A narrative analysis of bipolar psychosis: An empirical relationship between neurochemistry and the collective unconscious

The purpose of this research is to build a relationship between biological and psychic aspects of severe mental illness (SMI) through an exploration of the delusional content present in bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia. Scientific research into SMI offers evidence of the genetic and biological origins of these illnesses, while the thematic content in these delusions supports Jung's model of an a priori collective unconscious. Currently, research on psychic and biological factors often coexist only on parallel, if not divergent paths, inhibiting best practices for the clinical treatment of SMI. Contemporary western medicine's understanding of SMI does not include insights that analytical psychology can offer in regard to the unconscious and its expression in psychotic material. Analytical psychology has moved away from addressing SMI as a means of understanding the continued relevance of Jungian theory amidst advances in the fields of neuroscience.;This research utilizes narrative analysis to add psychic dimension to medical research and offers evidence that the rise and fall of delusional content, replete with archetypal patterns of expression, is related to the presence or absence of psychopharmacological drugs used for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Data includes (a) etiological and nosological descriptions of SMI from the fields of depth psychology and medicine; (b) qualitative data from those suffering directly with SMI; (b) qualitative empirical data on pharmacological treatment and acuity of symptoms collected from first-hand experience with bipolar I disorder; and (c) appropriately related content and theory from the fields of analytical psychology and neuroscience to help frame content.;Empirical qualitative evidence of a relationship between psychopharmacology and the collective unconscious offers an important bridge between contemporary medical science and analytical psychology. A greater integration of these two fields, each with its unique expertise toward understanding human experience, offers new contributions to best practices in the diagnoses and treatment of SMI.;Key words: bipolar disorder, collective unconscious, Jung, psychosis, narrative, neurochemistry.