I like to look at the root meaning or words to understand the true meaning. Lets take psychology which is a combination of psyche and logos. Psyche is more than the conscious mind, it has been defined as soul or spirit. Logos is the word or meaning. Psychology then originally meant the study of the meaning or word or the soul. Depth implies illumination of that which is not visible. You could say the unconscious is not visible but the more it is made conscious, the more we are operating from a place of self-knowledge which I believe is the point of life…to understand and make sense or meaning of our life. It is unfortunate that today psychology is dominated by behavioral stud, pharmacology, canned diagnoses that attempt to medicate symptoms.
While Depth Psychology was rediscovered in the late 1800’s with Eugene Bleuler a Swiss psychiatrist and Freud’s contemporary, it is Freudian psychology that one associates with therapy. Freud had a very narrow model for the understanding of neurosis based on his understanding and relating to the story of the Oedipus myth. His theories touch what is called the personal unconscious. It was posited by Carl Jung who broke off from Freud and theorized the existence of an objective unconscious, sometimes called psyche that is in common to all.
The study of Depth Psychology goes back to the time of the Greeks in particular Heraclitus who wrote in “your bearing is your fate.” Bearing is often translated to mean character. This is the reason I study Depth Psychology because it is empowering, deep and brings the soul back into the meaning. Modern Depth Psychology is not limited to just sentient beings. Psyche is in all living things or sometimes it is better said all living things are in psyche.
Depth Psychology is not reductive but brings together, philosophy, spirituality, science and art.
Whenever I share topics we study with others, I find there is a hunger to know more.
What is your calling?