Michael Meade is noted (apparently) for having been an author who hung out with one of my old profs and his friends. He appears to have nearly caught the lingo of shrinkdom, but seems to have mis-connected some of the vocabulary (like a great many mythic shamen, trancemade or not):
To wit, this is pretty much what I just heard him describing on the radio as 'the shadow' (er, Jung's shadow, to be specific). He was talking about that 'dark force' that kept you from doing what you could be doing by criticizing you, etc. I believe he meant this:
Not the Jungian Shadow:
In Jungian psychology, the shadow or "shadow aspect" is a part of the unconscious mind consisting of repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts. It is one of the three most recognizable archetypes, the others being the anima and animus and the persona. "Everyone carries a shadow," Jung wrote, "and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is." [1]
But then again, none of his books had to be peer-reviewed. And Hillman is all about 're-visioning' things (basically, you re-write something else using the wrong words, or change the 'right' words into 'knew ones' and he loves it). The UD shrinks were really big on the concept of 'paradox' (on this we differed--I pointed out that it was lovely when you got there because you KNOW that one of the 'givens' isn't really 'given' at all--but they all got gaga and mystical instead). In other words, "Zeno's Paradox" is really Zeno's Incompetence (or perhaps his sadism), if you take it to mean, "Imagine a continuity, that is also discontinuous."
They really weren't very interested in furthering 'understanding' very much at all, actually (and if they really gave a degree, even honorary, to this guy, I have to note that their 'standards' seem to have dropped considerably since they denied me mine--but it looks like Hillman isn't even there anymore, just his papers, though Romanyshyn is).
Meade's bio on Amazon says (my bold):
About the Author
Michael Meade, born and raised in New York City, is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. He combines hypnotic and fiery storytelling, street savvy perceptiveness, and spellbinding interpretations of ancient myths with a deep knowledge of cross-cultural rituals. His ability to tap into ancestral sources of wisdom to help people of today heal their communities inspires thousands of men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and the British Isles. His unique translations of age-old myths and symbols into culturally relevant, everyday language earned him an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Michael is also the founder of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation, author of The World Behind the World, The Water of Life, co-editor of The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, and editor of the cross-cultural anthology on rites of passage: Crossroads: A Quest for Contemporary Rites of Passage.
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