The Book Of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images (The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism) - Hardcover

(ARAS), Archive For Research In Archetypal Symbolism

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3836514486 ISBN 13: 9783836514484

Publisher: TASCHEN Gmbh, 2010

Synopsis

The Book of Symbols combines original and incisive essays about particular symbols with representative images from all parts of the world and all eras of history. The highly readable texts and over 800 beautiful full-color images come together in a unique way to convey hidden dimensions of meaning. Each of the ca. 350 essays examines a given symbol’s psychic background, and how it evokes psychic processes and dynamics. Etymological roots, the play of opposites, paradox and shadow, the ways in which diverse cultures have engaged a symbolic image―all these factors are taken into consideration.

Authored by writers from the fields of psychology, religion, art, literature, and comparative myth, the essays flow into each other in ways that mirror the psyche’s unexpected convergences. There are no pat definitions of the kind that tend to collapse a symbol; a still vital symbol remains partially unknown, compels our attention and unfolds in new meanings and manifestations over time. Rather than merely categorize, The Book of Symbols illuminates how to move from the visual experience of a symbolic image in art, religion, life, or dreams to directly experiencing its personal and psychological resonance.

The Book of Symbols sets new standards for thoughtful exploration of symbols and their meanings, and will appeal to a wide range of readers: artists, designers, dreamers and dream interpreters, psychotherapists, self-helpers, gamers, comic book readers, religious and spiritual searchers, writers, students, and anyone curious about the power of archetypal images.

About this title

About the Author

Drawing upon Carl Gustav Jung's work on the archetype and the collective unconscious, the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS) is a pictorial and written archive of mythological, ritualistic, and symbolic images from all over the world and from all epochs of human experience. The collection of 17,000 photographic images, accompanied by commentary on their cultural and historical context, probes the universality of archetypal themes and provides a testament to the deep and abiding connections of all life.

From the Back Cover

An exploration of symbols and their meanings. It features around 350 incisive essays and almost 800 full-color images that evoke the hidden dimensions of archetypal symbology - showing how symbols in art, religion, life or dreams can lead to transformational experience and psychological resonance.

Edition details

• Publisher: TASCHEN Gmbh
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3836514486
• ISBN 13: 9783836514484
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 808