This Jungian Life Podcast

How can understanding different aspects of martyrdom help us navigate personal sacrifices and societal expectations in our search for a meaningful life?

Individuals with a martyr complex often seek validation for their pain and suffering, which can be a source of protection and nurturing. It can also be a form of manipulation where personal suffering is used to influence or control the reactions of others. This behavior can be harmful, leading individuals to persist in unhealthy relationships or dangerous situations under the guise of nobility or duty. It is important to distinguish between healthy self-sacrifice and detrimental martyrdom by gaining a reflective understanding of our motivations and aligning our actions with healthy self-sacrifice. Resolving the complex involves examining personal motives, societal values, and psychological health to foster healthier ways of being and interacting in the world.

Prepare to discover…what complexities and interpretations surround the concept of martyrdom, revealing its multifaceted nature in both historical and personal contexts; how individuals interpret and internalize the idea of suffering and sacrifice through personal experiences and cultural narratives, shaping their worldview and psychological responses; which factors contribute to someone being viewed as a martyr, including the interplay of religious, cultural, and personal elements that influence the perception of sacrifice; whether the actions associated with martyrdom are motivated by genuine selflessness, psychological needs, or external influences, examining the blurred lines between heroism and victimhood; why the theme of martyrdom resonates deeply across different cultures and epochs, serving both as a source of inspiration and a tool for social and political change…and so much more.

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Encountering a total eclipse can evoke a primal connection to nature and the infinite, constellating a deep sense of belonging to the universe and each other.

Eclipses profoundly impact observers, evoking awe, transcendence, and a shared sense of unity. These celestial events encourage deep personal reflection and stronger social connections among those who witness them. They transform ordinary moments into extraordinary ones, re-enchanting the world and reinforcing the bond between humanity, nature, and the cosmos. Mysterious and awe-filled, in ancient times, Eclipses inspired myths and religious rites that shaped culture, politics, and even war. 

Prepare to discover...how human beings engage with and interpret awe-inspiring events; what effects awe, mystery, and the numinous have on the human psyche; where individuals and societies find meaning and transcendence in natural phenomena; whether events like eclipses can re-enchant a disenchanted world; which aspects of human nature are illuminated by our reactions to eclipses; why the human response to eclipses and similar events can be a profound source of insight into our collective and individual psyches, revealing deeper truths about our fears, hopes, and the interplay between consciousness and the cosmos...and so much more.

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How do dreams intrude upon our Psyche, our roles in others' lives, and our societal identities?

"Dream Scenario" is a thought-provoking new film that explores the uncanny power of the collective unconscious to shape culture and be shaped by it. In the movie, Nicholas Cage's character Paul mysteriously starts appearing in others' dreams across the globe. He grapples with the fear of being randomly celebrated by the collective and later demonized. Kate Berlant's role in the film and insights into Jungian analysis and dream interpretation launch our conversation into the growing presence of Jung's insights in art and film. We explore the effect of instant and unwarranted celebrity through social media and the power of archetypal roles to change the actor and activate the collective. Kate reveals her personal connection to analytical psychology and the path her inner work has taken her. 

Prepare to discover… who explores the depths of dreams and societal perceptions through the lens of cinema, when a film and its thematic discussions intersect with contemporary Jungian perspectives; how art, personal experiences, and the unconscious contribute to our understanding of identity and celebrity; what insights into the nature of dreams, fame, and the Self can be gleaned from the synthesis of film narrative and psychoanalytical insights; where the boundaries between personal identity and public persona blur; whether dreams serve merely as reflections of our Psyche or as vehicles for collective forces; which Jungian concepts illuminate the complex interplay between our inner lives and persona; why the exploration of dreams, both literal and metaphorical, is crucial to understanding our roles in the world and the narratives we construct about ourselves and others…and so much more.

FIND THE DREAM WE ANALYZE HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/kate_berlant/  

LEARN MORE ABOUT KATE AND HER UPCOMING SHOWS: https://kateberlant.com/  

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How do we invisibly transfer our emotions to others, and what magic lies in revealing this unseen dance?

Projective identification is like unconsciously tossing our feelings into someone else, a behavior first noticed in babies with their moms. It's an invisible way we influence others based on our buried issues, avoiding dealing with our tough emotions by making others express them for us. Facing up to this pattern can help us understand ourselves better and grow. Often, this cycle kicks off with blaming others, triggering a domino effect that reveals deeper, hidden struggles within us.

Prepare to discover…Melanie Klein's pivotal role in defining projective identification through her studies on infants and maternal interactions; when its relevant to personal dynamics and psychoanalysis; how projective identification works as a defense mechanism; what projective identification involves, its mechanisms, and its manifestations in daily relationships and therapy; where projective identification occurs, from personal to clinical contexts, highlighting its broad applicability; whether projective identification is conscious or unconscious; which theoretical perspectives and analysts contributed to the understanding of projective identification; why projective identification is significant in understanding human behavior, particularly in emotional communication, relationship dynamics, and therapeutic interventions…and so much more.

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How do our interactions with the seemingly mundane objects around us reflect and influence our deeper psychological processes and connections with the broader universe?

Jung held a fascinating belief in the soulful essence of inanimate objects. He engaged in daily greetings with his kitchenware at Bollingen Tower, expressing a unique form of animism that extended deeply into his personal and professional life. His collection of beer steins, each with its name, served not only as vessels for drink but as partners in dialogue, reflecting his practice of active imagination. This relationship with objects underscores Jung's broader theories on the collective unconscious and synchronicity, suggesting that everything is interconnected and ensouled. His approach, echoing through the practices of figures like Marie Kondo, invites us to reconsider our relationships with the material world, hinting at a deeper, more mystical interaction with the everyday items that populate our lives.

Prepare to discover…who Jung truly was beyond the textbooks: a visionary who conversed with the soul of the world, from the kitchenware in his hands to the beer steins that whispered archetypal secrets; when the curtain between the animate and inanimate thinned for Jung, revealing itself in the quiet dawn at Bollingen Tower and in the sacred routine of morning toast preparation; how Jung transformed mundane interactions with objects into profound dialogues with the unconscious; what depths of meaning Jung found in the ordinary, where beer steins became the custodians of myth and a toaster named "Gemütlich" embodied the alchemical transformation; where Jung's theoretical explorations took physical shape; whether Jung's practices were mere quirks of genius or essential keys to unlocking the mysteries of the psyche; which of Jung's possessions were not just objects but talismans, each named beer stein and the cherished toaster "Gemütlich," serving as conduits to deeper understanding and self-realization; why Jung embraced such a mystical relationship with the material world, illuminating his belief in a universe where every particle, every object, speaks the language of the soul, urging us to listen and learn from the symphony of the seemingly silent.

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How does the interplay between vulgarity and societal norms reflect and shape the human experience of freedom, creativity, and psychological depth?

Our collective fascination with vulgarity, obscenity, and profanity lies in the thrill of transgression and the need to articulate the unspoken aspects of human experience. As we navigate social acceptability, the vulgar mirrors our deepest shadow and wildest laughter, a space where sacred and profane dance in the liminal light of truth and rebellion. Engaging vulgarity challenges the rigid confines of propriety. Embracing discomfort and delight, it forges connections, releases pent-up emotions, and confronts the complexities of existence. In the laughter that follows the shock, the shared glance of understanding, and the relief of tension, we discover the power of vulgarity to unite us, to reveal our shared vulnerabilities that bind us as a community. By acknowledging and exploring the collective allure of vulgarity, we embrace a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other, where we discover the full spectrum of our humanity with all its messiness, beauty, and transcendent potential.

Prepare to discover…when societal norms around vulgarity have shifted, revealing the acceptance and rejection of vulgar expressions as mirrors of cultural transformations; how vulgarity serves as a complex tool for challenging, mocking, and sometimes reinforcing societal norms, acting as both a disruptor and a reflector of cultural attitudes; what roles vulgarity plays in humor, rebellion, and the psychological exploration of shadow; where vulgarity is variably accepted or condemned; whether vulgarity acts merely as a social faux pas or plays a more profound role in challenging taboos and sparking necessary dialogue; which aspects of vulgarity transcend cultural boundaries to be universally recognized; why vulgarity continues to be a potent and dynamic form of human expression, serving not only as a mirror to society’s evolving values and limits but also as a catalyst for reflection, dialogue, and change…and so much more.

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How do we interpret and evaluate C.G. Jung's complex legacy in light of his interactions with Jewish individuals and the allegations of antisemitism, considering the nuanced historical context in which he lived and worked?"

Assessing Jung's possible antisemitism is complex and requires a nuanced understanding of his historical context and personal relationships. His involvement in psychoanalytic societies during the Nazi era has led to accusations of antisemitism, yet his actions and writings suggest an intimate, dynamic, and protective relationship with Jewish colleagues and theories. Jung tried to shield Jewish analysts by leveraging his position, indicating his efforts to mitigate the impacts of Nazi policies on his Jewish colleagues. His correspondence and professional interactions with Jewish individuals, including Freud, show admiration, critique, and misunderstanding, reflecting the complicated dynamics of early psychoanalytic circles. Critics and supporters of Jung need to consider the evolution of his views over time, acknowledging both problematic aspects of his work and his contributions to psychoanalytic thought that transcended racial and ethnic boundaries.

Prepare to discover…who Carl Jung was, his relationships with Jewish individuals and communities, and the controversy surrounding allegations of antisemitism in his work and personal beliefs; when Jung's significant interactions with the Nazi party lead others to question his allegiances; how Jung's theories, were influenced by and, in turn, influenced Jewish scholars, demonstrating a complex interplay between Jungian psychology and Jewish thought; what specific allegations of antisemitism have been made against Jung, the evidence for and against these claims, and the broader implications of his work within the context of 20th-century antisemitic movements; where Jung stood in relation to the Nazi regime and antisemitism, including his professional and personal actions that have been scrutinized for either complicity or opposition to antisemitic policies; whether Jung's interactions and theoretical disagreements with Sigmund Freud, as well as his comments on Jewish psychology, can be considered antisemitic or reflective of the era's complex cultural and scientific dialogues; which aspects of Jewish mysticism and philosophical thought, particularly Kabbalah and Hasidism; why the narrative surrounding Jung's work, his alleged antisemitism, and his relationship with Jewish intellectuals remains a subject of intense debate, reflecting the challenges of disentangling a historical figure's legacy from the socio-political context of their time…and so much more.

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Can we grow by facing and integrating our ferocious instincts?

The Three Little Pigs isn't just a children's tale; it's a sharp commentary on resilience, preparation, and the strategic mindset required to navigate life's challenges. This story strips back the layers of our decision-making processes, questioning whether we opt for quick fixes or invest in durable solutions.

Prepare to discover…who embodies the stages of ego development, from initial vulnerability to mature resilience; when the processes of ego fortification and psychological maturation are catalyzed by the confrontation with and integration of our shadow; how the engagement and assimilation of unconscious drives within the psyche contribute to the development of a more integrated and resilient ego structure; what the symbolic elements of the Three Little Pigs fairytale reveal about the universal struggle with internal fears and the path to self-realization;  where within the psyche the battle between fleeing from versus confronting one's deepest fears and instincts unfolds; whether the developmental journey towards self-awareness and ego strength is more profoundly influenced by facing one's internal wolves or by avoidance; which themes of resilience, shadow integration, and ego development are exemplified in each pig's approach to building their house; why the integration of instinct and shadow is essential for psychological wholeness and personal empowerment…and so much more.

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How does resolving inner conflicts enhance external relations?

Conflict, both inner and outer, is a fundamental part of the human experience. We engage in conflicts externally with others and internally within ourselves, reflecting the complex nature of human relationships and the psyche. Our external conflicts often mirror internal struggles, serving as manifestations of unresolved or unacknowledged inner turmoil. Recognizing the projection of our inner conflicts onto external situations can lead to deeper self-awareness and understanding. Delving into inner conflict necessitates introspection and the willingness to confront uncomfortable aspects of ourselves. This involves exploring our desires, fears, and contradictions to gain insight into our true motivations and feelings. Experiencing ambivalence—holding conflicting desires or feelings simultaneously—signals the presence of inner conflict. Acknowledging and exploring this ambivalence can be a path to understanding and resolving internal struggles. Projecting our inner conflicts onto others can obscure their true source, leading to misunderstandings and unnecessary external conflicts. Recognizing projection as a defense mechanism allows us to address the root causes of our struggles. Engaging with and working through inner conflicts can lead to significant personal growth and development. This process can enhance our relationships, increase our self-acceptance, and contribute to a more balanced and fulfilling life. Cultivating self-awareness is essential for effectively navigating both external disagreements and internal dilemmas. Understanding our own part in conflicts enables us to approach them with greater empathy and insight. By resolving our inner conflicts, we can improve our external relationships. A clearer understanding of our inner selves allows for more authentic and harmonious interactions with others. The process of understanding and resolving inner conflicts is ongoing. As we grow and change, new layers of the Self emerge, requiring continuous exploration and integration.

