Dimensions
164 x 242 x 40mm
Symbolism is the most powerful and ancient means of communication available to humankind. For centuries human beings everywhere have expressed their preoccupations and concerns through symbolism in the form of myths, stories, religions, and dreams, and the meaning of symbols has long been the cause of argument among philosophers, antiquarians, theologians, and, more recently, anthropologists and psychologists. In Ariadne's Clue distinguished analyst and psychiatrist Anthony Stevens explores the nature of symbols and explains how and why we create the symbols we do. Stevens argues that symbol formation has an adaptive function: it promotes our grasp on reality and in dreams often corrects deficient modes of psychological functioning. From the ancient symbol of the serpent to the archetypal masculine and feminine, Stevens elegantly traces a host of common symbols back through time and looks at their deep-rooted effects on the lives of modern men, women and children.
