Manual of Psychomagic

A workbook for using symbolic acts to heal the unconscious mind

• Provides several hundred successful psychomagic solutions for a wide range of specific psychological, sexual, emotional, and physical problems, from stuttering, eczema, and fears to repressed rage and hereditary illnesses

• Details how practitioners can develop unique psychomagic solutions for their patients

• Explains how psychomagic bypasses the rational mind to work directly with the unconscious for quicker and more enduring change

Traditional psychotherapy seeks to unburden the unconscious mind purely through talk and discussion. Psychomagic recognizes that it is difficult to reach the unconscious with rational thought. We should instead speak directly to the unconscious in its own language, that of dreams, poetry, and symbolic acts. By interacting on this deeper level, we can initiate quicker and more enduring change to resolve repressed childhood trauma, express buried emotions, and overcome deep-seated intimacy issues. Through the lens of psychomagic, illness can be seen as the physical dream of the unconscious, revealing unresolved issues, some passed from generation to generation.

In this workbook of psychomagical spells, legendary filmmaker and creator of psychomagic Alejandro Jodorowsky provides several hundred successful psychomagic solutions for a wide range of psychological, sexual, emotional, and physical problems from stuttering, eczema, and fear of failure to repressed rage, hereditary illnesses, and domineering parents. Each solution takes the same elements associated with a negative emotional charge and recasts them into a series of theatrical symbolic actions that enable one to pay the psychological debts hindering their lives. Explaining the shamanic techniques at the foundation of psychomagic, the author offers methods for aspiring practitioners to develop solutions for their own unique patients.

Jodorowsky explains how the surreal acts of psychomagic are intended to break apart the dysfunctional persona with whom the patient identifies in order to connect with a deeper, more authentic self. As he says in the book, “Health only finds itself in the authentic. There is no beauty without authenticity.”

“"Wildly creative and boldly cinematic. The unifying factor is a bizarre sense of whimsy. . . For the armchair student of human psychology, imagining Jodorowsky's vibrant, visceral, and entirely unapologetic paths to the unconscious should be an absolutely delightful exercise."”

“Psychomagic is the purest art form and a plea against suffering. Alejandro Jodorowsky is a demiurge and an interpreter of our stories, always exploring further the understanding of both the beauty and complexity revealed by humankind.” Diana Widmaier-Picass o, art historian
“This is great . . . like a cookbook of very useful recipes that can help us to understand our life and the universe we live in.” Marina Abramovi´c, performance artist
“Jodorowsky is a brilliant, wise, gentle, and cunning wizard with tremendous depth of imagination and crystalline insight into the human condition.” Daniel Pinchbeck, author of Breaking Open the Head
“Alejandro Jodorowsky seamlessly and effortlessly weaves together the worlds of art, the confined social structure, and things we can only touch with an open heart and mind.” Erykah Badu, artist and alchemist
“His films El Topo and The Holy Mountain were trippy, perverse,and blasphemous.” Wall Street Journal
“The best movie director ever!” Marilyn Manson, musician, actor, and multimedia artist
“An autobiographical work by an octogenarian, The Dance of Reality begs to be read as a culminating work. . . .” Los Angeles Times
“The Dance of Reality [film is] a trippy but big-hearted reimagining of the young Alejandro’s unhappy childhood in a Chilean town. . . .” New York Times Magazine
“Rather than clarifying the meaning of his imagery, [The Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky] only inspires readers to enjoy its ‘mystery’ . . . a worthy read, filled with growing pains and crises that end in artistic triumph and achievement of wisdom and compassion.” Scene4 Magazine
“Wildly creative and boldly cinematic. The unifying factor is a bizarre sense of whimsy. . . For the armchair student of human psychology, imagining Jodorowsky’s vibrant, visceral, and entirely unapologetic paths to the unconscious should be an absolutely delightful exercise.” Publishers Weekly, February 2015

Alejandro Jodorowsky is the legendary filmmaker of El Topo and The Holy Mountain. He has been profiled in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and other major media. His most recent film, The Dance of Reality, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 and opened in theaters across the United States in 2014. He is the author of more than 20 books, including Psychomagic, The Way of Tarot, and Metagenealogy. He lives in Paris.

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