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A non-fiction work that combines anthropology, ethology, socio-biology, neurology, psycho-linguistics and psychology.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

19 people are currently reading
289 people want to read

About the author

Anthony Stevens

71 books52 followers
Anthony Stevens is a well known Jungian analyst and psychiatrist who has written extensively on psychotherapy and psychology.

Stevens has two degrees in psychology and a doctorate in medicine from Oxford University. He studied for a time under John Bowlby. He is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Independent Group of Analytical Psychologists. He lectures regularly in the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland and elsewhere.

Stevens is the author or co-author of many books and articles on psychology, evolutionary psychiatry, Jungian analysis and the significance of archetypal imagery.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
1,651 reviews20 followers
February 20, 2023
Everything annoying about the pet topics of educated liberals in the 90’s, but I can’t say it wasn’t an influence.
Profile Image for Birl Martin.
6 reviews14 followers
July 5, 2011
The purpose of life is the fullest possible realization of the archetypal program, revealed to us in dreams. Individuation is the realization of this program as consciously as possible.
Profile Image for Nuey Thepyasuwan.
5 reviews1 follower
January 24, 2021
Interesting book that I’ll have to reread to better understand its ideas. This book interprets psychopathology and its chaotic expression as the stunting and blocking of archetypal human development.

What is archetype? And what is its development? I’m not definitely sure but from my understanding archetype is the biological expression and development of mind. No doubt we are each unique human individuals, but also we are each only unique instantiations of a generic process that has occurred and refined itself over tens of thousands and millions of years. That is, psychological evolution is dependent on and an expression of biological evolution.

I need ruminate and think this over. I’ll add more later. This is a worthwhile read though that fills in a bit more of the puzzle of what it means to be a human.
Profile Image for Alexandru Butunoi.
2 reviews
July 24, 2023
I think it's a good introduction for Jung in general. The downside, in my opinion is that it makes big claims like the solution for depression is just the reestablish the connection between the conscious and collective unconscious or that alternate medicine is as good as modern medicine without explicitly showing evidence. To be clear, I liked the book and I recommend it to anyone, I just thing that the author is a bit arrogant, thinking that his discipline is the best and others are complementary.
45 reviews1 follower
August 6, 2022
A clear and concise description of how Jungian use of Archetypes can assist us in finding and achieving our goal in life by better understanding the needs of the two million-year-old self.
Profile Image for Nicholas.
224 reviews22 followers
December 14, 2012
This is quite a short book that mainly deals with the concept of the archetypes.The author traces what he believes to be the origins of the system of archetypes,and then builds up to an exposition of their use in Jungian psychoanalysis.The two million-year old self in question is the paleolithic stratum of the triune brain system ,which he reckons houses our own internal healer,which the analyst helps activate during therapy.A particularly severe case of a patient is used as an example,by which the author attempts to espouse his own theories on specific causes of disturbance and the methods he took to rectify them.
Overall the writing is clear and concise,and remains of sufficient interest from start to finish and to me the only disappointment was the length.
42 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2011
Interesting little book, but I only partly agree with the premise. For example, amazes me that someone could believe that the aetiology of some psychopathology could lie in the Electra complex. The book is not without merit, and worth reading for anyone interested in therapy or the human condition. Most interesting idea: dreams that harken from the ancient self may have a function in preparing us for life events. For example, do chickens dream of laying eggs long before their first one -- an ancient memory of life's expected templates?
32 reviews2 followers
December 20, 2013
Autorul abordeaza sile atat din punct de vedere jungian, cat si din alte puncte de vedere (medical, antropologic). Prin aceasta carte reusim sa ne conectam cu seminta noastra interioara, care dainuieste de milioane de ani in interiorul nostru. Pentru bine o alta abordare a interactiunii dintre Eu si Sine. Asa cum zicea si Anthony sa ne reintoarcem inapoi in natura, inapoi la Sinele nostru arhaic.
Profile Image for David.
26 reviews8 followers
January 17, 2013
Nicely written from the perspective of a modern analyst examining the plight of the modern dreamer and his or her illnesses that result from a loss of touch with that two-million-year-old dreamer that lies within our collective Selfs.
Profile Image for Marius.
12 reviews6 followers
February 18, 2014
A good and interesting introduction to Jung's archetypes and collective unconscious, enough actually to entrap me in the jungian approach over psychology, philosophy and spirituality overall.
Well worth it!
Profile Image for Ben Vogel.
446 reviews
January 23, 2015
An outstanding work that explains what it is to be an animal, a human animal, and how we came to possess a human mind.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

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