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psykhé

Psykhé (ψυχή) is the Ancient Greek word from which the English term psyche is derived. It originally signified the soul, life, breath, or mind and has influenced both religious and philosophical thought as the source of vitality and character. In modern usage, psyche commonly denotes the totality of the human mind, including conscious and unconscious processes.

In Greek mythology, Psykhe is a mortal princess whose story intersects with love and transformation. She becomes

In classical philosophy, psyche is the principle that animates living beings. Aristotle discusses the psyche as

In contemporary contexts, psyche remains a core term in psychology and related disciplines, used to describe

the
wife
of
Eros
(Cupid)
but
must
endure
a
series
of
tasks
imposed
by
Aphrodite.
The
myth,
most
famously
told
in
Apuleius’s
Metamorphoses
(The
Golden
Ass)
as
Cupid
and
Psyche,
has
been
interpreted
as
an
allegory
of
the
soul's
ascent
to
divine
love
and
its
trials.
the
form
or
essence
of
life
in
living
things,
while
later
philosophers
and
theologians
treat
it
as
the
seat
of
thought,
desire,
and
personality.
The
concept
shaped
early
theories
of
mind
and
contributed
to
later
discussions
in
psychology
and
psychoanalysis.
mental
life,
personality,
and
interior
experience.
It
also
appears
in
literature,
art,
and
popular
culture
as
a
symbol
of
the
inner
self,
the
soul,
or
the
mental
processes
that
underlie
behavior.