Prepare to discover…who explores inner and outer conflicts, including Carl Jung's insights; when inner conflicts require deeper introspection across one's life stages; how inner conflicts are projected externally and the importance of self-awareness; what differentiates inner from outer conflicts, focusing on personal struggles with ambivalence; where conflicts appear, in relationships and within, showing the interplay between internal and external worlds; whether conflicts are internal or external, underlining the need for introspection; which methods, like Jungian analysis, help resolve conflicts for growth and better relationships; why confronting inner conflict is key to a balanced life and transformative for self and relations…and so much more.

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Can Jungian psychology shed light on the archetypal forces shaping gay identity?"

Our guest, Robert Hopcke, examines how Jung and Jungians have regarded homosexuality both clinically and theoretically, demonstrating that within a great diversity of opinion, there exist many ways to deepen an understanding of the lives and loves of gay men and lesbians. Hopcke proposes a view of homosexuality that is archetypally based, empirically supportable, psychologically profound, and spiritually evocative.

Jungian psychology has a fresh take on integrating the shadow and the individuation process for LGBTQ+ folks. It encourages everyone to embrace their identity to achieve authenticity and wholeness. Reinterpreting Jung's anima and animus concepts challenges the traditional binary notions of gender and sexuality, leading to a more fluid and inclusive understanding of these concepts. Dreams and fantasies can help people understand themselves better, showing them the archaic strata of desires, conflicts, and potentials hidden within their psyche. By engaging with the collective unconscious and its archetypes, LGBTQ+ individuals can better grasp themselves, fostering a sense of belonging and connection to the broader human experience. Jungian psychology recognizes and validates the complexity and diversity of human experiences, offering a framework that acknowledges and explores the many ways LGBTQ+ identities manifest and evolve. 

Prepare to discover...who was the first researcher to investigate and publish Jung’s writings on homosexuality; when Jung challenged heteronormative psychology and introduced radical ideas of femininity and masculinity; how ruthless dreams and the collective unconscious become the battlegrounds and playgrounds for individuals embracing their unique desires; what Jungian concepts empower us to explore varied expressions of love and gender to sculpt identity narratives beyond binary constraints; where Jungian psychology challenges and enriches our collective understanding of human complexity and the quest for authenticity; whether Jung's writings embrace or alienate LGBTQ+ identity formation; which aspects of Jung’s writings offer a beacon of understanding and acceptance;why Jungian thought enriches the discourse on identity beyond heteronormativity, fostering a universal narrative of integration, acceptance, and the celebration of the self in all its diverse manifestations…and so much more.

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 Deep in each of us, a Vital Spark fights to free us and set us back on the path.

 Lisa, Joe, and Deb were joined by more than 300 audience members for their first-ever live podcast to celebrate the launch of Lisa's new book, The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire.

 The "Vital Spark" is the core essence of our innermost fiery qualities—creative aggression, fiery sexuality, emboldened disagreeableness, sharp-witted trickery, burning desire, clearsighted shrewdness, empowering anger, and bold authority—that fuel creativity, assertiveness, desire, and personal power. It is the crucial energy and passion necessary for fueling one's true Self and facilitating personal growth. We achieve this by reclaiming and embracing these once-outlawed or neglected aspects of Self that transcend societal constraints. We are called to confront and integrate shadowy, fierce, and raw qualities. Through this transformative journey of acknowledgment and integration, the Vital Spark seeks to guide individuals toward a life marked by heightened consciousness, power, and agency, enriching their experiences with vibrancy and authenticity.

 Prepare to discover:

Who can embody the transformation from pleasing to authoritative, navigating generational conflicts and self-assertion. When it is crucial to confront and integrate shadow aspects of Self to reclaim power and agency in one's life. How to engage with and harness one's aggressive capacities for personal growth and authenticity. What constitutes the vital spark within and the importance of embracing one's full spectrum of qualities, including those deemed dark. Where internal and external journeys of self-discovery and confrontation with one's fate can lead to transformation and fulfillment. Whether it is possible to change one's fate by courageously facing and integrating aspects of Self that have been neglected or exiled. Which qualities and traits are essential for breaking free from limiting roles, enabling a richer, more empowered existence. Why loving one's fate, including embracing the challenging process of self-integration, is key to living a life of depth, purpose, and authenticity...and so much more…

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When we offer our heart and it is refused, even the gods become angry.

 One day long, long ago, Aphrodite was a new mother. Her son, Eros, was the living symbol of her endless passion for his father, Aries. Despite her divine gifts, Eros failed to thrive. Desperate, she brought the goblet to the ancient mother, Themis, who knew the boy was dying at once. Aphrodite was instructed to bear a second child who, when presented to Eros, would cure him. Dutifully, she lay with Aries and begot a second son. She brought them close and was astonished to see her new son leap toward Eros, who met him in midair. In a tremendous exultant cry, they rolled and laughed—Eros grew strong. His brother was then named Anteros, whose name means 'Love Returned.'

 Even the God of Love cannot survive without love's return. Are we so different?

 The arrows of Eros strike our hearts, and we are filled with wild love. Psychotherapists call this limerence, that initial stage of love when all we ache for is found in one person. This projection can carry us into a new relationship with intrepid confidence for a time. If that love is unreturned, a second archetype, Anteros, is called forth to punish those who reject love. Armed with his lead club, he strikes the unloving and drives them to ruin.

 From time immemorial, the human heart, once filled with passionate fantasy, if rejected, turns to vengeance.

 Prepare to discover the intricacies of unrequited love and its psychological underpinnings; how unrequited love is illuminated through Jungian psychology; what constitutes unrequited love, including its symptoms, psychological impacts, and its potential for personal transformation; where this discourse positions itself within the realm of psychological study and mythological exploration; whether unrequited love serves a destructive or constructive purpose in one's life; which myths and psychological theories illuminate the experience and consequences of unrequited love; why unrequited love is pivotal, acting as a catalyst for deeper self-knowledge…and so much more…

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How do the varied human experiences, beliefs, and practices related to death and dying illuminate our understanding of life's meaning and help us face the end of life with peace and a spirit of adventure?

The death instinct (Thanatos) and the life instinct (Eros) symbolize the internal conflict between self-destructive urges and desires for creation, reflecting the psychological struggle with mortality. Religious traditions across the globe, from Buddhism's focus on impermanence to Christianity's belief in eternal life, offer diverse approaches to mitigating the fear of death, demonstrating the universal quest for peace in the face of mortality. The root of death anxiety in early childhood and the later development of defense mechanisms highlight a deep psychological battle against the awareness of death from a young age. Efforts to delay death through medical and lifestyle advancements juxtapose with spiritual teachings on accepting life's transience, underscoring the human endeavor to navigate the reality of mortality. Psychoanalytic and existential treatments for thanatophobia emphasize the importance of acknowledging and integrating death into life for mental health.

Prepare to discover who explores the complex nature of the fear of death, when the fear of death becomes a central concern in people's lives; how different life stages and experiences shape our understanding and reaction to the concept of mortality; how psychoanalytic theory, religious practices, near-death experiences, and modern research offer methods and perspectives for confronting and alleviating the fear of death; what strategies and beliefs offer for coping with and understanding the fear of death, where discussions, research, and practices related to the fear of death and its treatment take place; whether there are effective treatments or approaches for mitigating the fear of death…and so much more…

HERE'S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE: https://thisjungianlife.com/fear_of_death/

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WATCH US on VIDEO: https://thisjungianlife.com/fear_of_death/

How do we navigate the complex interplay between personal truths, societal norms, and psychological well-being to foster individual growth and societal progress?

We examine the multifaceted nature of Truth and its impact on individuals and communities. We touch on the challenges of speaking Truth to power, the psychological dynamics of scapegoating and being disbelieved, the role of psychotherapy in uncovering and dealing with personal truths, and the significance of narrative and perception in shaping our understanding of reality. We underscore the importance of discerning and integrating these elements in a way that promotes healing, understanding, and constructive change within individuals and society.

Prepare to discover who stands at the epicenter of mythic battles and societal upheavals, when the age-old quest for Truth collides with pivotal historical moments, how the delicate balance of Truth and secrecy forges our identity and reshapes societies, what hidden forces lie beneath the facade of our collective existence, where the crossroads of personal revelation and collective destiny demand bold choices, whether the pursuit of Truth is a path to liberation or a labyrinth of deception, which stories dictate the course of our lives amidst chaos, and why venturing into the treacherous terrain of Truth and illusion is the ultimate gamble in our search for meaning…and so much more…

FIND THE DREAM WE ANALYZE HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/speaking_truth/

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SEE THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: https://thisjungianlife.com/speaking_truth/

Are we inadvertently summoning forces beyond our control in our relentless pursuit of innovation and progress? Can we harness the power of our creations without unleashing terrible consequences upon ourselves and our world?

 Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus, were tasked by Zeus with fashioning all living creatures. They granted animals remarkable abilities - feathers for flight, claws, fangs for hunting, tails for balance, and gills to breath underwater. When it came to humans, they had no gifts left. Still, Prometheus loved his human creations and daringly stole fire from Olympus to provide them with warmth and protection. This act of defiance has inspired and cautioned humans for millennia as they reflect on Prometheus’ punishment.

 Prometheus embodies the eternal struggle between conscious and unconscious forces within psyche. His act of rebellion, like the ego's desire for independence, results in detachment from its unconscious origins. Wild archetypal forces become impossible to contain and chain him to a rock where an eagle eats his liver each day. Prometheus's liberation by Heracles represents the relativization of the estranged inflated ego with the unconscious, fostering growth and humility.

 The relentless pursuit of Promethean treasures propelled figures like Oppenheimer and Madame Curie, Louis Pasteur, George Washington Carver, Henry Ford, and Elon Musk. As they extended their grasp into the boundless skies of human potential, these brilliant minds bestowed upon humanity invaluable gifts and some brought risks they could never have imagined.

 FIND THE DREAM WE ANALYZE HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/prometheus/

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How do dreams influence and reflect our spiritual beliefs and experiences across different cultures and historical periods, and what does scientific research reveal about this relationship?

Kelly Bulkeley, PhD, is a global expert on dreaming and the psychology of religion.  We explore his latest book "The Spirituality of Dreaming: Unlocking the Wisdom of Our Sleeping Selves."

Dreams universally function as essential gateways to spiritual understanding, a truth echoed across cultures and eras. Modern sleep and dream research confront and expand upon the traditional views revealing a more complex nature of dreams. These dreams, whether as visitations, flights, or nightmares, reflect our existential questions and actively shape religious beliefs and practices. Merging empirical research with mystical interpretations, dreams are clearly more than mere reflections of waking life; they are direct conduits to deep spiritual insights.

Prepare to discover who historically engaged with dreams in spiritual contexts; when these interpretations have been significant, from ancient times to the present; how dreams connect with spiritual experiences, often seen as divine messages or reflections of the soul; what types of dreams, such as visitation or flying dreams, are spiritually significant; where across different cultures and traditions dreams are valued for their spiritual implications; whether modern scientific research supports historical beliefs about the spiritual nature of dreams; which aspects of dreaming, like vividness and metaphorical content, shape religious beliefs; and why dreams remain a source of intrigue in understanding human spirituality and its relation to the divine…..and so much more…..

 FIND THE DREAM WE ANALYZE HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/kelly-bulkeley/

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WATCH HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/kelly-bulkeley/

How does the experience of divorce lead to personal transformation and self-discovery?

The journey of divorce is emblematic of a profound personal transformation, often unveiling the paradoxical nature of human relationships where deep trust and love coexist with the potential for betrayal and disillusionment, reflecting the intrinsic human struggle between connection and individuality. This individuation process during and after divorce constellates a metamorphosis, where confronting the shadows of a broken relationship becomes a gateway to self-discovery, self-acceptance, and a deeper connection with one's authentic self, leading to a more grounded and conscious existence. Loss, grief, and rebirth emerge as universal experiences, underscoring the resilience of the human spirit in facing life's adversities. While uniquely personal, the experience of divorce echoes the archetypal journey through cycles of despair, enlightenment, and resurgence, revealing that in the heart of suffering lies the potential for profound insight, healing, and the reclamation of one's path. At its essence, divorce acts as a catalyst for introspection and existential reevaluation, challenging inherited and societal constructs of marriage and relationships and inviting individuals to redefine their understanding of love, commitment, and self-fulfillment to pursue a more authentic life.

