A reappraisal of classical archetype theory and its implications for theory and practice

Abstract: This paper begins with an overview of contemporary approaches to archetype theory and notes the radical nature of certain deductions. Some argue that there is no ‘archetype‐as‐such’ as a pre‐existing entity at the core of a complex driving its formation whilst the findings of current neuroscience are calling into question one very thing on which the classical theory is built – innatism. Knox's argument for image schemas raises the question as to the extent to which archetypes can be conceived in any preformationist sense. The question is then posed – to what extent can Jung's classical theory of archetypes be read in light of these current models? The case examples Jung uses to evidence the existence of archetypes, his explications of synchronicity and his own Philemon experience are then reappraised. The conclusion is drawn that it is difficult to evidence the existence of autonomous archetypes unrelated to personal affective experience. Not only would this be expected by emergent/developmental models of archetype but it can explain many of Jung's disjunctive statements about archetype constellation; the difficulties in separating personal and collective psychic content and Jung's apparent Lamarckianism. The implications of these models for theory, clinical practice and analyst training are then offered for discussion.     

The tune in-and-out model: A random walk and its application to a presidential election survey

The stochastic model for the evolution of preferences proposed by Falmagne, Regenwetter, and Grofman [1997. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 41, 129-143] and tested by Regenwetter, Falmagne, and Grofman [1999. Psychological Review, 106, 362-384], as well as the alternative Thurstonian model of Böckenholt [Falmagne, J.-C., Regenwetter, M., & Grofman, B. (1997). A stochastic model for the evolution of preferences. In A. A. J. Marley (Ed.), Choice, decision and measurement: Essays in honor of R. Duncan Luce (pp. 113-131). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.], gave a good statistical account of attitudinal panel data from the 1992 US presidential election. We show, however, that both models have the defect of underestimating the number of respondents who did not change their order of preference for the candidates across different polls. We present a generalization of Falmagne et al.'s model based on the idea that some individuals may become momentarily impervious to all matters related to the campaign and ‘tune out.’ This behavior could be triggered by some personal reason or by some external event related to the campaign. Like the original model, the resulting model is a random walk, but on an augmented set of states. A respondent in a ‘live’ state behaves as in the previous model, except when receiving a ‘tune-out’ token, which effectively freezes the respondent's preference state until it is reversed by a ‘tune-in’ token. We describe and successfully test the new model on the same 1992 National Election Study panel data as those used by Böckenholt (2002) and Regenwetter et al. (1999).     

Analytical psychology and Daoist inner alchemy: a response to C.G. Jung's 'Commentary on The Secret of the Golden Flower'

Abstract :  This paper provides a historical, religious-philosophical context for the study of the Daoist text known as  The Secret of the Golden Flower . An updated study is conducted into the controversy over the source of the text including the editions translated by Richard Wilhelm and Thomas Cleary. The main teachings of the text and the basics of two major denominations of Daoism are introduced to ground later critiques of Jung's commentary. The psychodynamics of analytical psychology, especially those concerned with integration of unconscious contents and the realization of the self (individuation) are compared with the psycho-spiritual dynamics of integration in Eastern spirituality based on the Golden Flower text. The paper concludes that it was amiss for Jung to have equated the Western 'unconscious' with states of higher consciousness in Eastern meditation practices, although his claim that Eastern higher consciousness is characterized by a nebulous state of non-intentionality does raise questions about the appropriateness of calling Eastern meditative states 'consciousness'. A new concept is required to characterize the special qualities of this psychic state shared generally by Eastern spiritual traditions and a more meaningful comparison may be found in Jung's concept of the self.     

Adjustment to War Captivity: The Role of Sociodemographic Background,Trauma Severity,and Immediate Responses,in the Long-Term Mental Health of Israeli Ex-Pows

This study assessed the role of sociodemographic features, pre-captivity combat exposure, captivity severity, emotional responses and coping during captivity, and social support at homecoming, to the short- and long-term mental health of 164 Israeli POWs of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The major contributors to the POWs' mental health were psychological responses during captivity, followed first by their education and ethnic status, and then by severity of captivity. Both traumatic stress of captivity and the results of the study were discussed in the light of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory.