A Jungian approach to psychological intervention: Using the cultural archetype of the “gourd” image to support Chinese frontline medical staff during COVID-19.

Abstract

After the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, frontline medical staff stepped forward to protect people from the virus. Medical staff have experienced many psychological problems during the pandemic, such as anxiety and depression, as well as adverse somatic reactions, such as sleep disorders and physical pain. Based on the theory and clinical practice of analytical psychology, this article proposes the image of the gourd (“hulu”), an archetype with rich cultural connotations, as a novel tool for psychological intervention. The image of the gourd has its origins in Chinese culture and is one of the most important symbols in Chinese tradition, ubiquitous in architecture (such as that of the Forbidden City), national costumes, poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Linked with the archetype of the “Great Mother,” the gourd signifies the birth and origin of life and evokes the functions of reproduction, nurturing, and protection. At the same time, the gourd is the archetype of the physician (healer) in Chinese culture, standing for physical and mental healing and the essence of health and longevity. In addition, the gourd is linked with the archetype of “temenos.” (The “temenos” is one of the important ways in which the therapeutic containment is conceptualized in analytical psychology. Jung drew the analogy between the consulting room and the temenos, the “holy of holies” at the center of the Greek Temple as a sacred and inviolate place; Abramovitch, 2002.) As an important sacred (sacrificial) vessel, the gourd is a symbolic agent of communication between heaven and earth and human beings and immortals, and it is responsible for expelling evil spirits and warding off disasters. This article proposes the image of the gourd as a novel tool for providing psychological support for frontline medical staff during the COVID-19. The trauma of frontline staff can be subsumed within the image of the gourd, which evokes functions such as sealing, housing, protection, healing, and transformation, to restore their internal psychological resources and spiritual strength.