Thought of the Heart and the Soul of the World

Two groundbreaking essays launch archetypal psychology in a new direction: toward the world. Hillman calls this "a depth psychology of extraversion" - a therapy beyond the consulting room & private relationships, opening the heart-felt connection to the world. His examination of other heart image clears away constricting notions: heart as muscle & pump, as symbol of royal pride & wilful energy, as seat of personal feelings. Freed of these mechanical & personalised notions, the heart can reclaim its place as organ of aesthetic perception that responds directly to the beauty of the sensuous world, much like the instinctual responses of animals & if the soul of the world or the anima mundi, is sick - as evident in such multiple "breakdowns" as Chernobyl, Watergate & savings & loans scandals - then we become sick at heart & suffer heart attacks. Therefore, to restore the heart's courage & its imaginative power, the soul of the world needs the same attention that we have been giving to the soul of the persons. For the soul cannot be owned only by humans. There is a soul quality to all things in the environment, whether "natural" or "manmade." These essays show how to regain, & live a life of, heart & soul.Hillman, James is the author of 'Thought of the Heart and the Soul of the World', published 0011 under ISBN 9780882143538 and ISBN 0882143530.