Shamanic Healing and Altered States of Subconscious in Murakami’s Fictions
International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research December 31, 2023 Kasturi Sinha -, Gurudev Meher -
Haruki Murakami's fiction explores themes of loneliness, dislocation, and the subconscious through magical realism. His characters often face existential crises and alienation, reflecting a generation in Japan lacking identity and subsumed by commercialism. Works like The Elephant Vanishes use metaphors to examine human pleasure and societal change, while Kafka on the Shore and First Person Singular delve into perception, memory, and existence. Murakami's writing routine focuses on solitude, yearning, and the borders between reality and existence. His belief in protecting the individual for society's benefit both appeals and offends. His works, resembling American culture, have gained critical recognition in Japan, emphasizing autonomy and individuality against oppressive systems.