<p> This thesis concerns itself with the crisis of symbolism in contemporary America and the impact this has on the collective and individual American in the 21st century. The research is rooted in the perspective of Jungian philosophy and tradition, and is presented through hermeneutic methodology. This thesis explains why symbols are important in creating consciousness, viewpoints of Jungian analysts about a crisis of symbolism, the role of nothingness as a contemporary anti-symbol symbol, and the way the lack of symbolism plays out in collective American symptomology. This thesis reaches the conclusion that Americans have effectively eliminated meaningful symbols and have entered a post-deconstructionist era in order to allow space in which to create new, more meaningful symbols. The role of the contemporary depth psychologists is to remind their patients of their part in participating in symbol making as a participation in the psychological health of society as a whole.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1527501 |
| Date | 18 April 2014 |
| Creators | Espy, Amanda M. |
| Publisher | Pacifica Graduate Institute |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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