Reflection - ADAM

A PSYCHOLOGICAL READING OF THE MYTH OF MAN-MAKING

Abstract

We have long been used, in the New Testament and later Christian tradition, to a literalist reading of the myth of Adam as though it were, without doubt, the most reliable pre-history of our common ancestor. This has had disastrous consequences on the spiritual history of generations of literal believers, as Paul Ricoeur points out in his book, The Symbolism of Evil. Unaware or unmindful of it, many have held on to the literalist reading of the myth, rather than seeing it as a poetically conceived psychological myth about you and me and every human being here and now and at all times. For a change, I like to explore what meaning the myth makes when looked at from a psychological angle. Depth psychologists have, in fact, interpreted the myth from this perspective, which seems to make a personal sense for everyone, who reflects seriously on the story.