The inner world of trauma : archetypal defenses of the personal spirit

The inner world of trauma and its diabolical form -- Further clinical illustrations of the self-care system -- Freud and Jung's dialogue about trauma's inner world -- Jung's contributions to a theory of the self-care system -- Additional Jungian contributions -- Psychoanalytic theory about the self-care system -- Introduction to Part II: Fairy tales and the two-stage incarnation of the self -- Rapunzel and the self-care system -- Psyche and her daimon-lover -- Fitcher's bird and the dark side of the self -- Prince Lindworm and transformation of the daimonic through sacrifice and choice.;The 'rediscovery' of childhood physical and sexual abuse has again revived psychiatric interest in disorders which arise from traumatic experience. In The Inner World of Trauma Donald Kalsched explores the interior world of dream and fantasy images encountered in therapy in people who have suffered unbearable life experiences. In order to examine the inner world, the author focuses on certain archaic and typical dream-images which occur in response to critical moments in therapy. He shows how, in an ironical twist of psychical life, the very images which are generated to defend the self can become malevolent and destructive, resulting in further trauma for the person. Why and how this happens are the questions the book sets out to answer. Donald Kalsched explores the interior world of dream and fantasy images encountered in therapy with people who have suffered unbearable life experiences. He shows how, in an ironical twist of psychical life, the very images which are generated to defend the self can become malevolent and destructive, resulting in further trauma for the person. Why and how this happens are the questions the book sets out to answer. Drawing on detailed clinical material, the author gives special attention to the problems of addiction and psychosomatic disorder, as well as the broad topic of dissociation and its treatment. By focusing on the archaic and primitive defenses of the self he connects Jungian theory and practice with contemporary object relations theory and dissociation theory. At the same time, he shows how a Jungian understanding of the universal images of myth and folklore can illuminate treatment of the traumatised patient. Trauma is about the rupture of those developmental transitions that make life worth living. Donald Kalsched sees this as a spiritual problem as well as a psychological one and in The Inner World of Trauma he provides a compelling insight into how an inner self-care system tries to save the personal spirit. Drawing on answers revealed to him through the dreams, fantasies and interpersonal struggles of his traumatized clients, the author shows how we can use the resulting enhanced understanding to help victims of early trauma.