Prepare to discover who experiences divorce's deep impact, when it typically unfolds, how it leads to transformation, what emotional and psychological processes are involved, where it can lead individuals, whether it's a mere dissolution or a transformative experience, which aspects of the self are most affected, and why it can be a profound opportunity for personal growth and self-realization…..and so much more…

Find the Dream We Analyze here: https://thisjungianlife.com/divorce/

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How can combining psychedelics and Jungian psychology enhance our understanding of psyche?

Psychedelics may help us access deep layers of the unconscious, revealing aspects of psyche that are often inaccessible through traditional psychoanalytic methods alone. Jungian analysis, with its focus on archetypes and the collective unconscious, provides a framework for interpreting and integrating the complex, symbolic experiences often encountered in psychedelic states. The combination of psychedelics and analysis could facilitate a more profound and holistic healing process, addressing not only individual psychological issues but also connecting with broader, universal aspects of human experience. This integrated approach could accelerate the therapeutic process, allowing for quicker breakthroughs and more profound insights than can be achieved through either method independently.

Find the Books We Suggest in This Episode Here: https://bookshop.org/lists/a-jungian-approach-to-psychedelics 

Prepare to discover which of the TJL hosts tripped their balls off in their twenties, whether psychedelics can guarantee illumination, when we should be cautious about ayahuasca, why psychedelics may facilitate psychological change, what kind of attitude we should cultivate when approaching psilocybin, how to interpret hallucinations brought on by plant medicine, who should avoid cannabis, where miraculous claims are exaggerated and so much more…

Find the Dream We Analyze Here: https://thisjungianlife.com/psychedelics/

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Jung's concept of the collective unconscious emphasized the universal psychological substrate common to all humans. While he acknowledged the effects of the cultural unconscious, his work, at times, fell into the trap of perpetuating oversimplified and racially prejudiced stereotypes. Jung's writings that refer to Africanist peoples, in particular, suffer from offensive assumptions. Dr. Fanny Brewster, Jungian analyst and author, searches for the healing cultural elements in the dreams of the African diaspora. Dreams have always been important in traditional African cultures. In Zimbabwe, the traditional healer, or sangoma, is called to the work by a dream that features a snake. For the Xhosa, dreams were how the ancestors communicated their wisdom. Today, most of us are cut off from our ancestors, but they remain a potential source of strength and healing. Dr. Brewster has undertaken the work of renewing and widening Jungian thought to include Africanist perspectives. She addresses the importance of community as we go about the necessary work of evolving consciousness.

Fanny Brewster, Ph.D., M.F.A. is a Jungian analyst, Professor of Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and member analyst with the Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts. She is a multi-genre writer who has written about issues at the intersection of Jungian psychology and American culture. Her most recent book is The Racial Complex: A Jungian Perspective on Culture and Race. (Routledge, 2019).

Learn More about Fanny Brewster, Ph.D. HERE: https://fannybrewster.allyou.net/5026448 

Check Out Her Books HERE: https://bookshop.org/lists/fanny-brewster-dreams-the-ancestors-and-community 

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Learn to interpret dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/  

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Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, calls us to brood and turn within. Retreating to the unconscious is a psychic wintering, calling our life force down into our archaic patterns. It can trigger a sorrowing that helps us adjust to inevitable losses, just like the forest that silently drops its foliage without lament. At the nadir of darkness, light is reborn, and each successive day grows longer. Ancient and modern rituals celebrate the light’s triumph over darkness. No matter our background, attunement to light is woven into our bodies, for we are all part of the cosmic progression.

Prepare to discover who interacts with the winter solstice, from ancient to modern cultures, how solstice triggers introspection and transformative mourning, what cultural and psychological themes it embodies, whether solstice is a profound inner experience or merely an astronomical event, which aspects of culture and psychology are connected to the solstice, why winter solstice has such historical reverence, and so much more…

Find the Dream We Analyze Here: https://thisjungianlife.com/solstice/

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Yascha Mounk is a political scientist and author focused on the challenges facing liberal democracies and the rise of populism. As a Johns Hopkins University professor and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, he critically examines identity politics in modern society. His influential works include "The People vs. Democracy" and "The Identity Trap."

In an era where identity politics reshapes global narratives, the urgent need to balance diversity with universal human values becomes clear. The melding of postmodernism, postcolonialism, and critical race theory raises a provocative question: Can embracing universal principles truly bridge our deepening societal divides? This challenge calls for a bold reimagining of our approach to social harmony and equality, urging a critical reassessment of how we navigate identity and inclusivity in a complex, interconnected world.

Prepare to discover who is masterminding the seismic shifts in identity-driven discourse, when the wave of identity politics surged reshaping societal norms, how esoteric academic concepts ignited a wildfire in sectarian ideology, what the contentious core and fiery critiques of this identity-centric dogma are, where the shockwaves of these philosophical upheavals are most profound,  whether the rise of ethno-cultural politicking is a unifying force or a divisive storm, which intellectual giants and paradigms are the architects of these doctrines, why an intense focus on identity might unravel the fabric of collective values and societal harmony and so much more…

Find the Dream We Analyze Here: https://thisjungianlife.com/yascha_mounk/ 

LEARN MORE ABOUT YASCHA HERE: https://www.yaschamounk.com/ 

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The great catastrophe of Jung's generation was the rise of Nazi Germany and WWII. His insights into the collective psyche of nations remain relevant today as we grapple with war and violence worldwide.

Prepare to discover how collective hysteria and moral downfall lead to loss of individual responsibility and susceptibility to authoritarian control, whether collective guilt and the psychological impact of evil affects not just perpetrators but entire societies leading to collective moral crisis, when national fixations on power and technological prowess compensate for deep-seated inferiority, why lack of introspection leads to catastrophic consequences, the value of internal reckoning and moral awakening, which societal reforms are futile without individual psychological transformation and so much more…

Find the Dream We Analyze Here: https://thisjungianlife.com/catastrophe/

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"The monsters that chase you in dreams are not trying to hurt you. They just want to reunite with their creator………...… that's you, dummy."   (Quoted from an unnamed Jungian analyst overheard at a cocktail party.)

Today, we analyze four nightmares submitted by listeners: BBQ Cats, Blood Red Sky, Tsunami, and Malevolent Presence.

Our dreams are always trying to correct our waking personality. They are a kind of psychospiritual medicine tailored just for us. When we avoid healing advice from the dream maker, pressure builds in our unconscious. Gentle suggestions become urgent pleas, which over time become fierce demands that insist on recognition. Once we recognize we are running away from essential insights, we can turn around and embrace them.

Prepare to discover who is causing our nightmares, whether nightmares simply replay traumatic events or help us process unresolved emotions, what sets post-traumatic nightmares apart, when to seek help to address chronic nightmares, which techniques are effective in resolving them, why they occur more frequently in certain individuals, where the nightmare is set reveals essential information and so much more…

FIND THE FOUR NIGHTMARES WE ANALYZE HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/nightmares/

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What wisdom do fairy tales hold about childrearing in our modern world?

Briar Rose is the foundation for the familiar fairytale Sleeping Beauty. It addresses the complicated consequences of unconscious parenting. While it is understandable we wish to protect our children from harsh realities, too much shielding can hobble them later in life. We may hide our shadow from ourselves and our children, but it will irrupt uninvited one day, casting the family into chaos. Instinctive reactions often hold us in suspended animation, but they may also offer a way toward healing.

“Parents too easily content themselves with the belief that a thing hidden from the child cannot influence it.”   CG Jung CW 18, para 1793

Prepare to discover where fairytales intersect with modern parenting, what impact avoiding shadow has on the family, whether parental fears affect child development, why understanding psychological stagnation is essential, how symbolic stories help children face challenges, and so much more…

 Find the Dream We Analyze Here: https://thisjungianlife.com/briar_rose/ 

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What hidden messages make Disney cartoons so impactful and enduring?

Disney cartoons were groundbreaking. They introduced synchronized soundtracks in 1928, and today, they create extravaganzas that sweep audiences into tears and laughter, offering role models of virtue. Archetypal themes, often drawn from fairytales, thrum through the storylines appealing to the archaic levels of our psyche.

Prepare to discover where Hermes is hidden in one of the characters, how childhood trauma activates archetypal helpers, whether Dumbo is a symbol of hope or a defense against maturation, how separation of the mother is required to actualize one's potential, why symbols are necessary to bolster ego strength and so much more…

FIND A COPY OF THE DREAM WE ANALYZE HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/dumbo-2/

Hey everyone, our upcoming episode will focus on Nightmares, and we're looking for your input. If you've had a nightmare that significantly impacted you, we're interested in hearing about it. We'll select a few of these to analyze and discuss in the episode. Share your nightmare with us HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDE8UKFJfpVM-CIUKP4ObfyztH6GnzOxfPLOb4NjwZZArJcw/viewform

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Learn to Interpret Dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ 

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Aaron Balick is a psychotherapist, speaker, consultant, educator, and author of The Psychodynamics of Social Networking.

Social media invites snap emotional reactions, muddling clear thinking and escalating global tensions. It feeds on our anger, oversimplifying complex problems which blocks our ability to empathize. Nuanced explanations are demonized as if seeking to understand was an affront. If we learn to pause and reflect, we can overcome social media's divisive influence and discover middle-ground solutions in both personal and world affairs.

Prepare to discover where emotional reactivity has been weaponized in social media, what geopolitical consequences are still felt from impulsive reactions, how to distinguish between a reactive and responsive attitude, whether expressing an understanding of complex issues will get you cancelled, why platforms simplify and sensationalize issues and so much more…

HERE'S A COPY OF THE DREAM WE ANALYZE: https://thisjungianlife.com/aaron_baylick/

Connect with Aaron Baylick:

Twitter and Instagram:  @DrAaronB

Aaron's Website: https://www.aaronbalick.com/

Aaron's Books: https://www.aaronbalick.com/books

Articles

Psychoanalytic reflections on Google, social networking, and ‘virtual impingement’: https://www.aaronbalick.com/_files/ugd/1259db_01c6c18517364bbfa1947db34847ff58.pdf

Social Media, Identity, and Careful Culture: https://www.aaronbalick.com/_files/ugd/1259db_6341c94972f34694b39722901c5534cd.pdf

On The Failure to Understand: The Psychology of Weaponised Reactivity: https://www.aaronbalick.com/post/on-the-failure-to-understand-the-psychology-of-weaponised-reactivity

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Learn to Interpret Dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/  

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Today's technology allows us to be seduced by the possibility of fame and celebrity tempting the ego to claim what does not belong to it.

 In earlier times, fame was garnered slowly through work in the arts, scholarship, religion, and the military. Today, unprecedented, almost instantaneous communication has made fame a commodity in itself. Novelty performers, entertainers, influencers, and sports stars—especially if young and glamorous—can become the victim of "audience capture."

 Fame tempts the ego to claim what does not belong to it, and the person may become identified with his or her role, especially as others have an urge to find a hero, wise man, leader, or transcendent figure. Jung wrote about the mana personality—a larger-than-life person with charismatic power and energy. Magicians and priests, infused with special knowledge and god-like capabilities, are emblematic of mana personalities. Followers are then imbued with the mana person's special qualities, as we see in audience reactions at concerts or rallies.

                                                                                             Fame also has costs. As the British royal family knows, the celebrity press is relentless. Criticism abounds, and those in the spotlight receive threatening calls and letters, lack privacy, and may have to contend with stalkers or insistent fans. Celebrities are almost four times as prone to suicide as others; others have died early: Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Judy Garland, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, John Belushi, and River Phoenix. When a star is accused of wrongdoing, fans can be quick to turn, delighting as much in their idol's destruction as in success. Celebrities are the sacrificial victims of our projections, from veneration to evisceration.

 Jung says, "We stand with our soul suspended between formidable influences from within and without, and somehow we must be fair to both. This we can only do after the measure of our individual capacities. Hence, we must bethink ourselves not so much of what we 'ought' to do as of what we can and must do." To live meaningfully in the world and achieve a sense of kinship with men, gods, and beasts is the work of a lifetime.

 HERE'S A COPY OF THE DREAM WE ANALYZE: https://thisjungianlife.com/fame/

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Learn to Interpret Dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ 

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If we lean into strange experiences with gentle curiosity, we may discover a level of psyche that acts directly on objects.

Many of us have uncanny coincidences like thinking of a friend at the exact moment they ring us on the phone, but what about physical things breaking apart for no reason or luminous apparitions at our bedside? We often explain them away to reduce our anxiety, but Jung found them fascinating. He maintained a scientific attitude while accepting strange phenomena he could not explain. Eventually, he created a psychology of radical acceptance that creates space for the unexpected, including each person's unique soul.

