Stripped and Naked

In his "Psychology of the Transference," Jung uses a set of alchemical pictures to describe the transference relationship between doctor and patient. In these pictures from the Rosarium Philosophorum, there is an alchemical image that Jung titles "The Naked Truth." This image represents the archetypal theme of "getting naked." It is the archetypal theme in the individuation drama involving the stripping away of the false self and encountering onself as he or she really is. This kind of stripping also occurs in the myth of Innana's descent. Innana is a Summerian goddesss of sexual love, fertility and warfare. The story of Innana includes her well known descent into the underworld. "Innana's reason for visiting the underworld is unclear. The reason she gives to the gatekeeper of the underworld is that she wants to attend her brother-in-law's funeral rites. However, this may be a ruse; Innana may have been intending to conquer the underworld. Erishkigal, queen of the underworld and Innana's sister, may have suspected this, which could explain her treatment of Innana.

Innana dresses elaborately for the visit, with a turban, a wig, a lapis lazulli necklace, beads upon her breast, the 'pala dress' (the ladyship garmet), mascara, pectoral, a golden ring on her hand, and she held a lapis lazuli measuring rod. Perhaps Innana's garments, unsuitable for a funeral, along with Innana's haughty behavior make Erishkigal suspicious. Following Erishkigal's instructions, the gatekeeper tells Innana she may enter the first gate of the underworld, but she must hand over her lapis lazuli measuring rod. She asks why and is told 'It is just the ways of the Underworld.' She obliges and passes through.

Innana passes through a total of seven gates, each removing a piece of clothing or jewelry she had been wearing at the start of her journey. When she arrives in front of her sister she is naked. After she had crouched down and had her clothes removed, they were carried away. Then she made her sister Erec-ki-gala rise from her throne, and instead she sat on her throne. The Anna, the seven judges, rendered their decision against her. They looked at her--it was the look of death. They spoke to her--it was the speech of anger. They shouted at her--it was the shout of heavy guilt. The afflicted woman was turned into a corpse. And the corpse was hung on a hook."

Here is an image of this archetypal theme of nakedness in an Alanis Morrisette video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp_wtj879ak