The Perverse Feminine resurrects a long-buried psychic figure: the Perverse Feminine Archetype. Grounded in intuitive inquiry, this work builds on Jungian theory, feminist psychology, and myth to illuminate the archetypal constructs of forbidden power, deviant desire, and inherited shame shaping the collective psyche of cisgender women.
Across careers, relationships, and inner lives, women in this study enliven the perverse through acts of subversion, refusal, creative expression, and sexual exploration. Through their stories, a meditation on the unconscious unfolds, unveiling the archetypal feminine and perversity as portals to healing and integration.
Distilled from the data, a four-stage framework maps research participants’ psychological journeys across the evolving inner landscapes—where pain, power, and transformation entwine. Through evocative narratives that generate tools for archetypal engagement, this study offers individuals, theorists, and clinicians a guide to identity, self-discovery, and psychic wholeness within a rapidly changing cultural landscape.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Foundations 1. Unveiling the Perverse Feminine 2. Archetypes, Feminism, and the Shadow Self 3. Spirals of Inquiry: An Intuitive Methodolgy 4. The Journey of Perverse Feminine Integration Part 2: The Stages of Healing Stage 1: Societal Indoctrination: The Inheritance of Obedience 5. Perverting the Feminine 6. Collective Unconscious and Patriarchy 7. With Hunts and Hysteria 8. Demonizing Lilith: A Historial Analysis Stage 2: Shapeshifting: Fractured Identities 9. Shadow Formation 10. Internalized Sexism and the Personal Unconscious 11. Contemporary Madness: The Pathologization of Feminine Power 12. Lilith as the Queen of the Shadow Stage 3: Awareness: Awakening the Perverse 13. Shadow Confrontation 14. Catalysts and Challenges 15. Active Imagination: Engaging the Perverse Stage 4: Redefining the Feminine: Embodied Authenticity 16. Shadow Integration: Uniting with Lost Parts 17. Manifestations of the PFA 18. Integrating the Archetypal Shadow Part 3: Reflection and Future Implications 19. Beyond the Framework: Future Directions for the PFA 20. Reflections on the Perverse: A Researcher’s Journey References