THE PSYCHOLOGY OF "DESCENT"
The Seminar Series
In the run-up to the production of Descent, we are holding a series of online seminars with leading writers, thinkers and scholars, to explore the experience – mythical, psychological, and imaginative - of “descent” and “ascent.” Here are the recordings of the events.
MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE UNDERWORLD
with Gwilym Morus-Baird and David Calcutt
In this video, two storytellers - Gwilym Morus-Baird and David Calcutt - look at myths and legends of "descent" from different cultures, with a special focus on Celtic mythology.
Recorded 12 May, 2021.
TA'WIL - OR, "THE DRAMA OF THE LOST WORD"
with Tom Cheetham
Writer and poet Tom Cheetham discusses the concepts of creative imagination and “ta’wil” in the work of Henry Corbin. Tom is the author of numerous books, including Imaginal Love, All the World an Icon and After Prophecy.
Recorded 1 June 2021.
MYTHS OF DESCENT TO THE UNDERWORLD
with Evans Lansing Smith
In this video, Evans Lansing Smith discusses the enduring fascination of the myth of the “hero journey” through the “underworld,” and the way it continues to inspire the work of writers, filmmakers and artists.
Evans is the author of numerous books including The Descent to the Underworld in Literature, Painting, and Film, and The Hero Journey in Literature. In the late 1970s, he travelled with Joseph Campbell on study tours of Northern France, Egypt, and Kenya.
Recorded 30 June 2021
DANTE'S DREAM OF THE UNDERWORLD
with Gwenyth Hood
2021 marks 700 years since Dante’s death.
In this recording, Gwenyth Hood discusses Dante’s Divine Comedy as an archetypal dream-vision, full of images emerging from his own psyche.
Gwenyth has taught at Marshall University since 1989. Between 1997 and 2020, she was a member of the governing board (or Council of Stewards) of the Mythopoeic Society, and edited their annual literary magazine, The Mythic Circle. Her book, Dante’s Dream: A Jungian Psychoanalytical Approach is published this year by De Gruyter.
Recorded 7 July 2021.
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