A study of Jung's Mandala and its relationship to art psychotherapy

Journal/Book: The Arts in Psychotherapy. 1987; 14: 301-311.

Abstract: "The study i an attempt to determine, whether or not there are measurable differences between artwork within a circular construct and artwork created within a square". The author examines Jung's work with and theory of the mandala, often used in psychotherapy today as "a basic tool for self-awareness, conflict resolution" and basis for other techniques. Jung saw the mandala as an archetype of the "Self", defined as an organizing center from whcich comes psychic growth. Thus it becomes a "pictorial statement of the psyche and a key to the proces of individuation", esp. helpful in the work with psychoyic patients. (Joan Kellog calls it "a still picture taken out of the context from a moving picture of the life proces of the person"). Jung lists 9 basic characteristic themes recurrent in manadala drawn by psychotic patients, whreas Kellog has 13 basic categories. Experimental hypothesis: "The number of angles drawn within circles will be fewer than the number of angles drawn within squares" Methodology: 32 students from a multiethnic class drew (ramdomized) for two minutes in a mandala or in a square (randomized). the drawings were scored by a rater. Result: Significance was assured (a U-value of 78 at the .05 level, using the Mann-Whitney U Test) - the hypothesis was retained.

Note: Velegnet til Kursusundervisning og øvelser i vid.teori og undersøgelsesmetoder: 1. Introduktion til Jungs teori om mandaler (incl. egne erfaringer med at tegne disse, f.eks. ud fra Kellogg's instruktioner) 2. Hvordan kan Jungs teori om mandalaens psykologiske egenskaber undersøges videnskabeligt? a. kvantitativt b. kvalitativt Artiklen er et interessant bud på, hvordan et aspekt af Jungs teori kan operationaliseres, så det er muligt at gennemføre en kvant. undersøgelse med et meget enkelt design - som kan bearbejdes statistisk.

Keyword(s): Mandala. Archetype. Analytical psychology. Quantitative method

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