There is an absolutely wonderful series of books by Robert A.Johnson that i have been reading over the years, which deal with the workings of the psyche of man & woman. Johnston is a Jungian analyst but his books are less about Jungian psychology and more about the relevance of myth, art & literature as an entertaining aid to understanding your inner life. Transformations the book i am re reading now is about the 3 stages of evolution of conscious in a man. Using quintessential figures from classical literature - 1st Cervante's Don Quixote, who represents 2 dimensional man, a simple happy figure, living in his imagination but unable to integrate external reality - 2nd Shakespeare's Hamlet, who represents 3 dimensional man, a complex self conscious figure, existentially divided, over thinking, and unable to act decisively on the information he has access to, leads of course to tragedy - and 3rd Goethe's Faust, representing 4 dimensional man. A teacher who has explored discipline & self consciousness to no avail but has become wise enough to know he knows nothing, is now ripe for the final quickening. After making a pack with Mephistopheles, his dark side, is able to pass in part 2 of the play through a suicidal mid life crisis, the integration of his feminine & inner child aspects, and achieve a redemption of sorts, which ultimately leads to an enlightened conciousness. A much sort after inner peace.
Marvelous books, inspiring, easy to read and if nothing else will put you in touch if not with your soul, then with a body of classical literature that you might have otherwise missed.
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