ABSTRACT
In The Structure of the Psyche Jung claimed that the collective unconscious 'contains the whole spiritual heritage of mankind's evolution born anew in the brain structure of every individual'. Its dominant primordial images he called 'archetypes' — identifying them as the deepest and most profound strata of the mind. In every single individual psyche they can awaken to new life, exert their magic power and condense into a kind of 'individual mythology' which presents an impressive parallel to the great traditional mythologies of all peoples and epochs. Jung indicates the depth and universality of the primordial imagery which is the terrain of the shaman's venture inwards. Lilly, on the other hand, lays emphasis on the range of consciousness offered by any set of symbols and provides in turn the essence of a technique. The role of the magician is to endeavour to build up his perception of the alternative reality presented by these symbols and, then, transcend them.
