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Showing posts with the label Shiva mahashivratri HarHarMahadev psychology of shiva

The Psychology of Lord Shiva: Symbolism, Integration, and Trauma Containment

By Arvina Sharma Why Read Shiva Psychologically?   Across cultures, mythological figures often encode psychological truths. They are not clinical manuals  —  but symbolic maps of human experience.   Within Hindu textual tradition, Lord Shiva occupies a unique place: ascetic and householder, destroyer and compassionate protector, still yet dynamic.   Rather than approaching Shiva devotionally, this article explores a different question:   What does Shiva ’ s symbolism reveal about psychological integration, emotional regulation, and trauma containment?   This is not an attempt to reduce mythology to neuroscience. It is an interpretive lens  —  examining symbolic imagery through contemporary psychological frameworks. Textual Context: Shiva in the Puranic Tradition   The Shiva Purana describes Shiva as:   “ नित्यं योगी निराकारः शान्तः सर्वात्मभावनः ” Nitya ṁ  yog ī  nir ā k ā ra ḥ  ś ā nta ḥ  sarv ā tmabh ā vana ḥ ...