Psyche, Self, and Soul: Rethinking Psychoanalysis, the Self, and Spirituality. By Gerald J. Gargiulo. 149 pp. Whurr Publishing for Professionals, London and Philadelphia, 2004. ISBN: 10-1 86156 443 0 p/b and ISBN: 13-978 1 86156 443 6 p/b

Excerpt

What a delight! It is a rare treat indeed to find an analytic theorist who writes with such thoughtful purpose and conviction about dark, complex, and soulful topics. Gerald Gargiulo, a psychoanalyst who originally trained for the priesthood, obviously became well-schooled in all the psychoanalytic traditions. As a consequence, he is willing, able, and equipped to challenge the existing shibboleths of the field. He is especially interested in poking and probing at problems typically associated with the traditional canon of psychoanalysis, even as he attempts to elucidate it. At one point, Gargiulo states: one “must take such care to master Freud before entering a dialogue with him” (p. 130). Although at the time, he was writing about Paul Ricoeur’s yeoman effort to critique Freud, it certainly appears that Gargiulo did his homework on classical psychoanalytic theory rather well. In the context of his nuanced extrapolation of Freudian theory, I am particularly reminded of the early split between Jung and Freud as they argued over the existence of spirituality and the role of religion in human lives. This conflict was at the heart of their differences. In a manifestly more Jungian manner, Gargiulo appears to be determined to keep psyche, soul, and spirit alive and within the province of psychoanalysis. …