The Origin and Development of Consciousness. Myths, Archetypes and the Formation of Personality

In the fundamental study of the origin of consciousness, psychoanalyst and follower of C. G. Jung, Erich Neumann, refers to myths and archetypal stages common to all humanity.

Ouroboros, the Great Mother, the Division of the Primordial Parents, the Killing of the Mother and the Killing of the Father, the Birth and Transformation of the Hero, the Victory over the Dragon, the Creation of the World – these and other archetypes, according to Neumann, underlie mythology and determine the evolution of consciousness.

Neumann's monumental work deserves attention from both admirers of analytical psychology and anyone who wants to delve into mythology and folklore in order to understand the deep motivation of human behavior.