Prepare to discover where Jung’s interest in the paranormal came from, what strange psychic events changed his relationship with Freud, how Jung used a séance to complete his university degree, which strange spiritual experiences changed Lisa and Joe’s beliefs, whether the collective unconscious plays a part in extra-sensory abilities and even more…

HERE ARE THE FULL SHOW NOTES and a COPY OF THE DREAM: https://thisjungianlife.com/paranormal/

Try new stuff:

Learn to interpret dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ 

Support us on Patreon (keep us free of corporate influence): https://www.patreon.com/ThisJungianLife

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Lisa, Deb, and Joe, Jungian analysts and co-creators of This Jungian Life podcast, have introduced thousands of clients to an inner world with unexpected resources.

 Many people just can’t rally to do what’s necessary and improve their lives. Is it possible they just don’t carry much vitality, or is some inner conflict blocking their access? We share personal stories of ‘energy loss’ and offer insights into purposelessness. Jung tells us inner energy flows according to its own laws, but if we can’t harness it?

 Prepare to discover why some people are naturally low-energy, which aspects of your psyche might be leaking energy, how over-aligning with cultural norms can cut off access to instinctive vitality, where we can look for solutions, and much more…

 HERE’S A COPY OF THE DREAM WE ANALYZE: https://thisjungianlife.com/low-energy/

Try new stuff:

Learn to Interpret Dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ 

Support Us On Patreon (keep us free of corporate influence): https://www.patreon.com/ThisJungianLife

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Deb and Joe are Jungian Analysts, authors, training analysts, and co-creators of This Jungian Life Podcast. [Lisa was away lecturing this week.]

Most of us feel anxious at the thought of reliving the complicated and often painful experiences of our youth. When we receive a school reunion notice, we might be tempted to ignore it. Yet, on an archetypal level, we are drawn to re-unifying our current and past identities. If we accept the invitation, we may find unexpected joy and forgotten memories that restore something inside us.

Prepare to discover why we plan and attend reunions, whether healing comes from reexperiencing our younger self, how Deb and Joe were affected by attending their reunions, whether it's worth the effort to reconnect with school friends, what's the best attitude to bring to a reunion, and even more…

HERE ARE THE FULL SHOW NOTES and a COPY OF THE DREAM: https://thisjungianlife.com/reunions/

Try new stuff:

Learn to interpret dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ 

Support us on Patreon (keep us free of corporate influence): https://www.patreon.com/ThisJungianLife

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Meet Lisa: https://www.jungcentralohio.org/event/the-power-of-dreamwork-friday-night-lecture-and-saturday-workshop-presented-by-lisa-marchiano/

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Don Kalsched is a Jungian Analyst, an expert on treating trauma, author of two books, The Inner World of Trauma and Trauma and the Soul.

Jung discovered our inner world is populated by various imaginal figures representing powerful psychological forces. If we treat our minds as democratic spaces, it can safeguard us from internal and external authoritarian influences.

Prepare to discover the parallels between a balanced mind and a healthy society, whether viewing internal conflicts through a democratic lens is healing, which insights foster harmony, why democratic philosophy is transformative, how to build resilience against absolutism and extremism, how trauma and power-seeking are related, and even more…

FULL SHOW NOTES ARE HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/donald-kalsched-saving-democracy/

Try new stuff:

Learn to interpret dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/  

Support us on Patreon (keep us free of corporate influence): https://www.patreon.com/ThisJungianLife

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Meet Lisa: https://www.jungcentralohio.org/event/the-power-of-dreamwork-friday-night-lecture-and-saturday-workshop-presented-by-lisa-marchiano/

Learn more about Don Kalsched: https://www.donaldkalsched.com/

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Defense mechanisms function as unconscious psychological strategies we deploy to navigate reality and sustain a consistent self-image. They act as a shield, guarding against feelings of anxiety, shame, and vulnerability. They are feeling states that prompt us to avoid contact and trick us into thinking they protect us against emotional harm.

Ancient philosophers recognized the human tendency to evade uncomfortable truths. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, he vividly depicts individuals shackled in a cave, seeing only shadows and illusions. Upon being freed and confronted with the light (truth), some retreat to the familiar darkness, unable to bear the illumination of reality. Aristotle wrote about akrasia, which meant a weakness of will that drives one to act against their better judgment, in essence, rejecting reality as unbearable. The stoic philosopher Epictetus noted that people have fantasies of controlling external events and directing them inward to choose how they respond instead.

Defenses are affective states that can interfere with our clear, reality-based functioning. They may be complex reactions that muddy our perception of reality, effectively shielding us from feelings or knowledge we find intolerable. They can take the form of denial, regression, rationalization, and even altruism. These are not merely intellectual barriers; they are emotional walls that can keep us from connecting with our own experiences and the people around us.

The most common inner conflicts arise from thwarting our instincts. These foundational systems generate intense feelings to guide us. Jung identified multiple instincts: creativity, reflection, activity, sexuality, and hunger. He added the religious instinct to describe how humans naturally generate symbolic systems to link their waking state to the deep unconscious. Freud detailed the multiple symptoms that arise from repressed sexuality, from phobias to hysterical blindness. Jung agreed but understood that thwarting any one of our natural responses would rob us of vitality and distort our adaptation to reality.

Cultural expectations, individual trauma, religious demands, and family patterns can convince our waking personality that any one of our instincts is dangerous. When we are overwhelmed by these inner conflicts, we will likely deploy primal defenses like dissociation or acting out. If we can find a more adaptive stance, we will likely intellectualize the conflict or even find it humorous. The goal is not to banish all defenses; we need to manage our exposure to the intensity of life but to discover self-management strategies that allow us to remain effective even under stress.

A COPY OF THE DREAM IS HERE

MEET LISA IN COLUMBUS OHIO on October 13 & 14, 2023: The Power of Dreamwork – Friday Night Lecture (October 13 from 7 to 8:30 PM) and Saturday Workshop (October 14 from 9:30 AM to Noon): CLICK HERE.

UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF YOUR DREAMS: Dream School provides a gently paced program with live interactive webinars, an uplifting online community, thought-provoking audio modules, and guided journaling to deepen your experience. Lisa, Deb, and Joe crafted the program with you in mind and companion you through the process. “Step-by-step, we’ll teach you how to interpret your dreams.” Join the revolution of consciousness! Join Dream School and Transform Your Sleep into the Greatest Adventure of Your Life: CLICK HERE

PLEASE GIVE US A HAND:  Hey folks -- We need your help. Please BECOME OUR PATRON and keep This Jungian Life podcast up and running!!

The Selkie swims ashore at night, sheds her seal skin, hides it, and delights in her human form. In Celtic lore, she is the wild feminine soul, a creature of land and sea, innocent and beautiful, who cannot thrive in domesticity.

In folklore, the seal-folk are discovered by humans. Their natural, joyous spirit, grace, and affection invite contact. Humans are drawn to them, but if they touch, parting is unbearable. Many a young man, desperate to maintain the life-giving embrace of nature, steals a Selkie’s seal skin, locking her into a human form. Helpless, she is led into domesticity and motherhood. Isolated from the sea, in a role alien to her nature, the Selkie diminishes until her seal-skin is reclaimed. Called home to the sea, she leaves all behind and is restored to her authentic being.

Theft of a Selkie’s skin is a kind of archetypal initiation we all may face. Our naive spirits are all too often robbed or captured through lack of foresight. We lose touch with our wild spirit as we accept our assigned social roles, accommodate marital expectations, and forget what we once loved. Drained and disaffected, midlife may cast us into our inner wilderness to renew and restore our original being.

We lose our connection to life-giving instincts slowly. Attending the family alma mater, selecting a sensible career, and sacrificing our wildness to corporate culture can leave our souls withered. Deprived of the water of life, we may abandon everything once we find our true skin and smell the brine carried on the east wind.

 In the ancient stories, seal-folk were male and female, and either might find themselves trapped through naïve curiosity. For young men and women, innocence is unrewarded in the adult world and often leads us into harsh agreements that force us to abandon our intuition and accept domestication. We turn from our inner world and stare only at the culture. Deep desire is replaced by snacking on what has been advertised. Our uncouth delight is curated into meticulous etiquette. 

When we neglect our animal side, the unconscious howls at us. Injured animals surface in our dreams, along with roaring vague creatures that chase us and savage impulses prompting us to bite and claw. If we linger too long in alien domesticity, emptiness, exhaustion, and neglect may drive us to chew our way out of our current situation. But actions of last resort might be avoided by learning to listen to the wild one within.

Carving out time in nature, setting unyielding boundaries, and questioning societal expectations are vital to protecting our true nature. If we are sons and daughters of the open water, we need time off, solitude, and uninterrupted periods of self-reflection. Art, music, and poetry can call forward our animal nature, granting us deep relief.

Listen to your seal-song and answer it.

A COPY OF THE DREAM IS HERE!

MEET LISA IN COLUMBUS OHIO on October 13 & 14, 2023: The Power of Dreamwork – Friday Night Lecture (October 13 from 7 to 8:30 PM) and Saturday Workshop (October 14 from 9:30 AM to Noon): CLICK HERE.

UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF YOUR DREAMS: Dream School provides a gently paced program with live interactive webinars, an uplifting online community, thought-provoking audio modules, and guided journaling to deepen your experience. Lisa, Deb, and Joe crafted the program with you in mind and companion you through the process. “Step-by-step, we’ll teach you how to interpret your dreams.”  Join Dream School and Transform Your Sleep into the Greatest Adventure of Your Life: CLICK HERE

The archetype of Initiation is primordial, and its force guides our transformative transitions. For Jung, this change reshapes spiritual, emotional, intellectual, behavioral, and social dynamics. Rooted in his anthropological studies, Jung emphasized the vital role of formal ceremonies in fostering separation from parental influences and facilitating integration into adult communities. These ceremonies marked a clear transition from childhood and established an essential connection with the adult community, promoting the collaborative culture by containing unconscious forces. Derived from the Latin "initium," Initiation carries the power of new beginnings, urging us towards greater consciousness and understanding. This journey transcends personal experience, reverberating universally through significant life milestones that act as gateways to realms of human experience, driven by archetypal activations inherent to all. Initiation contains three universal elements: separation, liminal space, and reintegration. This process is approached through a structured and ritualistic path in modern Mystery Schools. It begins with transitioning from our outer lives, then identifying what is alien to our true nature, followed by a dedication to a greater vision. Once ushered into a sacred space, we are helped to recognize the price of being unconscious. When our character flaws are personified and confronted, a Hierophantic figure reveals sacred objects, symbols, and teaching. These, along with various practices, seek to activate the archetype of transformation. Embraced into a community dedicated to mutual growth, Initiates re-enter their daily lives, tasked to integrate a more expansive attitude of themselves and life. The loss of most formal initiations in modern culture leaves these archetypal forces with no aesthetic process to affect the individual. Expressed unconsciously, they emerge as fraternity hazing or surviving a violent gauntlet to gain gang membership. Various mythopoetic movements have attempted to restore initiations for sons and daughters, bar mitzvahs carry ancient themes into contemporary life, and Freemasons strive to maintain ceremonies that make good men better. The archetype of Initiation is still alive and potent, perhaps struggling to find modern idioms and values to carry its transformative power forward.

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “Someone is telling me my therapist has passed away; I'm shocked. They showed me a very brief obituary that showed she was 44 years old. I am saddened.”

 RESOURCES:

 Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts, ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE PROGRAM: A case seminar for experienced clinicians to read, explore, and apply Jung’s concepts to clinical practice: CLICK HERE

 ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A SERIOUS STUDY OF JUNG? Enroll in the Philadelphia Jungian Seminar 2023 Fall Semester and start your journey: CLICK HERE.

 BECOME A DREAM INTERPRETER:

We’ve created DREAM SCHOOL to teach others how to work with their dreams. A vibrant community has constellated around this mission, and we think you’ll love it. Check it out.

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Hey folks -- We need your help. So please BECOME OUR PATRON and keep This Jungian Life podcast up and running.

 SHARE YOUR DREAM WITH US:

SUBMIT YOUR DREAM HERE FOR A POSSIBLE PODCAST INTERPRETATION.

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[Spoiler Alert.]

