Denial, according psychoanalytic theory, is a defense mechanism. It defends the ego, which can be a good thing, mediating a reality that would be otherwise crushing the ego which is without strength to defend itself.
It's all academic because the 'believer' really had the resources to defend their ego all along. Doesn't mean there is a god. It means they are better at denial as a coping skill.
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Denial, according psychoanalytic theory, is a defense mechanism. It defends the ego, which can be a good thing, mediating a reality that would be otherwise crushing the ego which is without strength to defend itself. It's all academic because the 'believer' really had the resources to defend their ego all along. Doesn't mean there is a god. It means they are better at denial as a coping skill.