Between dog and wolf, Borderland personalities

All cultures have a foundational myth upon which a given culture is built. In the case of Western culture, it is the Hebrew Bible. The author discusses the archetypal implications of the Garden of Eden story in the book of Genesis in terms of the evolution of Western civilization and how the Euro American ego construct has become a co-evolutionary partner in the evolution of psyche – for good and ill. Acculturated Man is psychically separated and seemingly permanently split from a living psychic connection with Nature. From that point forward in the evolution of Western psyche there is a progressive loss of spirit and connection to the sacred. This may be symbolized by Western culture’s attitude towards the Earth, which endangers the survival of our species. The article explores both the positive pole of trauma as well as the negative and how Borderland consciousness is also born through an individual’s and a culture’s transition through the trauma portal to a dimension of the sacred that leaves them feeling safe at last. The article presents a case vignette through which all of the above dynamics can be seen as well as treatment approaches.