Dissertation Oral Defenses

This dissertation is a mythopoetic exploration of the Christian Trinity as a relationship of interchangeable, nongendered functions evolving through time. Based in depth psychology and employing the ternary metaphysics of Boehme, Gurdjieff, and Bourgeault, the gendered language of the Trinity is reimagined and translated into interchangeable functions of affirmation, denial, and reconciliation to free this…

This theoretical dissertation explores the evolution of mythology as humanity embarks on its journey into the cosmos, proposing that the vast expanse of space will give rise to new mythological frameworks. Drawing on the works of Joseph Campbell, C. G. Jung, Ernst Cassirer, and Julia Kristeva, it argues that space exploration—especially interstellar travel—will profoundly reshape…

This research brings the nuanced terrain of multisensory human experience to the center of synesthesia studies. While existing literature predominantly focuses on trait-based and neurocentric approaches, much of the wholeness and humanness of synesthetic experience remains under-represented, particularly how synesthetic phenomena overflow beyond configured categories and integrate into meaningful life paths. Balancing art and science…

This dissertation focuses on diverse ways women of color can heal after experiencing sexual, mental, and emotional abuse using tools and insights from depth psychology and mythology, as well as Black feminist, Womanist, Ifa/Orisa, Tibetan Buddhist, and heart-centered modalities. It also examines how two female divinities, Osun the Yoruba Ifa/Orisa and goddess of love, and…

This study explores tears as a paradigm of mythopoetic storytelling, especially emphasizing tears’ reflexive and generative properties. Ritual lament and religious devotion root the study in communal traditions and individual practices of weeping. By analyzing the performative expressions of ancient texts (Libation Bearers, Trojan Women, Tristia, Lamentations) along with the mystical imaginings of devotional writers…

This study explored the praxis of practitioners working in dyadic disciplines, both inside and outside of conventional psychotherapy, in an attempt to answer the question: How do biopsychosocialculturalspiritual and historical factors related to the phenomena of countertransference influence practitioners in contemporary practices? In doing so, the study also examined the ways in which countertransference literature…

Scarred by the wounds of a history predicated on colonialism and later modernism/coloniality, the academy can either be a cage of imprisonment, often propagating spaces of dissonance by silencing and marginalizing alternative ontologies and epistemologies, or it can be a key to liberation. This co-participatory research project summoned the collaborative endeavors of scholar/activists and their…

This is a dissertation focusing on the character of Gandalf, the wizard of J.R.R. Tolkien’s massively popular The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, among other titles within the collective mythology of Middle-earth, referred to as the legendarium, and extended to wider depictions and franchises associated with Tolkien’s world and the character. This…

In the last century, ideas and practices related to Zen Buddhism have profoundly influenced Western culture, shaping not only psychotherapeutic, self-help, and mindfulness movements, but wide-ranging marketing initiatives promoting wellness, ease, and peace of mind. C. G. Jung revered Zen’s wisdom, finding deep parallels with his own work transforming consciousness, yet also feared its appropriation…

This study addresses the marginalization of the acoustic image in depth psychology and the gap in existing research on the value of musical modalities to the practice of archetypal image work. It employs a Jungian arts-based method to research the process of transforming dream imagery into songs. Following an extensive review of theories pertaining to…

This autoethnographic inquiry explores the individuation process of lesbian sexuality within Texas and American culture. The study argues that a lesbian’s journey toward authentic self-expression of her sexuality is inflected by social discourse and culture. The individual and the collective have a deeply intertwined relationship that influences the psychological health of the other. Staying true…

Concerned with the experience of individuals affected by domestic abuse (psychological abuse), this dissertation engages a somatic and depth psychological theoretical framework to conduct, interpret, and synthesize a comprehensive literature review by employing a hermeneutic phenomenological method. This inquiry was undertaken to explore how the field of domestic abuse and the disciplines of somatics and…

This Qualitative, voice-centered study investigated the lived experiences of identity formation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer plus individuals with an affiliation to Christianity. Through the Listening Guide method, this study aimed to hear and understand the salient voices used by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer plus in an effort to understand the formation of…

This study explores how the mother, orphan, and abandoned child archetypes interact within the psyches of individuals who have lived in Armenian orphanages. The orphanage as a container or community consists of children who either have lost one or both parents through death or are left behind by one or both parents who do not…

John Milton’s Paradise Lost established his legacy as one of the greatest English poets, yet labeling him simply as a Protestant or Puritan limits the scope of his work. His writing embodies an activist mysticism that resists the restrictive doctrines of the Church of England and institutionalized religion more generally. Milton’s vision champions freedom of…

The purpose of this study was to explore the implications, consequences, and benefits of the importation of sacred indigenous practices into Western centric societies. This objective was achieved through utilizing Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine the Westernization of shamanism and the romanticization of Indigenous culture by Westerners. I gave specific attention to both supportive…

This study explored the various meanings of so-called sexual acting out behaviors by interviewing eight individuals, including three women, ranging from age 30 to 40, and five clinicians. The study also questioned whether some sexual acting out behaviors can be considered forms of self-harm for young women. The interviews provided insight into these women’s sexual…

This alchemical hermeneutic dissertation presents a depth psychological exploration of the witch as a complete archetype. Archetypes are integral to the Jungian process of individuation, the circular growth of the soul back toward the Self. Current Jungian female archetypes insufficiently honor feminine power and fail to provide a model of reciprocal relatedness between Eros and…

In contemporary American society the experience of becoming a mother, mothering children, and navigating the experience and institution of motherhood has a significant impact on women, often resulting in the deterioration of maternal mental health and the rise of maternal burnout. The aim of this study was to examine maternal burnout within the context of…

This hermeneutic study reviewed literature in a multitude of disciplines in an effort to surface a millennial darkness practice that culturally oriented the hunter-gatherer cultures of the Paleolithic and Near East Early Neolithic. This mode of praxis was pursued by dedicated practitioners over a period of some 20,000 years, first in Paleolithic caves and later…