In one instance, a patient’s arthritic knee pain was found through therapy to be a symbolic "stiffening" or defense against external pressures in her marriage. By addressing the underlying psychological complex, the physical symptom can sometimes be relieved or its role in the patient's life better understood. Conclusion Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
Ramos integrates Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious —the layer of the psyche shared by all humans—into the understanding of organic disease. Archetypes, the universal patterns of behavior and imagery, act as the bridge between the physical and the psychological. For example, a chronic illness might "constellate" an archetype, such as the Wounded Healer, forcing the individual into a process of individuation —the lifelong journey toward psychological wholeness. Clinical Application: Active Imagination The Psyche of the Body: A Jungian Approach to P...
A physical ailment can be viewed as an attempt by the Self to make itself known. In one instance, a patient’s arthritic knee pain
To bridge the gap between symptom and meaning, Ramos utilizes active imagination with the body. In this practice, patients focus on the area of physical pain and allow images to emerge, essentially letting the symptom "speak". essentially letting the symptom "speak".
The Psyche of the Body: A Jungian Approach to Psychosomatics