In the opening scene of the Barbie movie, listless little girls dressed as drab Dust Bowl mothers play at ironing as they tend plastic babies until a gigantic cosmic Barbie appears on the landscape in a vogue pose. Her presence inspires the girls to smash their dolls and cast off their pretend chores in a whirl of rageful frustration. While this scene spoofs 2001: A Space Odyssey, it unknowingly dramatizes an archetypal event in the collective American psyche. In 1959, the Barbie doll hit the market and created a stir. American mothers objected to her sensuous form, so Mattel marketed it directly to children, a tactic never used before, and it worked. The maternal archetype of Hera, sentinel of the social order, goddess of childbirth, and protectress of the home, was supplanted. Aphrodite, the captivating goddess exuding an aura of beauty, desirability, and persuasive allure, had arrived. Dolls don't command a culture, but when a new primary archetype rises in the collective unconscious, it will potentiate available images that reflect its qualities—Barbie was the perfect representative. The new goddess encouraged a generation to flirt with fashion, aesthetics, autonomy, and self-expression. With her ever-changing wardrobe and perpetual grace, she became the diminutive totem dominating current social media. Her representatives help maintain an era where beauty is a currency, a tool, a language all its own, and men are revisioned as her companion-child, Eros or Cupid.  In this perfect pink world, Barbie-Aphrodite lived with millions of girls, imagining endless possibilities as they donned the costumes of various roles and professions. The creators of the Barbie Movie want to change all that, but their retelling of Pinnacho, the puppet who becomes a real boy, struggles to carry the power and depth of an archetypal event.  Burdened by a giddy blend of social commentary, kitsch, archetypal imagery, a touch of nostalgia, mythical narratives, child-like fantasy, Freudian psychosexual theory, the allure of capitalism, a bow to classical fairytales, a dash of glamor, a sprinkle of kiddy-kamp, drenched in a layer of surreal satire sauce—it’s power to call forth a transformative process is diluted.

 The ending of The Barbie leaves the collective psyche unchanged; the pink world is restored to its original state after a few ideological tremors. One doll escapes, perhaps a representative of every-woman, who now resides in the real world, with responsibilities and vulnerabilities. Her final scene, with broad smiles and flat feet, might leave us all humming a new tune:

What if Barb was one of us?

Just a slob like one of us

Just a stranger on the bus

Tryin’ to make her way home.

 It also leaves us with a lingering question: Does this movie herald a change in the collective psyche, or is it a spoof to laugh at ourselves for taking the current cultural tensions too seriously?

 HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “I'm in the hallway of my new rental place. I see my new flatmate vacuuming the hallway carpet. I see a small amount of white dust he sprinkles on the carpet. As he vacuums, the dust keeps growing and growing. I realize it's actually snow! It keeps billowing out of the vacuum cleaner, and soon, it becomes clouds of snow. The more he vacuums, the more snow he makes. We both grab some snow and make snowballs. Then we both start throwing them and have a snowball fight. Then I wake up.”

REFERENCES: What If God Was One of Us by Kate Colston & Robin Morris

RESOURCES:

BECOME A DREAM INTERPRETER: We’ve created Dream School to teach others how to work with their dreams. Check it out: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ 

PLEASE GIVE US A HAND: Hey folks, we need your help. Please become our patron and keep This Jungian Life podcast up and running: https://www.patreon.com/ThisJungianLife

As Jung’s anthropological studies expanded and his international travel exposed him to new cultures and ideas, he was taken by the concept of ‘loss of soul.’ 

A collapse of energy, a strange sudden alteration of personality, or episodes of blinding rage could signify a loss of soul from a shamanic perspective. The soul carries the animating and regulating forces as well as memory. In most traditions, it was expected to fly away upon death, much like the Egyptian Ba, depicted as a bird with a human head. Because the soul had an independent life, it might flee suddenly, leaving a listless body behind. The shaman’s task was to retrieve and escort the wandering soul into the body again.

In Michael Harner’s book The Way of the Shaman, he cataloged various ancient practices and distilled a small set of universal techniques. Soul retrieval involves tying a red string on the patient’s wrist and, with the help of one’s spiritual power animal, traveling to the inner worlds, identifying the lost soul by the red string also on its wrist, bringing it back to the waking world and blow it into the patient’s body. Loss of soul in this contemporary system is often associated with trauma, and the imagery is congruent with modern conceptualizations of dissociation.

Jung linked shamanic descriptions with the work of psychiatrist Janet and called “abaissement du niveau mental.” Jung described this as “a slackening of the tensity of consciousness, which might be compared to a low barometric reading, presaging bad weather. The tonus has given way, and this is felt subjectively as listlessness, moroseness, and depression. One no longer has any wish or courage to face the tasks of the day. One feels like lead because no part of one’s body seems willing to move, and this is due to the fact that one no longer has any disposable energy.”

In modern psychiatry, several clinical descriptions might be assigned to such despair and collapse, but those may not capture the psychospiritual depth of ‘loss of soul.’ For Jung, the soul carries creativity and grants meaning; it links us to the divine and represents all we could be if wholeness were possible. Whatever the cause, to be abandoned by one’s soul is devastating, and to be reunited, the greatest gift.

RESOURCES: 

Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts, ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE PROGRAM: A case seminar for experienced clinicians to read, explore, and apply Jung’s concepts to clinical practice: CLICK HERE

 ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A SERIOUS STUDY OF JUNG? Enroll in the Philadelphia Jungian Seminar 2023 Fall Semester and start your journey: CLICK HERE.

 BECOME A DREAM INTERPRETER:  We’ve created DREAM SCHOOL to teach others how to work with their dreams. A vibrant community has constellated around this mission, and we think you’ll love it. Check it out.

 PLEASE GIVE US A HAND: Hey folks -- We need your help. So please BECOME OUR PATRON and keep This Jungian Life podcast up and running.

 SHARE YOUR DREAM WITH US:  SUBMIT YOUR DREAM HERE FOR A POSSIBLE PODCAST INTERPRETATION.

 SUGGEST A FUTURE PODCAST TOPIC:  Share your suggestions HERE.

 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN, TWITTER, YOUTUBE

 YES, WE HAVE MERCH! Shop HERE

Sharon Blackie calls us to the ancient archetype of the Hag as a figure of unapologetic emergence from cultural pressures that lock us into outworn roles and limiting beliefs. 

Drawing upon her transformative experiences in menopause Blackie grounds the mythic figure of the old woman who fashioned the world in her fierce determination to dissolve and reconfigure her professional and personal life. Identifying and rejecting cultural pressures to look and act a certain way as she ages, she claims the second half of her life for a post-heroic journey of intense creativity and unapologetic self-expression.

Ancient Celtic fairytales, myths, and folk stories carry the spirit of the Cailleach, the divine old woman who shapes the landscape and scourges it clean through winter storms. This Queen of Winter is sharp and wild. Those who discover the Cailleach within carry her ruthless truths as unavoidable facts that demand acknowledgment. Her stark reality strips away one's inner illusions and avoidance of death, leaving her sharp eye facing outward. Tending the web of life becomes the great task, and acting to restore balance to the community, the central role.

The path to the Hag is hidden in stories. Blackie reminds us that reviving ancient themes and images expands our imagination and helps us recover the dark woods we once knew well. Wise old ones revive awe and connection. Trees and plants, rivers and crows have secrets to teach us that require a depth of listening undisturbed by collective gibbering.

Elderhood can be a time to shed the roles assigned to us. Menopause can be welcomed as a rite of passage with the Hag silently waiting for us to see her. If we have learned how to recognize her, renewal and reclaiming is possible. The stories of those who have gone before us carry a strange beauty that can stir a memory in our soul and set us on the path.

REFERENCES: 

 Sharon Blackie

Order her book: Hagitude. Reimagining the second half of life

RESOURCES:

Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts, ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE PROGRAM: A case seminar for experienced clinicians to read, explore and apply Jung's concepts to clinical practice: CLICK HERE

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A SERIOUS STUDY OF JUNG? Enroll in the Philadelphia Jungian Seminar 2023 Fall Semester and start your journey: CLICK HERE

 BECOME A DREAM INTERPRETER:  We've created DREAM SCHOOL to teach others how to work with their dreams. A vibrant community has constellated around this mission, and we think you'll love it. Check it out.

PLEASE GIVE US A HAND: Hey folks -- We need your help. So please BECOME OUR PATRON and keep This Jungian Life podcast up and running.

SHARE YOUR DREAM WITH US: SUBMIT YOUR DREAM HERE FOR A POSSIBLE PODCAST INTERPRETATION.

SUGGEST A FUTURE PODCAST TOPIC:  Share your suggestions HERE.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN, TWITTER, YOUTUBE

YES, WE HAVE MERCH! Shop HERE

The essence of friendship is visible in its linguistic root: ‘to love.’ Cicero wrote, “Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief." In modern times the art of friending seems lost. We have replaced shared experiences with Facebook posts and quell our loneliness by scrolling.

 With high spirits, we three revisit our first meeting and reflect on the discovery of kinship between us. Our experiences of trust, reciprocity, and shared hardship marked by endless conversations and abundant laughter forged our bond during analytic training. Yet it reflects more than our shared life; friendship is archetypal. 

 Vigorous bonding is mysterious. It emerges unexpectedly and carries aspects of positive and negative shadow. This tension seemed evident in Jung and Freud’s famous friendship. Their instantaneous bond led to thirteen hours of conversation at their first meeting. It would end six years later, leaving Jung devastated and struggling with overwhelming inner states. The story of Rumi first meeting Shams, which led to thirty days of deep conversation, carries a similar passion. Rumi lost Shams to death, and Jung lost Freud to his struggle for autonomy. Both found solace in the inner world where the memories of their friend merged with its archetype – Shams’ image carried Rumi’s love of the divine, and Philemon’s image carried Jung’s love of wisdom.

 For us three, the essence of lasting friendship lies in tending mutual creative purposes. Aligning with common goals allows most friendships to flourish and impact the world positively. It’s not enough to recognize we like someone; that’s just the beginning. We must learn to nurture the bonds that make us more than we were alone. 

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “There is a vast plane with a deep, wide, and steep hole. From the center of this deep pit, a high tower stands. A figure physically throws me across the expanse to the tower, where I am suspended against the building. The perspective stays with the figure who is wearing a black cloak that covers their form. Their arms, legs, face, and skin are under the black cloak. There are two white marks on the fabric denoting eyes, but they aren't actual eye holes like a mask. They slowly turn and walk off after I've been thrown. The dream repeats the throwing, but the perspective follows me across the expanse. The thread I am suspended from is a single piece of spider silk. Where I am hanging, I am face to face with a guardian of the tower. It is an anthropomorphic lizard, light green, wearing golden armor. It raises its sword, and instead of attacking me, it cuts the silk thread, and I fall quickly but safely. I notice open windows one could sneak into on my way down. Safely reaching the base of the tower, facing underneath where the cloaked figure and I were, I see a large tunnel and know I need to enter. I begin to walk towards it when I awake.”

REFERENCES: Jamie Krems, Ph.D. The evolutionary psychology of friendship research project. CLICK HERE

RESOURCES:

Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts, ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE PROGRAM: A case seminar for experienced clinicians to read, explore and apply Jung's concepts to clinical practice: CLICK HERE

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Imposter syndrome constellates the gut-wrenching fear of being exposed as a fraud no matter how much we have learned or the successes we have demonstrated. In 1978 two researchers identified and explored a painful phenomenon among some high-achieving women. Despite their high levels of success, they were convinced they were not as competent, intelligent, or skilled as others might think. Instead of identifying with their capabilities, they often attributed their success to luck, personal persuasion, or an unanticipated burst of energy. Further research revealed this struggle was equally distributed among men and women.

Some common elements were identified:

Perfectionism: they often set remarkably high expectations for themselves and over-emphasized any slight mistake, disturbing their sense of competence.

Overworking: to hide their perceived deficiencies, they often worked harder and put in excessively long hours. This was done to prevent others from discovering their alleged incompetence.

Rejecting praise: they frequently discounted their successes which interfered with their ability to internalize their accomplishments despite ample proof of their abilities. They would brush off compliments and attribute talents to external factors.

Undermining achievements: they thought they had managed to deceive others into seeing them as more intelligent and capable than they believed themselves to be. Their avoidance of acknowledgment deflected proper credit for work they had rightly generated.

Fear of failure: they would excessively monitor for any evidence of failure, fearing that acknowledgment would expose them as cons.

Imposter syndrome has subtle intrapsychic dynamics. Its underlying inferiority complex is obscure and often based on early life experiences. It is natural for children to feel vulnerable and less capable than the adults around them; this usually motivates them to grow and develop competencies. They may fail to identify with their own agency if their efforts are scorned, ignored, or grossly mischaracterized. When these negative experiences are internalized, the relationship between their actions and results is fragmented. Interference between the child's mobilized intentions and the visible outcomes they generate constellates a field of unknowing that leaves them anxious and unsure.

To compensate for feelings of anxiety and vulnerability, they can become overly ambitious, perfectionistic, and aggressive, striving for power and control. Unconsciously, they are simply trying to claim and internalize what they have legitimately created. The chronic interference with their natural capacity to place themselves accurately in the world can extend into many domains of life.

