ABSTRACT

Vision, Reality and Complex brings together a rich selection of Thomas Singer’s scholarship on the development of the cultural complex theory and explores the relationship between vision, reality, and illusion in politics and psyche.

The chapters in this book discuss the basic principles of the cultural complex theory in various national and international contexts that span the Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump eras. Each chapter grounds this theory in practical examples, such as race and healthcare in the United States, or in specific historical and international conflicts between groups, whether they be ethnic, racial, gender, local, national or global. With chapters on topics including mythology, leadership, individuation, revolution, war, and the soul, Singer’s work provides unique insights into contemporary culture, activism, and politics.

This collection of essays demonstrates how the cultural complex theory applies in specific contexts while simultaneously having cross-cultural relevance through the reemergence of complexes throughout history. It is essential reading for academics and students of Jungian and post-Jungian ideas, politics, sociology, and international studies, as well as for practicing and trainee analysts alike.

chapter |2 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|17 pages

Introduction to The Vision Thing

chapter 2|21 pages

The cultural complex and archetypal defenses of the collective spirit

Baby Zeus, Elian Gonzales, Constantine’s sword, and other holy wars

chapter 3|20 pages

Unconscious forces shaping international conflicts

Archetypal defenses of the group spirit from revolutionary America to conflict in the Middle East

chapter 4|20 pages

The cultural complex

A statement of the theory and its application

chapter 5|10 pages

Playing the race card

A cultural complex in action

chapter 7|7 pages

Extinction anxiety

Where the spirit of the depths meets the spirit of the times, or extinction anxiety and the yearning for annihilation