Descent and Ascent: Archetypal Styles of Consciousness in Underworld Journeys

Abstract

Grounded in the psychology of C. G. Jung and James Hillman, this dissertation looks to classical Greek mythology in order to explore how the descents and ascents in underworld journeys personify archetypal styles of experiencing the unconscious. In psychological terms, the descent and ascent motif is a metaphor for ego-consciousness contacting the unconscious. Put more broadly, it is a metaphor for enduring the dark moments of human life. This study explores the psychological importance of engaging with the underworld journey through a myriad of archetypal styles of consciousness. From a comparative study of Jung and Hillman’s depth psychologies, consideration is given to the commonalties and differences between how each theory treats the psychology of the underworld journey and the relationship between ego-consciousness and the unconscious. Analysis explores the modern Western prioritization of the heroic style of journeying and suggests the archetypal multiplicity of the descent and ascent journey has been largely overlooked in depth psychological literature. In response, this dissertation explores the mythology of eight underworld journeyers—the heroes Hercules, Orpheus, Theseus, Odysseus, and Aeneas; and the divinities Hermes, Persephone, and Dionysus. The study finds that each journeyer personifies a distinct archetypal mode of perceiving and experiencing underworld journeying.