Healing from imposter syndrome begins with confessing their fears of exposure and accusation. They have desperately hidden the secret that they do not belong in the life they have created. Once they share the depth of their alienation, a new narrative can begin that includes being seen by another—through that, they can finally see themselves.

Philadelphia Association of Jungian Analysts, ADVANCED CLINICAL PRACTICE PROGRAM: A case seminar for experienced clinicians to read, explore and apply Jung's concepts to clinical practice: CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION

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The uses and abuses of ChatGPT artificial intelligence language model have taken the collective imagination by storm. Apocalyptic predictions of the singularity, when technology becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, frighten us as we imagine a future where human intelligence is irrelevant. Prof. Michael Littman joins us to contextualize the advancement of artificial intelligence and debunk the paranoid rhetoric littering the public discourse.

Michael has made groundbreaking research contributions enabling machines to learn from their experiences, assess the environment, make decisions, and improve their actions over time in real-world applications. His later work expanded into multi-agent systems, investigating how several AI entities can learn to cooperate, compete, or coexist in shared environments. Picture a team of robots in a factory, each with different tasks. The challenge here isn't just for each robot to do its job effectively but also to collaborate with the others, avoid collisions, and adapt to changes in real time.

Emerging concepts of 'intelligence' in artificial intelligence aren't about building machines that can perform tasks faster and more accurately than humans; it is about building machines that can think, learn, and adapt - machines that aren't just tools but collaborative partners.

If we examine our resistance to this emerging technology, we might catch glimpses of our unconscious fear of regression and dependency. Observation suggests most people fall into one of two groups, those who idealize a world where they are free of demands and another where they are enslaved by superiors. When we realize the fear or fantasy of regression is not the likely outcome of artificial intelligence, we are free to imagine the innumerable creative applications of the new technology and the machines that use it.

MICHAEL L. LITTMAN, PhD

Michael L. Littman is University Professor of Computer Science at Brown University, where he studies machine learning and decision-making under uncertainty. He has earned multiple university-level awards for teaching and his research has been recognized with three best-paper awards and three influential paper awards. Littman is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence and the Association for Computing Machinery. He is currently serving as Division Director for Information and Intelligent Systems at the National Science Foundation. His book "Code to Joy: Why Everyone Should Learn a Little Programming" (MIT Press) will be released October 3rd 2023.

Michael's WEBSITE

Order Michael's book: Code To Joy, Why Everyone Should Learn A Little Programming by Michael L. Littman, CLICK HERE TO ORDER

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"Death of the Great Man" by Dr. Peter D. Kramer offers a glimpse into the character disordered alpha narcissist. It is more than a satirical political commentary on Donald Trump. It points us to a broader discourse on power dynamics in the collective psyche, the potential for authority to corrupt our humanity and the dangerous ways we escape from freedom by surrendering self-responsibility. 

 The unique blend of psychiatric insight and literary narrative brings an unusual depth to the work. The narrator, psychiatrist Henry Farber, places the reader at his side, admitting his negative reactions, offering psychotherapeutic framing, and struggling to bear the suffering the Great Man inflicts on him.

 The reader is quickly shifted into the traumatic constellation of the fictional universe. It functions like a dream within a dream. The clarity of the narrator’s perspective can only be achieved by later reflection and metacognition, processes Dr. Kramer invites forward in the reader through the great indirect tradition of fairytales and storytelling. Striking images of the psychological toll of oppressive rule, mental illness, desperation, and dissent, force the reader to face their vulnerabilities. The reality principle, a center point in Freud’s theory, calls us to adjust to the demands of the outer world with minimal evasion. Kramer’s novel invites the reader to tolerate facing the recent cultural/political tumult through the safety of fiction—offering a way to bear the anxiety of declining democracy.

 Paranoia is passed from character to character throughout the novel, like a burning coal. The array of character responses subtly educates the reader. The inflation of the Great Man, the fawning of Naomi, the opportunism of Beelzebub, and the grief of Henry are like a cast of inner figures in the reader's mind differentiating the range of defenses and compensations any of us might experience when placed in intolerable circumstances.

 Ultimately, we find ourselves reflected not just in the characters but in the underlying human realities they represent: our thirst for power, our susceptibility to manipulation, our struggle with identity, and our ongoing quest for truth and resilience in the face of adversity. The book questions our understanding of the world and ourselves within it. It underscores how we are at once actors and spectators in the theatre of life, continuously influenced by and influencing the world around us. His narrative is an insistent reminder of our shared humanity, our collective responsibility to safeguard democratic values, and our capability to challenge and reshape narratives imposed upon us. We are reminded that resilience is not just a personal quality but also a societal one. We learn that identities are not fixed but fluid, forged in the crucible of personal experience and societal pressure. We are shown the insidious danger of unchecked power and the corrosive effects of manipulative propaganda. Ultimately, we can learn to be more discerning about the stories we tell and accept, more compassionate about the shared trauma we may encounter, and more committed to safeguarding the principles underpinning our society. 

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Award-winning author, depth psychotherapist, and guide Connie Zweig shows us encountering darkness is a necessary part of our spiritual journey. In the first half of life, we disown aspects of ourselves to fit in and navigate our world more smoothly. Over time we realize all aspects of ourselves must be recalled and befriended. Integration of these shadow aspects lays the foundation for spiritual awakening.

 Through careful introspection, dreamwork, and self-confrontation, we can see beyond stereotypes and projections, avoiding the pitfalls of black-and-white thinking. Jung reminds us,

"…we shall, by carefully analyzing every fascination, extract from it a portion of our own personality, like a quintessence, and slowly come to recognize that we meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life."

 Navigating the complex psychodynamics between spiritual students, the teachers they choose, and the disciplines of the path they tread can be more complicated than most people imagine. The inherent power dynamics in many spiritual traditions can encourage students to dismiss their agency and silence their ambivalence. Idealizing their teachers through projecting the Self upon them or contracting to be unquestioningly obedient can leave students disoriented and vulnerable to exploitation.

 Falling into moral idealism and accepting standards of spiritual perfection, students may split off essential aspects of their unique personality, hobbling their developmental progress. Spiritual bypass may be encouraged by certain spiritual teachers leaving the leader and the student blind to harmful impulses and minimizing destructive behaviors.

 Confronting the flaws and failures of the teacher can help students place their spiritual center back inside themselves. Accepting the limits of many spiritual traditions may free students to rediscover their autonomous inner guidance.

 Connie's work can help us understand why some are drawn to charismatic leaders, unconsciously surrendering parts of their psyche to them or the system they represent. In worst cases, students suffer abuse and betrayal that alienates them from their spiritual instinct, blocking them from the very experiences they long for. Shadow work and depth psychology can be key tools in breaking free from denial, projection, and dependency.

 With support, time, and corrective action, it is possible to recover one's inner connection. Connie's stories of renowned teachers like Sufi poet Rumi, Hindu master Ramakrishna, and Christian saint Catherine of Siena exemplify the different paths that can support spiritual yearning.

 Meeting the shadow, internally or externally, is a painful but inevitable stage on the path to a more mature spirituality. We can use spiritual shadow work to separate from abusive teachers or barren traditions and reclaim inner spiritual authority. It's about navigating the narrow path through the darkness toward the light, reigniting the flame of longing, and engaging once more in fulfilling spiritual practice.

 ABOUT CONNIE:

 Connie Zweig, Ph.D., is a retired therapist and coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Her award-winning book, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, extends her work on the Shadow into midlife and beyond and explores aging as a spiritual practice. Workshops, Blog, Videos, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening

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In a world reduced to digital exchanges and swift judgments, reviving tolerance has become vital. Toleration comes from the ancient Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to carry,” a capacity collapsing in current culture. We stumble into extremes when we lose the strength to carry the tension of opposite ideas and feelings. Exaggerations of discomfort and hyperbolic comparisons pepper media messages and inflame the underinformed public--the collective psyche lists from topic to topic. In the vertigo of confusion, we make terrible decisions and strike out blindly. 

Disorientation is not new, and the wise have tried over and again to help us restore inner balance. The Greek Stoics differentiated the internal functions we can tame from the outer circumstances we cannot control. Their goal was to maintain a serene disposition in every circumstance. Buddhists venerate equanimity, or a balanced mind undisturbed by life’s phenomena. They practice Metta, establishing a flow of loving kindness to all life. It creates a new attitude where those who create suffering are only unskilled, always capable of gaining the skills of kindness. In the 20th century, Existentialists emphasized individual freedom, choice, and responsibility. They encouraged us to navigate the absurdities of life with calmness and courage, understanding that life’s fluctuating circumstances are inherent in human existence. Cultivating these attitudes can equilibrate cancel culture’s mounting costs - social polarization, intellectual stifling, economic repercussions, and psychological distress.

The value of constructive self-regulation is multifaceted - from personal resilience and effective interpersonal interactions to societal harmony and progress. In facilitating discourse on provocative topics, ‘safe spaces’ prove therapeutic and societal value. They allow for non-judgmental exploration of thoughts and feelings, bridging societal divides and fostering social cohesion. We must ensure these spaces promote growth and understanding, not simply comfort and echo-chamber formation. A shift towards tolerance, equanimity, and safe spaces can provide an antidote to the ills of cancel culture and intolerance, fostering a more empathetic, understanding, and harmonious society.

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Is every object alive? Are wind, oceans, and mountains sentient? Jung, inspired by Anima Mundi or world soul, believed so. This concept, rooted in ancient philosophy, originates with Thales of Miletus, who envisioned the universe as interconnected and alive. Plato furthered this, proposing the World Soul as a bridge between ideal and physical realms. Born into a religious family in 1875, Jung strived for a fusion of science, psychology, and esotericism. He lamented that excessive intellect had stripped humanity of meaning. Although ancient beliefs might not resonate with modern minds, he felt that dreams could reawaken our world and called this spirit Anima Mundi. Jung moved the gods from external to internal realms, calling them archetypes. He associated the disconnection from these myths with societal ailments. “The gods have become diseases,” he stated, suggesting that disregarded psychic content still governs us, appearing as neuroses. The quest for soul in matter inspired alchemists. Jung proposed that merging ego with the imaginal spirit or anima/us yields a new personality type, the alchemic Lapis. Ian McGilchrist defines this as “unity of the hemispheres.” Reenchanting the world involves seeing ourselves within a responsive life web and resisting the view of nature as an object. This reawakening symbolically reflects our actions, revealing our interconnectedness. Understanding that our actions ‘sing into’ objects reinstates feelings. It is indifference, not evil, that fills our relationship with nature. This indifference permits destructive actions. The world soul isn’t a belief, but an inner response, always communicating with us. It provides a mirror to our actions, enriching our lives with feelings that urge us to pause and reflect.

 HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “My husband was offered work by his older brother and agreed against my judgment and advice. They had a contract to refurbish the tour bus of an esteemed opera singer. She was glamorous and bohemian but haughty. The bus was dilapidated and strangely decorated. There was a sense that much debauchery had happened there. It even smelled of sex. The job finished without issue, and my husband was told by his brother to call later regarding payment. When my husband called, somebody told him that his brother was not home and he was working late, an obvious lie as both finished work early. I was frustrated at my husband, but he remained hopeful that his brother would pay up.”

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Illness anxiety disorder (IAD), formerly hypochondriasis, is characterized by excessive worry about a severe illness, persisting despite medical evaluations and reassurances. Individuals with this challenge tend to misinterpret normal bodily sensations as serious symptoms, magnifying minor sensations like a cough into signs of lung disease. The key distinction between IAD and cautious health concerns lies in the intensity of worry and its debilitating impact on daily life. The Greek physician Hippocrates coined the term " hypochondria, " referring to the region beneath the ribs housing vital organs. He associated black bile, found in the spleen, with melancholic symptoms similar to contemporary understanding of depression. This link between physical and mental health laid the foundation for hypochondriasis. Sigmund Freud later classified hypochondriasis as a neurosis arising from unresolved conflicts between unconscious desires and societal limitations. Healthcare professionals have recognized the spectrum of health anxiety and introduced related diagnoses such as Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) and Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD). While the former involves distressing somatic symptoms, the latter entails excessive worry about severe illness with minimal or no medical evidence. Existential fear of death intertwines with hypochondriasis stemming from a fixation on mortality. This leads to cycles of dread and extreme reassurance-seeking behaviors. Anxiety surrounding illness may be an attempt to gain control over mortality, driven by fear of the unknown, loss of autonomy, body control, and the desire to preserve identity and relationships. Considering internal and external factors, Jung viewed each psychological symptom as an attempt to address an underlying issue. He saw repression as a partial dismissal of aspects of oneself, giving rise to neurotic symptoms.  By exploring the symbolic nature of hypochondriasis, we can view it as an expression of soul calling us to map our psychic bodies. The energy disruption caused by the fear of illness can guide us to a new life direction, revealing unconscious opposites that demand attention. The fear of disease often masks hidden desires, such as a longing for attention and empathy, a quest for a unique identity, a need to evade unpleasant emotions, or an internal drive for perfection. Unmet needs for nurturance, a desire for certainty amidst chaos, and escaping isolation can also contribute. A deeper understanding can pave the way for healthier alternatives: cultivating nurturing relationships, finding personal significance outside of health status, developing emotional resilience, fostering a balanced perspective on success and failure, nurturing independence, practicing self-forgiveness, recognizing uniqueness beyond health, promoting open communication, and learning to cope with uncertainties. The path to unraveling Illness Anxiety Disorder may be complex, but recognizing the exaggerated fears as a means to divert attention from deeper truths can be instrumental. Relaxing into the fantasies born out of panic can lead to unexpected insights, unveiling new meanings and offering potential avenues for resolving misplaced dread.

