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Archetypal Psychology

Lopa Mukherjee

Abstract
Archetypal Psychology is a field of psychology that was born in the early 1970s, formulated by the
psychologist, James Hillman. It treats the soul, or the innermost haloed entity in a person, as the
primary object of attention. This new psychology is in contrast to older psycho-analytical methods
where the subconscious is treated as the primary source of information. In Archetypal Psychology,
fantasising, mythologizing, embodying archetypes, weaving soul-stories, personifying, sensing
the aliveness of everything animate and inanimate are ways of healing oneself. Archetypal
Psychology considers psychological pathologies as messages coming from the soul that we
need to pour into and not get rid of, with superficial cures. This article introduces Archetypal
Psychology and gives a glimpse of its refreshing worldview.

Introduction fore-knowledge plays as a leitmotif in his
life. It shows up as anxiety, as physical and
In 1930, some years after the end of the First mental diseases, as terrorism, as fear of the
World War, one of the pioneers of psychology, terrorist, as social unrest, as selfishness and
Sigmund Freud, wrote his reflections on human hopelessness. Freud left the question of who
civilization. This book, Civilization and would win unanswered — love or death (1).
its Discontents, became one of his lasting Subsequently, the destructive powers have
legacies. Here he observed that man has two had a long run, with another World War,
antagonistic powers within himself, which and bloody conflicts that are still raging all
are both “Heavenly Powers”. One is the death- over the planet.
instinct, and the other the love-instinct. If
man cannot destroy others and nature, his The path of Love
death-instinct will turn upon himself. The
only way out of his aggression is to let There are many paths that lead to Love. Man
love win over his soul. Eros and Thanatos are stands at the crossroads with multiple choices.
tearing him apart right now, more than ever What he chooses will determine where he ends
before, since he has the tools to destroy the up. Love and Life-based ideas and lifestyles are
planet, and also the wisdom to preserve it. This being embraced by the pioneers of the new

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