The syllabus for my Psychology of Metaphor course is below. Click here for more details on the Books and Courses page. Metaphors form the foundation of our thinking in everyday life. They are the primary tools for personal growth and social change. In this course, our first task is to become conscious of how we [ Read more … ]
psychology of metaphor
Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space. ~ Orson Scott Card
Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space. ~ Orson Scott Card Metaphor cuts through mental chatter and confusion. An artist who’s involved in too many outside projects sees her work as an apple tree with ripe fruit. It’s time for her to harvest her fruit. If she doesn’t, it [ Read more … ]
Metaphor’s terrain is the spiritual realm of the inner life
No matter our culture or upbringing, metaphor helps us process our inner world. At any given time, we may be “on fire,” “stuck,” “in over our heads,” “overwhelmed,” “burnt out,” or “in flow.” Metaphor helps us understand how we’re feeling and thus, better navigate our lives. What is not so well known is that metaphor [ Read more … ]
Uncovering the image that’s guiding your actions
Each of us has a primary metaphoric image that gives life to and feeds our passions and gifts. These primary images usually come from childhood, and they’re often associated with that natural world. My metaphoric image is of my father and grandfather planting in their farm fields. One of my students who grew up in [ Read more … ]
Metaphor, Martin Foss, and the creative process
The present is not a phase in time. It is the tension by which past and future are metaphorically united and overcome. ~ Martin Foss Ten years after I completed the Ph.D., I was speaking to the president of a graduate school about teaching courses for his doctoral students in Depth Psychology. I didn’t have [ Read more … ]