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A sudden pang in the chest, a quiet voice persistently whispering at the back of our mind, we experience guilt when our actions, or deliberate lack thereof, infringe upon our personal ethical code or societal norms. Our shared experience of guilt, intertwined with personal and societal expectations, stands out among the wide spectrum of human emotions. As we cross the lines of standards crafted by inherited beliefs, imparted values, and personal experiences, guilt sounds a vigorous warning. Within our interactions, it has a dual role; it can serve as a bond to strengthen societal norms, or act as a barrier, fostering alienation and resentment. As it evolved with culture, guilt regulated behavior and maintained societal order. It serves as a societal adhesive, fostering group cohesion by promoting altruistic behavior, thereby ensuring community survival. Guilt is bivalent, misdirected, or disproportionate; it can be destructive, leading to anxiety, depression, and impaired decision-making. Alternatively, it can stimulate self-improvement, reminding us of the social contracts we participate in and guiding us toward moral maturation. From a psychological perspective, guilt's origins vary widely. Some theories suggest it arises from self-judgment, others propose it originates from problematic early childhood experiences, or it may stem from distorted or absolutist thinking. Recognizing and acknowledging guilt requires considerable strength, or it will discharge through projection and scapegoating. Guilt's interpretation can vary widely; Christianity views it as a consequence of sin necessitating redemption, Buddhism sees it as an opportunity for compassionate wisdom to correct unskilled behavior, and indigenous cultures regard it as a communal responsibility. Ancient philosophers maintained guilt arises from actions contrary to rational nature, causing internal disharmony. Distinguishing between guilt, shame, and remorse provides a clearer understanding. Guilt targets specific behaviors, shame attacks the self, and remorse evokes empathy towards those affected by our behavior. This distinction highlights guilt's potential to motivate reparative actions, whereas shame leads to paralyzing self-loathing. Remorse initiates transformational suffering. Guilt, remorse, and atonement are a recognition, regret, and repair cycle. This arc, although uncomfortable, is vital for understanding ourselves and others. Restoring the balance between ego and Self, individual and society, requires atonement. Thoughtful reparations can empower us to transform guilt into constructive action and bring peace to our souls.

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The tale of Beauty and the Beast is at least 4,000 years old, perhaps second in popularity only to Cinderella. It has generated many print versions, animated films, a Broadway show, and a Disney film. What about this tale continues to ensure its popularity? And what is this tale really about?

 Beauty and the Beast is a metaphor for the development of the feminine, symbolized by an animal bridegroom—who, of course, is an enchanted prince. It’s tempting to see this tale as an example of women treated as chattel by misogynistic males, but as our archetypal bones, fairy tales show us universal problems, patterns, and psychic realities. Beauty’s task is to relate to her instinctual self, represented by the beast. Each of us has an inner other, often imaged as opposite sex, who possesses qualities that seem utterly foreign yet compel attention and interaction.

 The tale begins with Beauty’s father stealing a rose for his favorite daughter from the beast’s garden. Outraged, the beast demands retribution: either the father or one of his daughters must agree to live with the beast. Beauty, described as “loyal and modest,” loves her father and insists on sacrificing herself to the beast, who they believe will kill her. A seemingly simple rose comes at a high price, and representations of masculine figures are negative: feckless father and fiend. However, the rose is a mandala. It opens like the lotus from a center and holds the promise of wholeness.

 We see the interplay of opposites at the outset and throughout: Beauty’s innocence and self-sacrifice contrast with the beast’s domineering will. Beauty’s seemingly loving father is powerless and unable to protect her, but the beast provides for her every want despite her nightly refusal to wed him. In the beast’s domain, naïve and compliant Beauty discovers her power of self-determination: she stands up to the beast as she did not do with her father, and the beast agrees to let her visit her family. Given freedom from obligation, she chooses to return to the beast.

 Beauty’s realization reflects her newfound ability to base loyalty on character and consciousness rather than reflexive filial duty. She needed to access autonomy, and her primal inner other—the beast--needed to relinquish control. Beauty and the Beast is a heartening tale of hard-won wholeness—and at its center is love.

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Homelessness, as a stark and multifaceted symbol of disconnection, extends beyond the mere absence of physical shelter, embodying a complex interlacing of unconscious conflict, socio-political forces, and rapidly shifting societal values. The shift from small interdependent nomadic communities to the social stratification of nation-states like Ancient Rome fractured the expectation of mutual care. Over centuries alienation was normalized alongside urban development, socio-economic upheavals, and now the empathic failings of our contemporary society amidst unprecedented wealth. On a psychosocial level, homelessness arises from a tragic matrix of precipitating factors – soaring property prices, inadequate welfare systems, mental health disorders, substance abuse, family conflicts, and structural inequalities that leave vulnerable groups grappling with the fragility of their socio-economic status. Psychodynamic perspectives suggest a substratum of unresolved traumas, defense mechanisms, internalized stigma, and grief, exacerbated by fractured interpersonal relationships, contributing to the cyclical nature of homelessness. At the center of this complex is the archetypal Outcast – carrying collective fears, dysregulation, and unintegrated shadow. Yet within this figure lies a transformative potential, a mirror reflecting our shared vulnerabilities and the enduring resilience of the human spirit. The plight of the homeless presses us to acknowledge these multisystemic dynamics and see in them a call for collective empathy, understanding, and movement toward an equitable future. As the specter of homelessness grows, it forces us to confront our prejudices, challenge us to revive society’s protective role, and create an inclusive, accepting world where every individual is acknowledged for their inherent worth and supported to actualize their potential.

 HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “I was at my younger sister’s house, and she woke me up in the middle of the night crying and crying. Her face was completely contorted with agony, but I had my earplugs in, so I couldn’t hear her say what was wrong. Then my mom came in too, and she was crying. I took the earplugs out, but I still couldn’t hear anything or understand them to know what was wrong; everything was still muffled. It was absolutely heartbreaking not to be able to understand them or comfort them in their immense grief.”

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We all understand the Ugly Duckling complex because we lived it at one time or another. Hans Christian Anderson’s famous tale paints a poignant picture of a child’s experience of rejection only because he’s born in the wrong nest. People who seem different or have not yet matured into their natural beauty endure a kind of scorn that can bring them to despair. The ugly duckling’s capacity to endure and find refuge once he is recognized by fellow swans can hearten us during the long winters of our lives. 

 As an individuation metaphor, the tale dramatizes how many of us feel essentially different than our playmates and family. The combination of alienation and desperation drives us to merge with others’ feelings and paradoxically escape into fantasies. When the Self finally activates, it drives us toward the reality principle—only through regarding ourselves accurately and meeting the eyes of others can we discover our true nature and feel welcomed. As Jung suggested, we need relationships to feel whole despite the fear of being hurt. The Ugly Duckling shows us the archetypal theme from misery to fulfillment.

Born into the crushing poverty of Odense, Denmark, Andersen, too, felt marked by his stark divergence from the norm. His father, a cobbler with an affection for literature, instilled the young Andersen with a zeal for reading, an enthusiasm not shared by most of his peers. His narrative of becoming was intertwined with his homoerotic identity, a fact that he could neither fully express nor openly explore in the conservative climate of the 19th century, which amplified his sense of estrangement. His unreciprocated affections, extended towards both men and women, nurtured a profound isolation that catalyzed his writings, infusing his narratives with empathy and personal experience. His genius resonated with every underdog and ostracized child who yearns to break the chains of circumstance and find a place of acceptance.

Like Hans Christian Anderson, we may find ourselves alien in our own homes. We may flee only to discover the world cannot understand us. Yet one day, perhaps in the nadir of despair, something greater will claim us from within. Then, quickened and set aright in the world, our true kin will recognize us, and in their embrace, we may understand our suffering as a process that eventually enabled us to fly.

 HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “I was eating at a restaurant with a familiar group of people, though many of them were just familiar dream people, not people I know in real life. I felt something on my foot and thought I had dropped a piece of food, so I looked down. It was a small frog jumping across my foot. I picked it up and recalled feeling repulsed by it. I started cutting it across its back and pulling its legs off, but it was dying; it remained alive and kept looking at me, almost as if it was begging me to stop. Suddenly, I thought, “Why am I doing this?” “Why didn’t I just take it outside and set it free?” then, I knew I couldn’t fully kill it, so I asked someone at the table to come outside with me, and I wanted them to ‘finish the job’ and kill the frog so it wouldn’t suffer anymore. The dream ended with the other person killing the frog and me crying uncontrollably at my callousness and gratuitous violence towards the frog.”

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Understanding gambling illuminates the amalgam of desire, risk, and reward that defines our interactions with a capricious world. The lure of gambling, entwined within the fabric of human history, irresistibly draws us to its mesmerizing dance of fortune and chance. Exploring the gambler's psyche, we'll discover the psychospiritual elements that pull us towards Lady Luck. Gambling's allure is steeped in mythology. The concept of chance, the Moirai of Greek lore, the Roman Goddess Fortuna, and the I Ching from ancient China evoke the numinous aspect of luck, symbolically guiding us through its enigmas. This mythological lens offers a universal perspective. The Gambler, a mercurial figure inhabiting conscious and unconscious realms, represents our inherent wish to transcend known boundaries. Presenting in various forms - the trickster, dreamer, and adventurer - the Gambler embodies the tension between control and surrender, resonating with our struggle to balance familiarity and novelty. Eros and Thanatos, the opposing drives of life and death, fuel the gambling world. The lure of infinite possibilities animates Eros within the gambler, who, in his euphoria, overlooks his vulnerabilities—fear and desire mix, producing a potent cocktail. Temporarily, the gambler escapes this reality through the exhilarating throws of chance, finding aliveness in this tension. The capricious Fortuna, goddess of luck, fate, and fortune, reigns over the gambling world. Her symbol, the Wheel of Fortune, reflects the perpetual rise and fall of fortunes, echoing the rhythm of life itself. In her dual nature - benevolent Fortuna Bona and disastrous Fortuna Mala - she challenges the gambler to confront control's limits and embrace uncertainty. Tyche, Greek counterpart to Fortuna, carries a cornucopia of rewards for life’s risk-takers who dare to pursue success, a heroic vision central to the modern entrepreneur. In the end, the gambler’s relationship with chance is a mirror that reflects the essential human condition, for we are all, in a sense, gamblers, poised on the precipice of the unknown. As we journey through life, we must learn to embrace the uncertainties and risks that define our existence, for it is in the very act of embracing the gamble that we find the courage to forge our destinies.

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Something about a cat wearing clothes has captured our imagination for over 500 years, so it’s about time we tackle a Jungian analysis of Puss in Boots.

Anthropomorphized felines have enthralled us for half a millennium, making Puss in Boots perfect for our discussion. From enchanting fairytales of yore to modern viral videos, our fascination with pets in human attire and mannerisms persists. Whether a parrot blurting expletives or a dog groaning human words, we’re captivated. Through Puss in Boots, we might better comprehend this instinct to imbue our pets with our psychological traits.

This tale can be traced back to various oral traditions, but the rendition most recognized in the West is Charles Perrault’s adaptation during France’s fairytale golden era in the late 1600s. In this period of societal flux, with feudalism dissolving, bourgeoisie emerging, and royal power consolidating, Perrault’s cat symbolizes a social opportunist reflecting the aspirations of the rising middle class. The cat’s shrewd maneuvering through societal ranks and achieving change through cleverness rather than lineage resonated with the changing society.

While these socio-political shifts were relevant, they don’t fully explain the tale’s longevity. The enduring appeal of the shrewd, charming cat and his moral dilemmas suggest deeper, archetypal themes. Historically, cats have been associated with supernatural instincts, independence, adaptability, and boldness. Puss’ attributes echo these, drawing parallels to the feline goddess Bastet from ancient Egypt, renowned for her protective, nurturing powers and ability to speak like humans.

