With all the news and emotions erupting in response to our military actions in Afghanistan, and the many difficult questions and controversy surrounding the actions and role of our police force, this presentation provides a much needed archetypal perspective on these potentially volatile issues. 

In his previous lectures for the Assisi Institute, Dr Brightman presented his research on the dissonance between the warrior archetype found in the military, and the protector archetype most commonly aligned with American policing. In so many ways Dr Brightman’s original work was ahead of its time and in fact predicated many of the current situations now emerging in the military and the police. Now he furthers his explorations into the erosion of the generative expression of the animus in the US military over the past 75 years.

This presentation unflinchingly discusses the terrible pain and psychic wounds inflicted upon those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, or prior conflicts in the wake of Americas withdrawal from Afghanistan following 20 years of sustained support and combat operations. Special emphasis will be placed on the suppression of both animus and anima energy within the context of national security tragedy.  The unintended consequence  of the integration of the warrior and caregiver will also be addressed.