Nazar Research Institute of Art, Architecture and Urban Planning
Abstract: (93 Views)
This note examines the structural relationship between "myth" and "modern psychoanalysis" with a critical-analytical approach and shows that myth in the psychoanalytic tradition is not a literary element but a "conceptual model" for understanding unconscious conflicts. Referring to the works of "Sigmund Freud", the author shows that myths such as "Oedipus", "Narcissus", "Medusa" and "Persephone" have become compact models in the Freudian system for explaining concepts such as the conflict between desire and law, libidinal investment, castration anxiety and the cycle of loss. Next, by analyzing the views of "Carl Gustav Jung", the concept of "archetype" is introduced as a priori structure of the psyche that crystallizes in the form of various myths and formulates the process of individuation. In this note, we argue that, despite the usefulness of these models, the mythological foundation of classical psychoanalysis is largely based on ancient Greek myths and is therefore indigenous to the West. Accordingly, the direct transfer of these models to other cultural contexts may lead to a reduction in meaning or misunderstanding, since each myth is rooted in a network of specific historical values and experiences. Finally, we emphasize the need for “indigenous psychoanalysis”; an approach in which psychological analysis is shaped by the myths and cultural narratives of each nation. Such an approach can make the understanding of unconscious conflicts and forces within the historical-cultural framework of each society more precise, meaningful, and interpretively efficient. Finally, in this article, we seek to answer the main question: Can the psychoanalytic model based on Greek myths, which was established in the works of Freud and then in the theoretical system of Jung, be considered universally valid for all cultures?
Article number: 5
Type of Study:
Research |
Subject:
Special Received: 2026/02/24 | Accepted: 2026/02/26 | Published: 2026/03/17