|
|
|
| Current Issue |
|
|
| Resources |
|
|
|
Introduction: Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul
| Article
# : |
20243 |
|
|
Section : |
BOOK WORLD
|
| Issue
Date : |
7 / 1992 |
345 Words |
| Author
: |
Editor
|
Today scores of self-help and how-to books aim at curing everything from depression to narcissism to eating disorders. In his book Care of the Soul, psychotherapist Thomas Moore argues that these problems actually are symptoms of a more fundamental one, the "loss of soul," which ultimately manifests itself in obsessions, addictions, violence, and loss of meaning.
Rather than a self-help manual, Moore says he has written a "soul-help" book. It rejects formulas and proposes that we look more deeply into emotional problems and sense the sacredness in ordinary things. His objective is not miraculous cure--to make everybody's life problem free--but rather "modest care," which he believes enables the individual to appreciate the depth and value of life that comes with soulfulness. What's important is letting the soul express itself as it is, not as we wish it would be.
Moore's approach is a unique amalgam of religion, Jungian psychology, Renaissance humanism, and Greek mythology. The excerpted portions of Care of the Soul show how he reexamines Western archetypes and myths, citing stories of Narcissus, Odysseus, and Saturn, as well as Jesus, for guidance in appreciating "the paradoxical mysteries that blend light and darkness into the grandeur of what human life and culture can be."
The commentaries that follow the excerpt evaluate the positive and negative aspects of Moore's revolutionary approach to psychotherapy. James Deese, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Virginia, credits Moore with an enlightening perspective on accepting depression as useful or normal, but he questions Moore's understanding of the role of the
...
Read Full Article
Look for this article in Ask.com
|
|
