TRANSFORMATION OF UKRAINIAN SOCIETY IN WARTIME: PSYCHOANALYTICAL PARALLELS WITH THE VIEWS OF E. EDINGER

Abstract

The article analyzes the transformation of Ukrainian society in the context of military challenges through the prism of alchemical stages interpreted by Edward Edinger. The author integrates various theoretical approaches, including psychoanalytic and neo-Freudian concepts from Freud, Jung, Erikson, Adler, Horney, and Rogers, to provide a deeper understanding of the processes of individual and collective development. The central themes are the roles of the conscious and unconscious, archetypes, and the collective unconscious in personality formation, as well as the influence of sociocultural and intrapersonal factors on these processes. Particular attention is given to the research of Ukrainian psychologists such as O. Chaban, I. Bekh, and O. Filts, who have extensively studied the psychological impact of war on the Ukrainian population, analyzing psychosocial crises, adaptation mechanisms, and the characteristics of psychological defense mechanisms during wartime. Their works illuminate how social and cultural archetypes, traditions, and symbols, including the images of the Hero, Mother, and Shadow, shape the collective psyche and are reflected in artistic works, social movements, and rituals. Using the symbolic system of alchemical processes interpreted by Edinger, the article examines the key stages of transformation within Ukraine’s collective unconscious and public consciousness. In particular, seven alchemical stages are explored: calcinatio (purification through trials), solutio (dissolution), mortificatio (mortification), separatio (separation), coniunctio (union), sublimatio (elevation), and coagulatio (coagulation). Each stage is interpreted as a metaphorical model that reflects specific aspects of the transformation of Ukrainian society. The article emphasizes that crises are not solely destructive but also carry the potential for profound societal transformation, fostering the emergence of new values and the strengthening of identity. The application of the Jungian approach enables a fusion of psychological and cultural-symbolic analysis, illustrating how archetypal processes influence both individual and collective life.