Unconscious ideas of God

One of the greatest obstacles for most people when dealing with God, are the images that are operative, either in their conscious mind, or in the unconscious. I would expect that our unconscious images could cause the most havoc, since they are deeply hidden, working behind the scenes, at times calling the shots in ones spiritual life. Some unconscious images of God can be terrifying, placed there when we were children, helpless to be able to discern the truth or falsity of statements made about the Creator. God is often the projection of all the worst aspects of what it means to be human. For instance, God is seen and experienced as vengeful, angry, punitive, and seeking only to send the sinner into hell, to be tortured forever and ever. These images can cause an inner paralysis of the soul, keeping one a prisoner of these projections. It is not possible to love what is feared, nor to trust, to placate yes, but to love and trust, no.