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Namah Archetypal Psychology

happens when an object is treated like a living season and he bowed his head in obeisance.
being. This is animism, where every instance His clothing was not stiff; so, it was easy to
of the object is given a unique identity (6). genuflect. The up-tightness of modern clothing
is just one indication of the way personal
Anima Mundi boundaries have crept close to the ego-self.
The concept of private property, customised
By removing the nymphs and supernatural products, well-demarcated borders, written
beings from modern thought, we have laws, arbitrating agencies, middle-men… are
banished the numinous from our lives, the all artefacts of a society that has forgotten
animated world of soul. These creatures do to love. And what does it do to the human
exist in the Anima Mundi, the animated world, psyche — a naturally gregarious, playful thing
irrespective of whether we see or imagine that loves to commune with nature? All sorts
them. The denizens of the Anima Mundi will of psychological diseases can be traced back
send us their covert messages once we start to these systems. Even the choice of literature
tuning in to them. Synchronicities occur when can be seen to shift to cruel, morbid, dark
a person is ready for them. When problems and self-hurting works. As for art, the ugly
surface as pathologies, instead of rushing to and distorted can pass off as works of art.
make them disappear, we need to sit with The guardian of the being is telling that it is
them and find out why they have come. A sick in so many ways. A deep introspection
sick soul throws up pathologies to draw is urgently needed.
our attention. A sick culture soul talks to
us through cultural afflictions. Curing the Conclusion
pathology would be like curing the symptom.
The disease remains untreated, so it will In a modern myth imagined by Mary Shelley
throw up other symptoms. (1797–1851), the scientist, Frankenstein,
creates a monster in his laboratory that will
War Ethos end up ruining him and the world. This
monster has many faces, one of which we
Cartesian thought and its baby, science, all saw in Hiroshima. Now drones can be
have created much to make life easier in commandeered to kill anyone that resembles
the physical plane. But they have also a suspect — by a youngster on the other side
worshipped the outwardly successful man, of the planet. We are at an important stage in
the hyper-individual. In all early civilizations, civilization where we can make a conscious
sharing was a necessary survival technique. choice to love. We have centuries of historical
Sharing not just with other peoples but also education in war-making. We have little
with animals and the earth. Sharing starts with expertise in loving. But that is exactly what
offering one’s food to God. All ancient cultures beckons the youthful spirit psyche — to be
the world over began with worshipping the curious, flexible, try out something new.
sun, moon and all the aspects of nature that
regulate cycles of life. Man saw himself as References
a player and not a major one at that. He
was grateful when things worked out for a 1. Freud, S. (Transl. Strachey J.) Civilization and

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