Myths provide strength and a sense of roots and values. They offer a mirror to reveal the source of our anxieties and the means by which they may be resolved. Surfacing from our subconscious, they empower us to begin the healing process and become a focal point for our recovery.
One of the world's most renowned therapists here explores the link between some of our most durable myths and the dreams and associations that trouble us in our search for direction and peace of mind. In a tour de fource of interpretation he examines and analyses myths from all ages and cultures - from classical Greece and Dante's medieval vision of Heaven and Hell, through the persistent legend of Faust and the prototype of Sleeping Beauty to the Wile West and Fitzgerald's brilliant evocation of the Jazz Age, The Great Gatsby.
In a distinguished writing career that has produced such classics as Man's Search for Himself and Love and Will, this book is perhaps May's crowning achievement. Stylish, witty and highly readable, it fully justifies the award of the Gold Medal of the American Psychological Society.