is contingent on minimal obligation of receiving Him.

Possible help: The commentaries on the verses above can be overall helpful because they shift the focus from self-critical introspection to a critical inspection of the text and commentary. CCC 2780-82 discussed adoption and the grant of sonship and incorporation into the body of Christ, which shifts one’s focus from one’s own actions to God’s actions, providing some relief. Then a discussion of our rational capacity to successfully recognise and receive God may inspire them to admit to their own capacity in spiritual growth and other growth.

Schizophrenia (personality disorganisation): They often feel damaged, broken and alienated from others. They may also have bizarre preoccupations, some paranoia, and withdrawal. They have difficulty thinking. They may have unconventional thoughts and actions, may be socially eccentric or deviant, and are reluctant to be emotionally close to other people. Their lives tend to be disorganised, chaotic and dysfunctional. They may misunderstand others’ motives and experience their inner world as outside their volitional control.

They may have a childhood experience of being treated with coldness, overt hostility, or cruelty. They escape to their fantasy and emotionally shut down to avoid unbearable rejection. They have difficulty reading other people’s emotions and lack social skills.

Possible difficulties: They may find vv. 10-11 disturbing because of the people’s rejection of Christ. They may find vv19-28 disturbing because they are likely to retreat in the face of challenges.

Possible connections: They may find vv1-4 poetic and reassuring for its encouraging message of darkness not overcoming the light. They may find vv12-18 reassuring because it is identity-granting and conveys warm images instead of rejecting ones.

Possible help: A structured study session may be more reassuring than a free discussion one. All CCC in the commentary can be helpful because they are from a structured approach to teaching faith.

Hypomania: Hypomanic individuals are energetic, excitable, and over-productive. They show pressured speech, superficial charm, together with a hostile, joking humour, and quick-tempered irritability if thwarted. Their lack of attention to detail can lead to self-defeating behaviours. They dislike being controlled or limited. Their thought process can be grandiose, disorganised or bizarre. They tend to overcommit and work in spurts of energy.

Their grandiosity may have a religious flavour or messianic fantasies/delusions. They are often active or hyperactive during their childhood. Their caretakers are often constantly motivating them to achieve and succeed. As such can sometimes be compensation for their poor backgrounds. Denial and evasiveness are their defence of choice.

Possible difficulties: They may misunderstand John’s response to the Jews and Pharisees in vv19-28 as being evasive like themselves when questioned. They may be troubled by John’s humility in deferring to Christ in v8 and vv26-27.

Possible connections: They may identify with Christ a bit too readily as the light of the world in vv9-13 as motivated by their grandiosity.

Possible help: A close examination of the difference between what other people wanted John to be and what John was in the salvation history may help them distinguish between what other people want them to be and what they are as children of God. A close study of the commentary on v12 may help achieve this.

Social introversion: Such individuals may prefer to be alone. They are shy, interpersonally uncomfortable, insecure, and submissive. Severe symptoms may also reflect an absence of social support or a disconnect between internal wishes and the outside world. It could be adaptive in activities such as college studies. A low score may reflect dependency needs.

They are not necessarily pathological, but skills training may be necessary to function.

Possible difficulties: They may find it hard to understand how an ascetic prophet like John in the wilderness can be so articulate in his exchange with the Jews and Pharisees.

Possible connections: They may identify with the people’s rejection of Christ in vv. 10-11.

Possible help: a small group of introverted individuals may function best in a bible study group. A discussion of Christ’s hidden years may also help.

Extra thoughts

The same verses can evoke diametrically different reactions from people of different personality traits. It is important to build empathetic capacities each other, which is also the requirement of Christ’s second commandment. Thus, the group cohesiveness and culture should be empathy, which can provide corrective experiences in itself, barring some serious psychopathologies, which may need special attention. If people with serious issues can fit in the group, they should, which is confirmatory to their efforts to grow emotionally and spiritually and a challenge for other members to love each other as Christ loved them.

Theoretical flexibility 

The way to conceptualise people’s possible challenges and connections with the gospel passages is flexible. It can be categorised according to defensive processes.

Primary Defensive Processes (highly dysfunctional)

·       Extreme Withdrawal

·       Denial

·       Omnipotent Control

·       Extreme idealisation and Devaluation

·       Projection, introjection and projective identification

·       Splitting of the Ego

·       Somatisation

·       Acting Out

·       Instinctualisation

·       Extreme dissociation

Secondary Defensive Processes (Somewhat functional – highly functional)

·       Repression

·       Regression

·       Isolation of affect

·       Intellectualisation

·       Rationalisation

·       Moralisation

·       Compartemtalisation

·       Undoing

·       Turning against self

·       Displacement

·       Reaction Formation

·       Reversal

·       Identification

·       Sublimation

·       Humour

They can be categorised by types of Character Organisation (Everyone has more or less of these)

·       Psychopathic (Antisocial) Personality

·       Narcissistic

·       Schizoid (Disconnect between internal and external word)

·       Paranoid

·       Depressive and Manic

·       Self-defeating

·       Obsessive and Compulsive

·       Hysterical

·       Dissociative

There may be other strength-based or cognitive-behavioural frameworks.

References

Ignatius Press. (2010). Ignatius Catholic study Bible: New Testament. Ignatius Press.

Libreria Editrice Vaticana. (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

Friedman, A. F., Lewak, R., Nichols, D. S., & Webb, J. T. (2001). Psychological assessment with the MMPI-2/MMPI-2-RF. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.