ABSTRACT
When the medical psychologist takes an interest in symbols, he is primarily concerned with ‘natural’ symbols as distinct from ‘cultural’ symbols. The former are derived from the unconscious contents of the psyche, and they therefore represent an enormous number of variations on the basic archetypal motifs. In many cases, they can be traced back to their archaic roots, i.e., to ideas and images that we meet in the most ancient records and in primitive societies. In this respect, I should like to call the reader’s attention to such books as Mircea Eliade’s study of shamanism, 2 where a great many illuminating examples may be found.
