Ecce Mulier

CREATIVITY AND MADNESS, sparked by the intrusion of unconscious symbolism, arise from the same feminine depths---what Jung, following Goethe, called the realm of the Mothers.  Which one triumphs depends on the strength of the ego under the onslaught of unconscious contents.  The developmental course of that ego, and its archetypal aspects, are charted here, in a psychobiography that ventures into the realm of the Mothers so that the creativity and the madness of Friedrich Nietzsche can be better understood.

Drawing upon classical, archetypalist, and developmental approaches, Dr. Ostfeld de Bendayán investigates the purpose and meaning of Nietzsche’s states of mind, his emotional life, his dominant patterns of behavior, his recurrent fantasy motifs, his interests and choices, his symptoms, and his manifestations of the Self.  Dreams, visual and auditory hallucinations, and poems are mined for insights, and alchemy, religion, philosophy, literature, and archetypal symbolism provide further illumination.  The result is a rich analytical psychological portrait that enhances our understanding of psychic dynamics in general, of the etiology of psychosis, of the fruitful alliance between psychology and myth, of the existential condition of postmodern (Dionysian) humanity, and of the relationships between the creative process and the collective unconscious.

Chiron 2008      306pp.      paper: ISBN 978-1-888602-43-2   $24.95

Lays out a new approach to worldwide economic and industrial development.

Stein explores the origins and work of conscience. What is that "still small voice"? Using the myths of Orestes and Prometheus as examples, he defines solar conscience as an inner voice that represents the values of society, and lunar conscience as an instinctive inner sense which seeks to fulfill underlying qualities of right and wrong.

If one chooses to be different, it is important to understand how the group to be challenged will accommodate diversity. Many groups defend themselves against the different, the new, and the perceived negative, by collectively rejecting this element through the creation of a scapegoat. To accommodate diversity, Colman explores ways individuals and groups can grow beyond the continual theme of scapegoating.