Surrealism, Religion, and Psychology

Surrealism is an artistic and literary movement that began in Europe in the early 1920s. It features fantastic, whimsical, and dreamlike images that express an alternate reality of sorts, which the members of this movement refer to as “surreality” (Breton 1972). Surrealists employ a variety of techniques derived from psychology and alchemy, as well as from previous artistic movements, to induce the inspiration necessary to experience and express this “surreality.” Surrealism is not merely an artistic movement, but is also a way of life with strong philosophical underpinnings. André Breton, author of the Manifestoes of Surrealism, cites Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, G. W. F. Hegel, and prominent figures in the western esoteric tradition such as Franz Hartmann and Cornelius Agrippa among his influences (Breton 1972). Artists associated with this movement are Man Ray, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, André Breton, Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico, Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, and Yves...