In The Great Mother, Erich Neumann attempts to provide a structural analysis of the archetype. He states in the preface that not only does it "provide the foundation for all psychotherapy," it also provides for each man a view of the world that "enriches his own personality" as well as his "new perspective on life and on mankind as a whole." When referring to an archetype, Neumann refers to "an inward image at work in the human psyche." By examining the separate aspects of the archetype, one can approach a more thorough understanding of the archetype and, finally, the implications of its structure and its appearances in the real world.

Three main components play a part in the realization of the archetype. First of these, the dynamic component, is the effect of the archetype. This effect is "manifested in energetic processes within the psyche." Whether it remains unconscious...