Descent of the Soul and the Archaic

<p><em>The Descent of the Soul and the Archaic</em> explores the motif of <i>kátabasis</i> (a descent into an imaginal underworld) and the importance it held for writers from antiquity to the present with an emphasis on its place in psychoanalytic theory. </p><p>This collection of chapters builds on Jung’s insights into katabasis and nekyia as models for deep self-descent and the healing process which follows. The contributors explore ancient and modern notions of the self as obtained through a descent to a deeper level of imaginal experience. With an awareness of the difficulties of applying contemporary psychological precepts to ancient times the contributors explore various modes of self-formation as a process of discovery. Presented in three parts the chapters assess contexts and texts goddesses and theoretical alternatives. </p><p>This book will be of interest to scholars and analysts working in wide-ranging fields including classical studies all schools of psychoanalysis especially Jung’s and postmodern thought especially the philosophy of Deleuze. </p>