Inking the Shadow: The Externalization and Integration of Trauma Through the Art of Tattooing

Abstract

This study explores the potential relationship between the alchemical process of transmutation, unconscious symbolism, and storytelling in the externalization and integration of sexual trauma through the art of tattooing. This research investigates how symbols, dreams, and the transmutation process interact with personal stories through tattoos and provides an understanding of how this process might assist in integrating sexual trauma. By examining this connection, the study contributes to the field of depth psychology by offering insights into the role of tattoos in the integration of trauma and their potential therapeutic implications in psychoanalysis.