Kesstan Blandin, PhD is the Vice President of Research and Development at Myers & Briggs Foundation in Gainesville, FL. Previous to this, Dr. Blandin was a research psychologist specializing in dementia at the Dartmouth Centers for Health & Aging at Dartmouth College. Dr. Blandin's publications include peer-reviewed journal articles on dementia grief, psychological type, archetypes, and identity. She is co-author of The Emotional Journey of the Alzheimer's Family (2015) with Robert Santulli, MD, published by the Dartmouth College Press. She earned her doctorate in depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA. For several years, Dr. Blandin was an adjunct professor at Pacifica in research and dissertation development.
When Is a Story Archetypal?
by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
We know the facts—that we are currently one of 8 billion people on the planet, that in the greater scheme of humanity and the cosmos we will live and die anonymously - but this is not how you and I live. You are striving, battling, and loving through an epic drama. Each time you triumph, each time you fail, you gain the wisdom of living for the first time, as every hero has done through time. Every one of us senses our mysterious potential, often ambiguous and vague, yet emotionally compelling in its lure towards who we can be. We sense as well that the hard facts of life do not provide access to this level of potential, but where to turn for guidance?
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Hidden Gold in the Shadow
Nov 17, 2022 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
My younger sister, Carmen, is quite close in age to me – just a year apart – but distant in personality. Growing up, my naturally sensitive, caring, generous sibling would often say to me that I just didn’t have that “caregiver gene.” She was right. Where Carmen was motivated to generate positive emotions in herself and others, I was fascinated by the dark nether regions of the mind and imagination. Where Carmen naturally trusted and nurtured others’ vulnerabilities, I probed the hidden secrets and conflicted natures of myself and others.
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Discovering Your Hero’s Journey
Mar 16, 2023 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
What is it like to see your life as a Hero's Journey for the first time? Think of a story or a film where you recognized yourself in a character. When we are identified with a character, we feel their feelings, we are moved by their pain, and through the character's revelations of themselves,we receive insights into ourselves we didn't have before.
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Archetypes Are Oriented Around a Core Quality
Jun 17, 2021 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
People accurately and intuitively understand that the archetypes symbolically represent universal human qualities. A common misunderstanding though is if an archetype is not active in your Archetype Profile, then you are lacking the core quality it represents. Having an archetypal character rank low in your Profile does not mean you are lacking that quality but indicates you are not identified with it and likely not accessing it, at least not with ease. In this article, we explain how identifying each archetype with a core quality is distinct from using that same quality through the other archetypes.
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Working With Archetypes as Characters and Narratives
by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
Our goal is to become aware of ourselves, which is what the PMAI® system is all about—developing deeper self-awareness that gives you more room to act, know, and decide; more room to be you in all your potential.
In this article Kesstan Blandin, PhD, describes how to use the PMAI archetypal characters and narratives to look beyond an identity that may be limiting your growth. The key is taking advantage and developing the qualities of the lesser used archetypes in your Profile, the Sidekicks and the awkward Blind Spot.
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Growing With Your Archetypes: Treasure Chest
Jun 06, 2022 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
In this second article, on Growing With Your Archetypes, Kesstan Blandin presents the Treasure Chest consisting of the eight archetypes in the mid-range of your Archetype Profile. In the PMAI® system your Treasure Chest, in support of your Allies, points to the areas that have potential for further self-growth.
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Hugh Marr: Master Storyteller
Aug 17, 2023 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
Journey between the realm of reality and imagination and come face-to-face with the unconscious stories you have inherited. In his upcoming book, Hugh K Marr, Ph.D., using the 12 Pearson-Marr archetypes, leads you down a mythic and symbolic path to find your own archetypal story.
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Bringing Archetype (PMAI®) Together with Type (MBTI®)
Apr 02, 2024 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
Though archetypes (PMAI) and personality type (MBTI) express different aspects of one's personality, one fluid and one fixed, together they bestow a depth of self-understanding. This month, Kesstan Blandin, PhD, distinguishes the contrasting nature of these two systems and how they ground or emphasize each other in a way that can accelerate self-growth.
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Archetypes and Personality Type
Jun 17, 2024 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD
This is the second article in a three-part series, by Kessstan Blandin, PhD, discussing the relationships between Jung’s theories of archetypes and psychological types, as assessed by the Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator® and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instruments, respectively. The first article discussed the ways the theories of archetype and type converge and diverge—how they overlap and where they are distinct. This current article presents the results of a large, correlational study between the PMAI® and MBTI® tools.
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Archetype & Personality Type: From Theoretical to Personal
Jul 18, 2024 by Kesstan Blandin, PhD and Yvonne Nelson-Reid, PhD
This is the third article in a three-part series discussing the relationships between the theories of the PMAI® and MBTI® instruments. Following two previous articles that discussed the ways the theories of archetype and type converge and diverge, as well as the empirical correlations between the two instruments, this article presents insights gained through qualitative research. Of particular interest covered are the strengths, gifts, and Allies; various types of shadow elements in the psyche; and how to lean into archetypal flexibility.
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