ABSTRACT
The story of Adam and Eve, as set forth in its traditional form as part of Genesis 1-3, and particularly the portion of the story involving “the Fall” and expulsion from the Garden of Eden, not only is foundational to two major world religions, Christianity and Judaism, but also, as demonstrated by Sanders (2009), is culturally pervasive in the United States, appearing prominently in major secular domains such as movies, songs, and books. From a Jungian perspective, one would suspect that such a persistent story reflects multiple inner, unconscious themes. Various scholars have suggested that the story, ostensibly a tale about the origin of humanity, reflects psychological aspects of infancy. The fact of childhood amnesia, that people are unable to remember most personal events and experiences from the first five to six years of life (Crain, 2011, p. 329), enhances the possibility that the Adam and Eve story may situate infant experiences lost to conscious recall. Given the Jungian presumption that myth and other archetypal material are reflective of unconscious aspects of the psyche, it is not surprising that among the scholarly works linking the story to infancy are prominent examples from Jungian theorists such as Edinger (1972) and Sanford (1974).
