The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization
Abstract This article explores the symbolism of plastic pollution. Plastic and microplastic particles are now found everywhere – in the Arctic, in deep ocean trenches, in human organs – and plastic accumulates in our oceans forming gigantic spiral‐shaped garbage patches. Both spiral symbolism and E....
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crwiley:10.1111/1468-5922.12861 2024-06-02T08:02:24+00:00 The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization Bucher, Susanna 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Analytical Psychology volume 67, issue 5, page 1386-1409 ISSN 0021-8774 1468-5922 journal-article 2022 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 2024-05-03T11:59:33Z Abstract This article explores the symbolism of plastic pollution. Plastic and microplastic particles are now found everywhere – in the Arctic, in deep ocean trenches, in human organs – and plastic accumulates in our oceans forming gigantic spiral‐shaped garbage patches. Both spiral symbolism and E.A. Poe’s ‘Maelström’ are suggestive of a necessary fundamental ecological‐psychological transformation of our one‐sidedly logos‐dominated civilization. Plastic, the author argues, has become a carrier of our longing for immortality: in plastic, humanity has synthesized an ‘immortal’, a virtually non‐biodegradable substance. To avert what Jung called a ‘catastrophic enantiodromia’, humanity must relinquish its ecologically and psychologically detrimental consumerist mentality and jump into the unknown towards a less resource‐intensive lifestyle. The author’s dream about sea salt and spiral‐shaped marine animals is interpreted as a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for humanity to reconnect to inner and outer nature by cultivating the neglected eros principle – feeling‐based relatedness – as a felt realization that we are part of nature on which we depend. Instead of succumbing to paralyzing fear or denial, the author argues for facing the abyss of our ecological‐psychological crisis and acting, informed by science. For ecological‐psychological transformation, Jungian psychology can play an important role. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Wiley Online Library Arctic Eros ENVELOPE(156.457,156.457,62.260,62.260) Journal of Analytical Psychology 67 5 1386 1409 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
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English |
description |
Abstract This article explores the symbolism of plastic pollution. Plastic and microplastic particles are now found everywhere – in the Arctic, in deep ocean trenches, in human organs – and plastic accumulates in our oceans forming gigantic spiral‐shaped garbage patches. Both spiral symbolism and E.A. Poe’s ‘Maelström’ are suggestive of a necessary fundamental ecological‐psychological transformation of our one‐sidedly logos‐dominated civilization. Plastic, the author argues, has become a carrier of our longing for immortality: in plastic, humanity has synthesized an ‘immortal’, a virtually non‐biodegradable substance. To avert what Jung called a ‘catastrophic enantiodromia’, humanity must relinquish its ecologically and psychologically detrimental consumerist mentality and jump into the unknown towards a less resource‐intensive lifestyle. The author’s dream about sea salt and spiral‐shaped marine animals is interpreted as a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for humanity to reconnect to inner and outer nature by cultivating the neglected eros principle – feeling‐based relatedness – as a felt realization that we are part of nature on which we depend. Instead of succumbing to paralyzing fear or denial, the author argues for facing the abyss of our ecological‐psychological crisis and acting, informed by science. For ecological‐psychological transformation, Jungian psychology can play an important role. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bucher, Susanna |
spellingShingle |
Bucher, Susanna The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization |
author_facet |
Bucher, Susanna |
author_sort |
Bucher, Susanna |
title |
The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization |
title_short |
The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization |
title_full |
The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization |
title_fullStr |
The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization |
title_full_unstemmed |
The spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization |
title_sort |
spiral of plastic pollution: a compensatory urge from the collective unconscious for an ecological‐psychological transformation of civilization |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(156.457,156.457,62.260,62.260) |
geographic |
Arctic Eros |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Eros |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Journal of Analytical Psychology volume 67, issue 5, page 1386-1409 ISSN 0021-8774 1468-5922 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12861 |
container_title |
Journal of Analytical Psychology |
container_volume |
67 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
1386 |
op_container_end_page |
1409 |
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1800746903580704768 |