Psychopomp Stories:
Contemplating Death in a Spiritually Diverse Society

Doctoral Dissertation by Laura Strong, PhD

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1
Introduction

CHAPTER 2
Death in the West: A Difficult Reality to Deal With

  • An Historical Overview
  • The Beginning of the End
  • A New Day for Death

CHAPTER 3
What Will Be Left When I Die? A Cross-Cultural Look at the Soul

  • Western Concepts
  • Mythic Symbols of the Soul
  • Contemporary Influences and Ideas
  • Destinations After Death

CHAPTER 4
The Return of the Psychopomps: Twentieth-Century Guides to the Afterlife

  • Jungian Depth Psychology
  • The Tibetan Book of the Dead
  • Shamanism
  • Near-Death Experiences
  • Psychics, Mediums, Channelers, and Other Contemporary Explorers

CHAPTER 5
Psychopomps: An Archetypal Primer

  • Hermes, The Origin of a Myth
  • Hermes Becomes a Guide and Psychopomp
  • Other Incarnations of Hermes
  • Archetypal Attributes of the Psychopomp
  • Definition of a Psychopomp

CHAPTER 6
The Search for Psychopomps: Mythic Afterlife Guides from Around the World

  • Barnumbir: The Australian Morning Star
  • The Aurora Borealis: Lights the Way for Labrador Eskimos
  • Animal Guides: Avian, Equestrian, Delphinoid, and Canine
  • Anubis: Egypt’s Jackal-headed God
  • Daena: The Zoroastrian Self-Guide
  • The Valkeries: Northern European Battle-Maidens
  • Jizo: Japan’s Compassionate Bodhisattva
  • Angels: Azrail, Archangel Michael, and Other Angelic Beings
  • Summation of the Search

CHAPTER 7
The Mythological Advantage: Using Myths to Approach Such Difficult Subjects as Death

  • Some Universal Benefits of Myth
  • Myths Speak to Many
  • Myths and the Transition to the Afterlife
See Also:

The Full Dissertation
$11.99 - Psychopomp Stories (pdf)

Buy Now
with Pay Pal and you will receive an email with a link to download the dissertation.

Please contact Laura if you need a hard copy of the dissertation, which is available for the cost of reproduction and shipping (approximately $50).