Jung and Star Wars

Jung and Star Wars is a comprehensive deep dive, analyzing the Star Wars phenomenon from the perspective of analytical psychology as a living mythology in our time.

Drawing from Jungian perspectives, as well as the influence of both Joseph Campbell and James Hillman, this book examines the rich characters and history of the saga using concepts developed in the field of analytical psychology. It explores Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 and the concept of canon, as well as examining the Force and a number of iconic characters, including Yoda, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia Organa, and more. By coming to understand the psychological ground of its mythic aspects, we learn to see Star Wars as a grand narrative of the human condition.

With Star Wars being ubiquitous in mainstream pop culture, this book will be of interest to both Jungian analysts and scholars, as well as academics in the fields of film studies and popular culture, offering a fresh and lesser-known perspective on depth psychology.

S.G. Ellerhoff is an independent scholar who holds a PhD in literature from the School of English at Trinity College Dublin and is a worker-owner and Associate Editor at Tsunami Books & Press. He was a board member of the local nonprofit Eugene Friends of Jung, bringing Jungian psychologists to Oregon to speak and lead workshops several times a year. Recently he started running seminars based on this work, in a series called May the Force be with Jung.