[ THE MATRIX AND MEANING OF CHARACTER AN ARCHETYPAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH BY WEST, JACQUELINE J.](AUTHOR)PAPERBACK

by Nancy J. Dougherty

Character structures underlie everyone's personality. When rigidly defended, they limit us; yet as they become more flexible, they can reveal sources of animation, renewal and authenticity.The Matrix and Meaning of Character guides the reader into an awareness of the archetypal depths that underlie character structures, presenting an original developmental model in which current analytic theories are synthesised. The authors examine nine character structures, animating them with fairy tales, mythic images and case material, creating a bridge between the traditional language of psychopathology and the universal realm of image and symbol.This book will appeal to all analytical psychologists, psychoanalysts and psychotherapists who want to strengthen their clinical expertise. It will help clinicians to extend their clinical insights beyond a strictly behavioural, medical or cognitive approach, revealing the potential of the human spirit.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Vincent Jiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone loves a good story. That’s why we get so absorbed in novels, enraptured by movie stars, and obsessed with that must-watch show on Netflix.

And it’s also one of the things that draws us towards other people. Which of us doesn’t admire the person who courageously and forthrightly faces life’s challenges? And conversely, isn’t there some part of us that viscerally objects against those who shun responsibility, even when we understand why they would do so?

In The Matrix and Meaning of Character, the authors shine light on the inner lives of people through the metaphorical language of story. The stories chosen are ‘archetypal’; in other words, they are myths, fairy tales, or folk legends that have been formed and told and refined over thousands and thousands of years, repeated and edited so many times that only the most central elements have survived in distilled form. And these distilled elements, being common to all versions of the story, are therefore universal, generalisable across historical and geographical contexts.

Most discussions of personality are dry: weighed down by the jargon of DSM criteria and buried within giant tomes. This book is anything but dry. It’s quite an unsettling feeling when you start to see part of yourself in the adventures of Alice in Wonderland, or in the back-and-forth tango of the Fox and Rabbit. The impression I get is of a modern-day, academic equivalent of Aesop’s Fables.

[Daria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about character's structures and patterns of behavior. The book is based on Jung's psychoanalysis and it is very deep and detailed. I have found a lot of useful information about our life and people we are surrounded by. Extremely insightful and inspiring reading.

[Georgie E Coram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound and confronting, but relieving to be understood on a much deeper level. I love this book

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the introductory chapters and the chapter on the schizoid character type several times because that applies to myself. There is much of value here and I had to read it several times to let it soak in. I am closing this now on Goodreads but I am sure I will return to this chapter in the future to refresh my understanding.