While Jungians draw heavily on the mythologies of Ancient Greece and Rome, there is a recognition that the myths of other ancient peoples can also enrich our understanding of the human psyche. This seminar will focus on ancient Sumeria, emphasizing the knowledge of this culture that was preserved for us by the
world’s first known author.
Seen from a Jungian lens, Sumerian culture and religion can usefully inform our self-understanding and our clinical work. We will examine who the Sumerian people were, how they understood the human experience, and their similarities to us today. We’ll see how ancient Sumerian beliefs about the afterlife offer an alternative to Judeo-Christian beliefs of what happens after we die. We’ll explore Sumeria’s most revered deity, Inanna, and how she came to have dominion over so many facets of nature and the human experience. We will also examine how the desire of Inanna’s greatest enemy remains alive in the desire of therapy patients today.