ABSTRACT
When viewed through a mythological lens, trauma is perceived as a descent of the soul, a dropping or falling down. It is sometimes experienced as a sudden violent attack in which one is pulled down or an agonizing loss of soul too overwhelming for consciousness to contain. Often, it is experienced as a descent to the deepest, darkest region of one’s being where one is forced to reevaluate one’s core assumptions about life and death. It calls for an enlargement of consciousness, which is a potentially transformative psychological and spiritual experience, although it comes at a high price. As Jung wrote to Victor White, “I wanted the proof of a living Spirit and I got it. Don’t ask me at what price.” 1
