Dionysus in exile

"The imagery of Dionysus - contradictory in nature and irrational at heart - is difficult terrain to explore. But it is these very traits that make the Greek god of wine, madness, women, and tragedy and exceptional guide through the shadows of the collective psyche.". "Lopez-Pedraza presents us with a unique study of this complicated figure. Dismemberment and cannibalism, Prometheus and Titanic nature, mystical experience, the communal aspect of Dionysiac worship, jazz, flamenco, and bullfighting are topics found among the many twists and turns taken in this full-length essay. As the text wends its way through issues of the body and emotion, Lopez-Pedraza diagnoses the psychological illness at the core of society - the loss of embodied soulfulness in people's lives - and offers insight for a cure. He opens hidden doors for psychotherapy and casts new light on post-modern humanity."--BOOK JACKET.