Walking Shadows: Archetype and Psyche in Crisis and Growth

by Tim Read

There are certain unusual mental states that have such an extraordinary intensity, that they are numinous; they involve the presence of an archetype. These states can be beautiful or utterly terrifying, they can predispose to illness but if carefully negotiated they carry enormous potential for accelerated development. This book is about these high intensity mental states as found in the psychiatric emergency room, in everyday life, in psychotherapy and in spiritual practice. How can we understand this archetypal layer of psyche and how can we work with its power to promote psycho-spiritual growth? The author weaves the archetypal perspective into the psychoanalytic and medical models of mind to show us how the different layers of the individual and collective psyche intertwine to give us our rich experience of being human. Using everyday language and using case studies from clinical work in psychiatry and psychotherapy, the author takes the reader on a journey * Breakdown to breakthrough * Plato's cave to Jung's archetypal crisis * Genetics to transpersonal psychology * Hearing voices to post traumatic stress disorder * Psychoanalysis to psychedelics * The mid life crisis to the encounter with death * Quantum physics to synchronicity * Shakespeare to shamanism * Transcendent nature to mindfulness

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

363 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2014

About the author

Tim Read is an Author/Illustrator of children's picture books. As a Father himself he is inspired by the innocence and wonder of children. His illustrations are whimsical, colorful, and visually engaging. His book series "My Very Silly Monster" is a fun and silly approach to learning. By introducing his colorful characters by common names he believes kids will want to befriend the character thus becoming more engaged as the book progresses.
Tim and his wife Barb are parents to four children and live in Ames, IA. When he's not in his studio he can be found at home as a stay-home-dad three days a week.

Reviews

[Richard Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful, hope-laden and real-as-they-come read...

...of the often fraught, life-long journey of Being. The clinical examples are eye-opening.

Thank you for a most timely, coincidentally meaningful reminder, Dr Read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr Tim Read is a rare psychiatrist who takes a position outside the mainstream of current psychiatric orthodoxy and therefore gets my attention. He has a career in crisis psychiatry at the Royal London Hospital, once again a field I can relate to. Dr Read has developed an interest in transpersonal psychiatry, having trained in Stan Grof's Holotropic Breathwork. This training and depth of understanding of the transpersonal adds a dimension of maturity and insight to Dr. Read's approach to psychiatry, personal healing and development that is well worth considering. I found his book entertaining and enlightening. Dr. Read stays clear of taking controversial positions on transpersonal psychology but is not afraid to look unblinkingly at the controversies and relays his personal experiences and observations in a matter of fact and balanced fashion. This a wide ranging book and well researched book which is enjoyable and captivating, I found Read's theories on Archetypal penetrance somewhat complex and unhelpful, but this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the material.