Guest guest Posted November 5, 2003 Report Share Posted November 5, 2003 The story of the Ganesha book by Prof. Courtright isnt new - it can be fully viewed on hinuunity.org - where some hindu-extremists have also published pictures of Prof. Courtright with the appeal to direct violence against him. >From a psychological point of view it is absolutely clear that there is a relation between nose and penis (and this can also be reread by indian psychologists like Sudhir Kakar, who describes how in some Indian tribes women are "castrated" by cutting off their noses). And indeed the story of Shiva, Ganesha and Parvati is the Oedipus-story as Freud understood it. The direct conflict with the father (on the mother) and the "castration" of Ganesha (as his head is cut off). But the indian story is different: Ganesha gets - through the mercy of the father - a new head, with an enormous trunk (as a very clear symbol of phallic potence). And who still doesnt believe in the Freudian system, he should read: Westen, Drew: The Scientific Legacy of Sigmund Freud: Toward a Psychodynamically Informed Psychological Science. In: Psychological Bulletin 124, 1998, p. 333-371 best thomas gugler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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