Dissertation Oral Defenses
The Navajo deity, Changing Woman is not well known in the pantheon of goddesses, but she is everywhere. She is Earth, Feminine Creator, spirit, Feminine Spirit, Holy Spirit, breath, voice, the “Wisdom Feminine of the Old Testament, Ruach of Judaic thought, The Shekinah of the Cabbalists, Sophia of Gnosticism” (Moon, “Changing Woman” 164-165). She represents…
The underworld is traditionally the place where souls go upon death, but it can also be thought of as a kind of otherworld or altered reality. In this way, it can be compared to correctional institutions, which are also realities separate from that of most people. If prison is a type of underworld, then the…
The purpose of this theoretical study was to examine the therapeutic benefit of using photographic portraits in treating poor body image and eating disorders. It is known that disturbed body image is a consistent symptom of eating disorders, as well as being a prevalent phenomenon of modern day Western women. Through the application of neuroscience,…
Mary Magdalene is a dynamic expression of the divine feminine archetype. Her story has been changing and she has been transforming since the early years of Christianity. The discovery of the Gnostic Gospels and the subsequent study of those gospels, show a very different story regarding Magdalene than what the Orthodox teachings presumed. Magdalene was…
The intention of this production dissertation is to study the ability of images to communicate as a language—perhaps the first language that humans learn. This language arises from the unconscious and accesses information that cannot be expressed in words alone. To express this language, this dissertation studies the work of four different artists across a…
This hermeneutic research attempts to address the mind and body problem using complementarity from quantum physics and dual aspect monism from philosophy. Quantum mechanics and dual-aspect monism offer ways to explain complex phenomena that include aspects that are seemingly contradictory. In quantum physics, wave–particle complementarity describes how an atom is both a particle and a…
The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore how the heroine’s quest to overcome her murderous husband in the fairy tale “Bluebeard” may speak to the development of insight into the presence of an archetypal predator and the process of separation in real-life situations characterized by intimate partner violence (IPV). Four women in relationships…
This dissertation examines the deep-seated recognition of a Goddess in Hindu culture and iconography. It describes the history of Hindu traditions giving special attention to anthropomorphic images of divinity and the reemergence of the feminine principle. Reflections extend from the most ancient source of Hindu mythology, the Indus Valley civilization, into contemporary interpretations of Tantrik…
This research seeks to deepen understanding of the body’s role in becoming conscious. Using literary hermeneutic methodology with a somatic depth psychological lens, this dissertation interprets materials from the disciplines of depth psychology, developmental theory, neuroscience and affective neurobiology, and psychopharmacology. Integrating these areas of expertise supports the understanding that the body is the essential…
This study is an investigation of nondual experiences with the intention to describe their essences and their meaning for six co-researchers, using Clark Moustakas’ Heuristic research methodology. Additionally, it examined the impact of these nondual experiences on their emotional wellbeing, sense of self, and their relationships, in an effort to determine the psychological benefits and…
The present study aims to ascertain some of the archetypal underpinnings of the experience of paternal postpartum depression using the Descriptive Phenomenological Methodology of Giorgi (2009). The intention is to produce a phenomenological description of archetypal themes and patterns as they emerge in the reported experiences of fathers experiencing or having experienced emotional duress during…
In an era of ecological and social crises, this study aims to better understand relationships between humans and nature. More specifically, this research seeks to identify experiences which might shed light on the perceived, but problematic, psychological disconnection between humans and nature in the Western world, about which many ecopsychologists have written. Employing ecopsychological and…
The purpose of this research was to investigate the transformative learning experiences of formerly incarcerated participants in The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), a three-level experiential training program in nonviolent conflict resolution. It explores participants’ interpretation of changes in their mindsets about violence and nonviolence following intensive training in AVP transformative and constructionist pedagogies while…
This hermeneutic study explores potential connections between Carl Jung’s idea of the number four representing wholeness and possible archetypal profiles of the four classical elements of fire, earth, air, and water. Viewed as archetypal symbols of potential psychic functions, the elements may present as patterns within psyche, building a possible bridge between alchemical processes of…
The purpose of this historical-humanistic hermeneutic inquiry is to explore the psychological and cultural emergence of the head huntress of the Holy Scriptures, Salome, daughter of Herodias, princess of Judea, as evidenced through the Modern era circumscribed by the turn of the 20th century, showcasing the lives and creative output of Oscar Wilde and C.…
Based on literary, historical, anthropological, and psychological data scholars have formed a post-modern concept of Dionysus that expresses him as a timeless and exceptional god originating from ancient Greece. Dionysus’ unique personality is antithetical even unto itself and has therefore been difficult to rationalize beyond assumptions concerning the god’s historical lineage. Mythographer and psychoanalyst Rafael…
The purpose of this inquiry was to develop a depth psychological understanding of immigration as a liminal experience. The Free Association Narrative Interview (FANI) method derived meaning from the lived experiences of five recent immigrants from both Western and Eastern cultures. Emergent themes referenced the expanded understanding of immigration as a process of homecoming, perceived…
During the early seventeenth century, the witch hysteria engulfing Europe reached its height in the Basque territory of Spain. There, between 1609-1611, members of the Spanish Inquisition tried and executed a number of the local residents as witches. Though the historical trauma of this “witch burning” time took place over four hundred years ago, I…
This study utilizes a heuristic methodology to seek answers to several questions regarding a depth psychological approach to canine-assisted therapy. First and foremost, the study investigates why canine-assisted therapy is important as a psychotherapeutic modality, and secondly, it seeks to identify the benefits that patients, therapists, and dogs receive from their engagement in such a…
The provisional construct “moral injury” has been proposed as a means to recognize the impact of certain stressor events commonly encountered in war, yet excluded from the current definition of postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially the psychological consequences of moral violations, whether experienced as perpetrator, witness, or victim. Although frequently co-morbid and exhibiting similar syndromes…
