Call to Psyche

Psychotherapists often speak about psyche when relating to the process of therapy and self-actualization. But what exactly does it mean?

Psyche represents the soul, the winged butterfly femme, who’s breath of life flutters elusively. The story of psyche originates in Greek Mythology. In Greek mythology, psyche is the mortal goddess of soul, married to Eros, god of love. Born of mortal parents, she too was mortal, and stunning, so much in fact that Aphrodite, mother of Eros, became jealous of the love and worship she received from men. In Aphrodite’s jealousy, she commanded Eros to trick Psyche into falling in love with the most hideous man around. But of course, as Greek luck would have it, Eros instead fell in love with Psyche. Their story unfolds in love, betrayal, familial manipulation and journeys into the underworld. It is a metaphor for the deep quest one often undergoes to stay connected, to stay intimate. Connection and intimacy paradoxically are most desired but often the hardest to maintain. The building blocks of love and relationship are as much determined by one’s relationship to psyche as they are to one’s partner and one’s partner’s psyche.

Okay, but how does this pertain to me? How does this make sense for my psychologically?
We understand psyche as the contents of self and soul that make up both conscious and unconscious experience. In therapy, the exploration of psyche is the exploration of soul, desire, and the attention to the varying levels of conscious and unconscious experience.

Consciousness holds all our known thoughts, cognitions, beliefs, intentions, sense of self, persona (Latin for actor’s mask) and ego. The unconscious is where the other part of us lives that has yet to be realized, understood or known. The unconscious reveals itself in projections, our shadow, dreams, images, drives and impulsive behaviors. The depths of one’s unconscious is unknown and always something to be discovered. It will never be fully realized. The abyss of the sea will never fully be known.

Getting to know psyche is a process of discovery, into the parts of ourselves that are unknown and yet possibly emerging. Psyche brings into question moments of serendipity and ideas of control. Its power and creative potential lies in the acceptance of its totality, the way in which one accepts and surrenders to the totality of a god, saint, or guru. Building a relationship with one’s psyche is an ongoing process that grows and develops in intimacy, depth, connection and power over time.
    
It is psychotherapy’s aim to aid in the attunement of this connection. It is not something we will “figure out” together, but rather explore, into which we will gently dig and openly receive. Psyche lives all around us and within us at all times, but we witness and see her emerge when integration and change emerges. She emerges into consciousness when we feel ourselves breaking through something that terrifies us, or experiencing a new recognition, a feeling, a new movement in the game of life, psyche is kicking, shifting the ego. But even in these more “ah-ha” type moments, even without something obviously noticeable, psyche is present. Though not always pleasurable or pleasant, psyche is as much a part of our daily routine as our nightly slumber. It is the root word of psychology and the psychedelic experience. Psychology is after all, the study of psyche.