Dionysos: Past and Present
Presented by
Daniel Anderson, JD
Sunday, 2 PM – 6 PM, January 24th, 2010
Dionysos, the Greek god of wine, ecstasy, license and theater, has long captivated the Western imagination. From romantic artistic portrayals of Dionysos as the jolly god of wine and pleasure, to Nietzsche’s destructive fascination, to his invocation in the 1960’s counter-cultural revolution, Dionysos has survived on the margins of a society dominated by Christian values. But who was Dionysos? More to the point, who is Dionysos? Does the god the Greeks worshipped have continuing psychological relevance? Does he continue to represent an archetypal force in the psyche?
This seminar will carefully examine the historical Dionysos to uncover the god the Greeks worshipped and investigate how this archetypal force may continue to be felt today.
Daniel Anderson, JD, is a Diploma Candidate at the Centre for Training and Research in Depth Psychology According to C.G. Jung and M.L. von Franz, in Zurich. His areas of interest and research include dreams and Greek mythology and he has both lectured and published internationally on these subjects. Mr. Anderson serves on the executive committee of the International Association of Jungian Scholars (IAJS) and as moderator for the organization’s online Jungian discussion group. He is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and currently lives and maintains an analytic practice in Pacific Palisades. He has lived and worked in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and prior to that practiced law for 15 years in Austin, Texas. He may be contacted at[email protected].