The Psychology of Hospitality: Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Environments

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic dissertation is to explore the transformative potential and practical application of traditional hospitality in contemporary life. Through the examination and interpretation of literature pertaining to the evolution of hospitality and theories of depth psychology, this research deconstructs the basic perception of what it means to be hospitable and re-envisions hospitality as an archetypal presence and a fundamental aspect of being human.
In addition to conventional textual analysis, tools of depth psychology such as alchemy, active imagination, individual typology, and collective complexes are utilized as valid methods of inquiry and valuable sources of information. This dissertation invites and integrates commentary from mythology, theology, philosophy, literature, science, technology, and commerce. By hosting this scholarly encounter between diverse and often divergent philosophies and traditions, this research not only investigates but also models the reciprocal, paradoxical, and dynamic nature of hospitality.
The heart of hospitality and the soul of depth psychology both call for a welcoming presence at the thresholds of life—the times, spaces, and pathways in which the unknown is encountered and transformation occurs. As an archetype, hospitality facilitates the movement betwixt, between, and beyond the borders that separate the conscious from the unconscious, the Self from the other, the profane from the sacred, and the material from the imagined, as well as many other seemingly opposing forces. By honoring the archetype of hospitality and the integrity of the guest-host relationship, we have the power to renew an individual and collective spirit of welcoming and trust, regenerate an expectation of mutual obligation and psychological safety, and a reawaken a sacred connection to the external other and the internal Self.