The Swiss psychiatrist C.G. Jung researched alchemical themes because,
like mythology and fairytales, they metaphorically expressed the psychic
processes that transpired in the background of the psyche in the language of
the historical era in which these forms of expression were created. An
analysis of alchemical themes can be used to understand the psychology of the
unconscious in a contemporary context. Unfortunately the language of those old
alchemical treaties is rather arcane and therefore difficult to make any sense
out of it. Moreover, confusion was created when some alchemists used symbols in
a way that was contrary to the way other alchemists used the same symbols.
Oftentimes we are confronted with this same confusing problem when we try to
analyse the themes that appear in modern art, literature and film. Nonetheless
with a good understanding of Analytical Psychology one can discern definite
symbolic patterns in the themes that are portrayed in these media.
Quite often the confusion between how certain themes and symbols are used in the arts can be attributed to cultural or personality differences of the authors. While studying the phenomenon of self-harming behaviour I became aware of a number of thematic patterns that were forming in the background of contemporary culture that was related to self-harming behaviour. I was hoping to write a book on the subject but quickly learned from the discourse concerning this topic on Internet forums that a serious analytical understanding self-harm was a taboo subject for conventional psychologists and the vast majority of people. While Gothic fantasy themes are hugely popular, almost nobody wants to know anything about the psychology of this phenomenon beyond superficial sociological explanations: e.g., the notion that anorexia nervosa is caused by fashion trends.
Like with the lemmings, there appears to be a dormant archetype of self-destructiveness in the psychic background and people feel that it is best to avoid this sleeping dog, least it bite its owner. Nonetheless, people become fascinated by news reports of the self-destructive antics of other people. For some individuals this fascination can have a contagious affect, which is no better illustrated than in the phenomenon of anorexia nervosa where its compulsions sometimes affects other individuals by way of suggestion.
While researching the phenomenon of anorexia nervosa, I became aware of a thematic pattern that appeared in popular Gothic fantasies fitted the pattern that occurs in the fantasies, symptoms and convictions of many anorexics. While working on this project, after having made this realization, I eventually got back to Jung’s work on alchemy and found that the same basic themes that are expressed in modern Gothic fantasies were also expressed in the alchemical treaties of the Middle Ages. In other words, understanding the psychological meaning behind the themes that occur in mythology, fairytales and alchemy can help us understand the underlying dynamics of disorders like anorexia nervosa and cutting.
While some conventional psychologists like accuses Jungian psychology of being unscientific because it deals with fantasy, some individuals have written books that accuse Jung of being a number of things such as an occultist, mystic and worse. Yet, the psychological authorities do not know, or more correctly, cannot admit to knowing the aetiology of anorexia nervosa and cutting, e.g., none of their official explanations can explain why anorexia nervosa, bulimia and cutting suddenly became an epidemic that began emerging in the late 1960s and 1970s. But the real reason for smearing Jung is that the individuals who do the smearing and their followers are afraid of waking the sleeping dogs and getting mauled badly. They are afraid of their own shadows, i.e., they are terrified of the stuff that lies dormant in the background of their own psyches, which is the subject of Jungian Analytical Psychology.
The purpose of The Art of Tragedy project is to explore the relationship between the aetiology of anorexia nervosa and cutting and the themes portrayed in Alchemy, mythology, fairytales and the modern Gothic fantasy stories that fascinate adolescents.
Quite often the confusion between how certain themes and symbols are used in the arts can be attributed to cultural or personality differences of the authors. While studying the phenomenon of self-harming behaviour I became aware of a number of thematic patterns that were forming in the background of contemporary culture that was related to self-harming behaviour. I was hoping to write a book on the subject but quickly learned from the discourse concerning this topic on Internet forums that a serious analytical understanding self-harm was a taboo subject for conventional psychologists and the vast majority of people. While Gothic fantasy themes are hugely popular, almost nobody wants to know anything about the psychology of this phenomenon beyond superficial sociological explanations: e.g., the notion that anorexia nervosa is caused by fashion trends.
Like with the lemmings, there appears to be a dormant archetype of self-destructiveness in the psychic background and people feel that it is best to avoid this sleeping dog, least it bite its owner. Nonetheless, people become fascinated by news reports of the self-destructive antics of other people. For some individuals this fascination can have a contagious affect, which is no better illustrated than in the phenomenon of anorexia nervosa where its compulsions sometimes affects other individuals by way of suggestion.
While researching the phenomenon of anorexia nervosa, I became aware of a thematic pattern that appeared in popular Gothic fantasies fitted the pattern that occurs in the fantasies, symptoms and convictions of many anorexics. While working on this project, after having made this realization, I eventually got back to Jung’s work on alchemy and found that the same basic themes that are expressed in modern Gothic fantasies were also expressed in the alchemical treaties of the Middle Ages. In other words, understanding the psychological meaning behind the themes that occur in mythology, fairytales and alchemy can help us understand the underlying dynamics of disorders like anorexia nervosa and cutting.
While some conventional psychologists like accuses Jungian psychology of being unscientific because it deals with fantasy, some individuals have written books that accuse Jung of being a number of things such as an occultist, mystic and worse. Yet, the psychological authorities do not know, or more correctly, cannot admit to knowing the aetiology of anorexia nervosa and cutting, e.g., none of their official explanations can explain why anorexia nervosa, bulimia and cutting suddenly became an epidemic that began emerging in the late 1960s and 1970s. But the real reason for smearing Jung is that the individuals who do the smearing and their followers are afraid of waking the sleeping dogs and getting mauled badly. They are afraid of their own shadows, i.e., they are terrified of the stuff that lies dormant in the background of their own psyches, which is the subject of Jungian Analytical Psychology.
The purpose of The Art of Tragedy project is to explore the relationship between the aetiology of anorexia nervosa and cutting and the themes portrayed in Alchemy, mythology, fairytales and the modern Gothic fantasy stories that fascinate adolescents.
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