Cultural Complexes in Europe: A Jungian Exploration of Soul, Psyche and Identity

What is going on in Europe? The actual conflicts between its nations or states can be traced back to old and revived cultural complexes. In this book, first compiled in 2016, Jungian analysts explore the cultural identities of their European homelands and nations.

This is a new approach to old questions: What makes a people feel at home? How do their traditions and narratives form a cultural Self and identity? How do they differ from one another? Exploring cultural complexes blends knowledge of history, economics, sociology, anthropology, geography, psychology, religious studies, literature, and poetry. But as every complex is built around an emotional core, the study of how cultural complexes live in the psyche is not limited to these disciplines. Each author and reader engages in a confrontation with their emotions, prejudices, and projections. The shape that the ideas and feelings of a cultural complex take in the psyche can be inchoate, rapidly shifting and yet paradoxically long standing, and often quite immune and impermeable to the reason that traditional disciplines of thought would impose on them. These cultural complexes do not necessarily provide a coherent or linear sequencing of facts and events because that is not how they actually exist and function in the psyche of individuals and groups. At the same time, cultural complexes shape what it means to be a citizen of a particular city, region, or country of Europe.

This remarkable book is an important read for Jungian analysts and those interested in Europe’s historical and cultural development.

Thomas Singer, MD, is a psychiatrist and Jungian psychoanalyst who trained at Yale Medical School, Dartmouth Medical School, and the C. G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. He is the author of many books and articles that include The Cultural Complexes Series. He serves on the board of ARAS (Archive for Research into Archetypal Symbolism) and has served as co-editor of ARAS Connections for many years.

Jörg Rasche, MD, is a Jungian analyst in Berlin. He served for many years as president of the German Jungian Association (DGAP) and was vice-president of IAAP and president of the German Association for Sandplay Therapy (DGST). His books and articles include reflections on creativity, music, politics and non violent conflict resolution.