Addiction to Perfection: The Still Unravished Bride: A Psychological Study (Studies in Jungian Psychology, 12.) (Paperback)

~ Marion Woodman (Author) "One night several years ago, we had a party-a memorable party..." (more)
Key Phrases: Great Mother, Lady Macbeth, Black Madonna (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Addiction to Perfection
By Marion Woodman

Through case studies, dreams, and myths, a Jungian analyst explores the hidden causes of compulsion in the lives of men and women. At the root of eating disorders, substance abuse, and other addictive and compulsive behaviors, Woodman sees a hunger for spiritual fulfillment. The need to experience a sacred connection to an energy greater than their own drives people to search for an illusory ideal of perfection. Through discussions of parenthood, creativity, and body image, this presentation shows that freedom from addiction can be found by discovering the wisdom and power of the feminine principle. Shambhala Lion Editions
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Marion Woodman is a writer, international teacher and workshop leader, and Jungian analyst. With over half a million books in print, she is one of the most widely read authors on analytical and feminine psychology of our time.
Marion Woodman is a graduate of the C. G. Jung Institute of Zurich. She is the author of Addiction to Perfection, The Owl Was a Baker’s Daughter, The Pregnant Virgin, The Ravaged Bridegroom, and is coauthor of Coming Home to
Myself (with Jill Mellick) and The Maiden King (with Robert Bly). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Inner City Books (December 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0919123112
• ISBN-13: 978-0919123113
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #88,853 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gives Insights the 12-step Programs Miss, June 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Addiction To Perfection: The Roots of Compulsive Behavior and the Need for Spiritual Fulfillment (Audio Cassette)

Marion Woodman's "Addicted to Perfection" is the best of her many works. She describes how we are all addicted to perfection and to being what our parents wanted us to be. This is expressed in active addicts through the abuse of alcohol, food, and sex according to our compulsive needs for father, mother and union (in corresponding order). I have shared this tape with several friends in Overeater's Anonymous who felt they got more insight from it than many years of 12-step work. Its not that they were going to quit the OA program, its just that Marion got to the heart of the problem in one cassette tape! For anyone struggling with an addiction, this tape is a must. It is also helpful for those who haven't needed to become an addict - the underlying principles are a part of the human condition today.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Woodman at her best, September 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Addiction to Perfection: The Still Unravished Bride : A Psychological Study (Hardcover)

This book has gone a long way toward helping me bring some key issues in my life and dreams to consciousness. Having read a lot of Woodman's writings, I'd have to say this may be her key book.

After reading the review written by the reviewer below I'm reminded of the fact that the Jungian way of thinking is not for everyone. Those who tend to take life events, stories, dreams, and personalities literally will probably think this book is loopy. However, I have found that the use of archetypal images and themes in exploring my life goes a long way toward getting at the depths of who I am without explaining away the mystery or reducing myself to a one-dimensional being.

Woodman is a brilliant archetypal thinker. This book is so dense with good stuff that it is impossible to absorb it all in one or even two readings. Well worth having around to read over and over again

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating and often poetic interweaving...., May 16, 2000

By	Craig Chalquist, PhD, author of TERRAPSYCHOLO... (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

....of women's issues, addiction, control, and perfectionism from a Jungian-mythic standpoint. Not only enjoyable reading but packed with clinical wisdom and creative insight. Woodman has a sharp eye out for the mythic underpinnings of Western patriarchy and how its Apollonian overvaluation of mastery, domination, and efficiency has shaped the psyches of women and men. Although the case material could use some shortening, they enliven the book and keep it grounded in felt realities.