We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love

Provides an illuminating explanation of the origins and meaning of romantic love and shows how a proper understanding of its psychological dynamics can revitalize our most important relationships.

Johnson draws on the twelfth-century legend of Tristan and Iseult to demonstrate how unconscious archetypal projections distort human partnerships. The chapters trace Tristan's devotion to Queen Iseult alongside his rejection of Iseult of the White Hands, revealing the profound divide between an inner soul-image and genuine earthly commitment.

The volume contrasts courtly passion with grounded relatedness, offering practical analytical insights into integrating the inner feminine.

• Jungian Psychology: Explores how the mythic sword of discriminating intellect and the harp of lyrical feeling must balance each other to sustain genuine emotional connection.
• Dynamics of Relationships: Contrasts the exhausting cycles of romantic projection with the quiet devotion of sharing mundane daily routines and reciprocal friendship.
• Cultural Psychology: Examines how twelfth-century Cathar religious beliefs and troubadour songs transformed courtly devotion into an unconscious search for religious ecstasy.
• Also by This Author: Balancing Heaven and Earth, Ecstasy and The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden.