About the Book

• The Lady and the Unicorn: A Psychological Metaphor



• Dreaming�With Eyes Wide Open: Schizophrenic Hallucinations



• Information Processing in Schizophrenia



• Clarification of our Clinical versus Forensic Function: Dual Relationship



• Art Psychotherapy



• Lord of the Rings: A Psychological Metaphor



• Aviation Psychology



• So, You have just been Passed by a Girl! A Holley Carborator may help



• Approaches in Memory Rehabilitation



• Memory Enhancement Module



• Negaunee Center



• The Final Transition



• Is Deinstitution- alzation a Misnomer



• Token System: a Psychiatric Case Study



• A Token Economy System: Inpatient Psychiatric Population



• Insight: An Aspect of Neurocognition

Lord of the Rings: A Psychological Metaphor

I was fortunate to have an opportunity over the holidays to see this epic film. It�s very nature appeared to be mythical and dreamlike. The mythical content of this film plus others films over the past decade appear to address our own search for personal meaning in life. The journey of the main character Frodo is easily identified with our own psychological sojourn through life. This story�s theme represents a hero�s journey, which we have all embarked upon. Jung identified archetypes which are innate and that ready us for real experiences although remain primarily unconscious. These symbolic archetypes of old man, hero or leader are coupled with the well-known Persona, Anima, Animus and Shadow figures. This heros journey represents ourselves intrepidly facing existential conflicts and obstacles throughout our life, which we must overcome. Even in the mythical story of King Arthur, he dreamed of griffins and serpents, which came into the land and burned and slew all the people there.

The dwarf preparing for battle stated this best in his reflective saying �overwhelming odds, little chance of success, high probability of dying, so what are we waiting for?�. This realistic optimism maintains the hope of winning the battle and of completing our journey. Middle Earth perhaps is best characterized as our conscious Ego. The ego is the sum total of who we are, and the final pathway to knowing ourselves (Freud, 1966). The battle with the Eros may be representative of the primitive Id impulses to power, hedonism, self-destructiveness, which although are instinctual motivating, must be brought under control in order to survive.

The �Great Quest� (Tolkien 1977, Allen (1924, 1977) and Gandalf the sorcerer have but a glimpse of the master plan within the vast unconscious realm. The Gandalf warns us that we will lose �our precious� self if we surrender to these Id impulses. This master plan and players may be characterized as the superego in Freudian topography. In terms of the dynamic unconscious, there are forces which both attempt to repress as well as express these unconscious processes into consciousness. This archetypical portrayal of the characters steeped in Jungian psychology, specifically the quest of the Middle Ages alchemists psycho-metaphysical transmuting process of turning lead into gold (Aurum non vulgi) (Campbell 1974 p. 255). Here too we are symbolically in search for ourselves, which is represented by the philosopher�s stone (Ouspensky (1950 p. 27). The metamorphosis of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary is the ultimate goal of our own life.

The ring itself perhaps represents the great circle of life which we all journey. Carl Jung (1964) has interpreted a dream whereas the �The ring, worn like a wedding ring indicates that the dreamer has taken a �vow� to the self.� p. 303. Dr. VonFranz suggested that that the circle or sphere is a symbol of our self-being an _expression of all aspects of the psyche including the relationship between man and the whole of nature. (Jung, 1964 p. 240)

Being born within this primordial source and paradox, always seeming to end up back at the beginning. In all mythological journeys we appear to borne of a fiery caldron. This caldron has been symbolized in numerous ways throughout mythic logical history as the volcano, chalice, holy grail or well spring (giving immortality) put forth by Jung and elucidated by Joseph Campbell�s writings. The purpose of this volcano is the reformation of self, suggested by the forging and in fact crystallizes our personality. This personality state is fixed with only slight modifications of personality traits evolving throughout our life journey. One has to speculate whether we will rise from the fiery ashes as the phoenix of ancient mythology (Bulfinch, 1946 p. 248) inextricably changed by our journey.

Each and every character as well as the events the hero encounters may represent our own external and internal, search for self. The characters reflect conflicting nature between wanting to do good yet constantly tempted in the self-serving atrophy of Id impulses. Possessing the ring with its perceived power that will conversely consume even the possessor. These delusions of possessing something, which will ultimately consume you, are what we all struggle with. This journey takes man to face his own death. Yet the humanistic virtues of truth, honor and values by being given the opportunity to over come past decisions and sets a courses for a symbolic rebirth.

�When the mysteries disappear from the lives of peoples the link which existed between terrestrial mankind and hidden knowledge was broken. The very idea of this knowledge gradually became more and more fantastic and diverged more and more from the accepted realistic view of life.� (Ouspensky, 1950 p. 27).

To each of us, we are the identified hero in our own life�s journey. From the perspective of the Lord of Rings we too are these anachronistic travelers, journeying into the realm of the unknown, both in search of ourselves and inextricably changed by our experiences. The saying that we can never go home, rings true for most of us, in that we find ourselves transformed in a mysterious and wonderful way as we both move towards the future and to the ultimate source of who we are as people.

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