Five Element Archetypal Qigong and Jungian Psychotherapy: A Synthesis

Abstract

This hermeneutic and alchemical hermeneutic dissertation reviews Jungian literature related to body-based methods of practicing depth psychotherapy to address the problem of scant body-based Jungian psychotherapeutic modalities. It goes on to offer explanations of the various psychological aspects of four of the five Elements within Chinese medicine. It then offers four sequences of Five Element Archetypal Qigong (FEAQ) related to the four Elements previously addressed: Wood, Fire, Metal and Water. It concludes with a discussion of findings and recommendations for future research and practice. Essentially, this dissertation uses the psychological concepts and insights contained in Chinese medicine and shows how these can be applied to Jungian psychotherapy through the moving meditation of FEAQ. Body-based psychotherapies constitute a paltry fraction of the literature and practice modalities within Jungian psychotherapy. This dissertation begins the process of increasing the validity and frequency of body-based Jungian psychotherapy. It also implies the need for further research on the applicability of Chinese medical concepts to contemporary Western body oriented psychotherapies.