As modernity progressed and Cartesian dualism prevailed, animals and their symbolism lost their depth and voice. In studying the silent afflictions of the nervous system, Freud gave voice to suppressed instincts. Jung, however, restored their wisdom.

Fairytales, through symbolic imagery and archetypal motifs, still convey ancient wisdom our conscious minds have forgotten, appealing to our personal unconscious and reviving dormant truths. Puss in Boots epitomizes this restoration of life-affirming instinct.

The story starts with an old miller dividing his estate among his sons. Through a Jungian lens, we can see that physical and psychological inheritance shapes each son’s destiny. The eldest son inherits his father’s life, forsaking his individual path. The middle son aligns with the donkey’s value of unthinking hard labor. The youngest, bestowed the cat’s independent instincts, sets forth on a journey that will surprise him.

When our ego feels isolated, and the world’s promises seem hollow, we may finally turn to our instincts, symbolized by the feral barn cats of our unconscious. As we reconcile ego and instinct, our inner creatures are granted voices. This process translates archetypal images and emotions into thoughts and plans. Puss’ first request, boots, signifies the alignment of ego and instinct, marking the start of a spirited life journey.

The instinct to survive often overrides moral judgment, bringing forth the Trickster archetype. This is seen across the natural world as creatures employ deception and evasion for survival.

The war between human ideals and animal instincts defines us. An imbalance can have repercussions. The ultimate goal is an integrated stance that promotes a fulfilling life while contributing to civilization. The miller’s youngest son’s journey from despair to royal rule symbolizes the process of individuation encoded in the symbols of this enduring fairytale.

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Thomas Singer, M.D., Jungian Analyst and president of The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism joins us to decipher Archetypal Images and explain the essential role of A.R.A.S. in collecting and curating them.

 Archetypes, as cosmic blueprints, dictate universal patterns of the collective unconscious, transcending personal experiences and cultural variations. They mold our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Archetypal images are their visible expressions, emerging in dreams, myths, and cultural narratives, providing a visual language linking psyche to self. They adapt and evolve across cultural contexts.

 Archetypal theory traces back to Plato's theory of Forms, which proposed transcendental ideals, or "arkhetypos" (first-molded), as the pure essence behind physical manifestations. The Swiss psychiatrist CG Jung linked these archetypes to the collective unconscious, profoundly influencing our experiences.

 Archetypal images carry universal resonance, stirring deep recognition within us. Iconic images, on the other hand, reflect temporal cultural dominants. Archetypal imagery identification involves recognizing recurring symbolic patterns with deep cultural or psychological significance.

 In the therapeutic relationship, archetypal imagery offers a stage for the drama of the unconscious. The analyst’s role includes identifying the universal patterns in the analysand's dreams and fantasies. Interpreting these influences can free the analysand from the grip of debilitating complexes.

 Archetypal images are also prominent in culture and commerce, shaping narratives and influencing behavior. They find use in brand narratives, films, religious and spiritual traditions, and even political leaders' narratives. However, they can both inspire and manipulate, highlighting the need for discernment and critical awareness.

 Archetypal imagery also aids in expressing complex emotions and experiences. Expressions such as "Pandora’s box," "Siren’s call," and "Promethean knowledge" exemplify this influence on language and culture.

A.R.A.S. (www.ARAS.org) was initially assembled by Olga Froebe-Kapteyn, who collected illustrations of ancient symbolic artifacts at her estate on Lake Maggiore in southern Switzerland. These images illustrated the annual meetings of the Eranos Society, conducted by Froebe-Kapteyn from 1933, with participation from renowned scholars such as Heinrich Zimmer, Károly Kerényi, Mircea Eliade, C.G. Jung, Erich Neumann, Gilles Quispel, Gershom Scholem, Henry Corbin, Adolf Portmann, Herbert Read, Max Knoll, and Joseph Campbell.

 In 1946, Froebe-Kapteyn donated her collection to the Warburg Institute in London, with duplicates given to the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich and the Bollingen Foundation in New York. Jessie E. Fraser, librarian of the Analytical Psychology Club of New York, expanded the archive beyond its original scope, leading to the creation of the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism. The collection was acquired by the C.G. Jung Foundation of New York and copies were also kept at the C.G. Jung Institutes in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

 HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

“I was walking down a scenic nature trail and felt awed at the sight of ducklings and their mother in a tree. Then a great owl swooped down and snatched the ducklings from their mother, flew to a nearby tree, and started gorging them while the mother could only stare in horror.”

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The symbolism of Medusa, one of three Gorgon sisters in Greek mythology, has fascinated artists, writers, and philosophers for centuries. Initially a monstrous creature with snake-writhing hair and a petrifying gaze, Medusa has undergone numerous transformations.

The earliest known account of Medusa appears in Hesiod’s Theogony (c. 700 BCE), where she is portrayed as a mortal Gorgon sister with a deadly gaze. Ovid’s Metamorphoses (c. 8 CE) ascribes Medusa’s monstrous appearance to a curse from Athena, punishing her for desecrating the temple with Poseidon. Medusa’s terrifying image persisted for centuries, eventually finding its way into Roman wine goblets as a delightful decoration.

Sigmund Freud suggested that Medusa’s visage symbolizes castration anxiety, while Jungian analysis views the myth as a development of the anima, the feminine aspect of the male psyche. By incorporating Medusa’s head into his arsenal, Perseus metaphorically assimilates her power, integrating the darker elements of his anima.

The myth also reflects the evolution of the father-bound virginal feminine principle. Athene, unfailingly loyal to Zeus, demonized Medusa, a figure related to ancient fertility goddesses. Medusa’s killing power, once uncontrollable, was ultimately transformed into a symbol of instinctive sexual power and reintegrated into Athene.

Medusa’s story also explores humanity’s relationship with nature and the cosmos. As a Gorgon, Medusa embodies chaos and destruction, reflecting the untamed aspects of the natural world. Her petrifying gaze is a reminder of the inherent danger within the natural order, further reinforced by her connection to the sea god Poseidon.

Contemporary thinkers and artists have reevaluated Medusa’s image as a symbol of female empowerment and resilience. French feminist philosopher Hélène Cixous argued that Medusa’s transformation into a monster represents the subjugation of women and their sexuality. She encouraged women to reclaim the Gorgon’s image as a symbol of female empowerment.

Medusa’s evolution demonstrates the power of reinterpretation and the resilience of archetypal symbols. From her monstrous origins to her contemporary status as a feminist icon, Medusa defies expectations and continues to challenge. Her ongoing transformation attests to the malleability of myth and the enduring appeal of characters that embody transformation, resistance, and power.

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

“I was alone in an unfamiliar building and going to give birth to twins, but they were crocodiles. I was afraid and trying to escape this building, but a midwife appeared and kept finding me when I tried to escape. She would tell me I had to give birth and wouldn’t let me escape. She was firm but wasn’t mean. Then the building morphed into a hospital, and I gave birth to the crocodiles in a hospital room. I was terrified I was going to have to breastfeed them. (This stands out as the scariest part of the dream.) I was scared holding two baby crocodiles with their mouths open, their teeth exposed, and I was getting ready to breastfeed them.”

MEET JOSEPH in NEW ORLEANS ON MAY 5th 2023.

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Understanding the Dark Triad can help us navigate mysteriously troubled relationships in all spheres of life. Psychologists coined the term to describe a trifecta of malevolent personality traits: narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Although less sinister than any one full-blown personality disorder, it still affects the soul plagued by it and those in reach of its host.

Narcissism has become a widely-discussed topic, often misused to describe anyone who is frustrating or displeasing. At its core, narcissism is a soul-sickness, with individuals exhibiting entitlement, devaluation of others, and a lack of empathy. They suffer deep self-esteem wounds, alienation from their true selves, and an inability to connect with others.

Machiavellianism is inspired by the strategies in Niccolò Machiavelli’s famous book, The Prince. It promotes the idea that the ends justify the means, an approach that may be increasingly appealing in today’s virtualized world, where others may seem less human and more like avatars.

Psychopathy disturbingly captivates us, as we see in numerous films depicting violent, manipulative, and sensation-seeking characters. Driven by an intolerable emptiness and a desire for omnipotent control, psychopaths are often recast as heroes, despite their harmful actions.

Dark Triad types are subtler than their full-blown counterparts yet still identifiable by their disagreeableness, dishonesty, lack of empathy, and social exploitation. They may initially find success in our current cultural climate but are often forced to move on as they fall from grace.

The anonymity provided by social media allows these individuals to act with little consequence, even finding communities that celebrate their destructive behaviors. Skilled in manipulation, they may appear to champion a cause only to exploit it for their own ends.

To recognize the Dark Triad, look for callous indifference to the suffering of others. These individuals often project their dark traits onto others and manipulate the vulnerable into serving their agendas. In the end, those who need help remain unserved.

In Gravity and Grace, the French philosopher and political activist Simone Wiel offered a profound insight to help us discern the way forward. She wrote:

The false God changes suffering into violence.

The true God changes violence into suffering.

She means that violence in all its forms is only a way of discharging our anguished feelings but does not address our wounds. Instead, suffering requires a soulful engagement with what has happened to us and a struggle to master the pain and confusion left in its wake.

MEET JOSEPH IN NEW ORLEANS on Friday, May 5th 2023

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The concepts of Jonathan Schedler Ph.D. are referenced in this episode.

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The symbolic meaning of hair is both personal and cultural. It serves as an expressive medium through which we silently communicate. Sporting bed-head might convey a carefree attitude, while a polished prom-night hairstyle expresses maturity. Hair carries various announcements to our community. Its historical significance reveals ancient values that continue to influence our self-presentation. It is a malleable medium. Unlike body parts such as fingers or feet, it constantly grows, allowing for continuous transformation, and it resists decay. These universal attributes make hair an archetype. Haircuts often feature in rites of passage, like a baby’s first trim, symbolizing a transition from innocence to cultural accommodation. Since hair grows directly from our bodies, it’s seen as an immortal extension of one’s self; imbued with primal magic, it retains its form on mummies or in lockets. Voluntary hair removal can signify sacrifice, as seen with monks and nuns shaving their heads to submit to religious constraints and a return to purity. Conversely, uncut, untamed hair represents casting off sexual restraints and embracing instincts, as observed during the 1960s Hippie movement. Depending on the era, body hair has been perceived as virtuous or demonic. Early 20th-century beauty standards associated minimal body hair with femininity and high moral character, while substantial beards indicated masculine virility. In various cultures, hair possesses spiritual power. Samson’s uncut hair connected him to God and, when removed, left him helpless. Hair has also denoted status and roles throughout history; Samurai hair knots commanded respect, Roman women wore wigs to display wealth, and medieval women let their hair flow freely to indicate marital availability. From vibrant punk rock mohawks to a baby’s soft curls, from intricate Mesopotamian royal braids to beehive hairdos, hair continues to captivate us. It speaks on our behalf and changes along with psyche.

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “I am in the garden of the house where I grew up, looking at a huge blooming flower bed with my mother, who is telling me how to garden while she is away for some time with my father. It is an extremely hot summer day, and she wants me to remember to eat the ripe oranges and yellow tomatoes. When I first look at the tomatoes, I think some of them are rotten, but it tums out that they are perfectly ripe. She also wants me to replant a blackberry bush, which I do immediately. I go inside the house, up the staircase, and get frightened. Suddenly a weird little creature (knee height) crawls up the staircase after me. It is black and has a tiny faceless head on a broader body. I know it is a mutated blackberry. It reaches out for me and begins to crawl my leg, I kick it down, but it keeps coming. It is needy and begins to lick my leg like a tiny dog. It wants me to take care of it, but I don’t want it to depend on me. Finally, I feel desperate and call for my mother’s help.”

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We are born with a drive to connect meaningfully with our caregivers. When that is thwarted by fate, deprivation, or hostility, our psyche rallies, it redirects our instincts to the imaginal world where archetypal forces can care for us, and our intolerable feelings can be hidden in a cast of inner characters. We still long for compassionate connection, but the inner figures of our caregivers are intolerable, so sometimes the archetypal mother hides in food—and we follow.

 In the recent film “The Whale” starring Brendon Frasier, we meet his character Charlie, an English teacher trying to motivate his online students. With his camera off, his disembodied voice admonishes them to communicate clearly with him. This foreshadows his great struggle to make contact. When the class finishes, the scene expands, and we slowly see Charlie, a 600-pound man struggling to meet the last few needs he permits himself.

 Unresolved relational trauma is like a slowly shrinking room. Year by year, in tiny increments, without noticing it, we give up choice after choice until we are boxed in. The few thin channels of life that can reach Charlie are his friend Liz and his online students. The remaining totally unobstructed channel to take in goodness is food, his lifeline beyond the shrinking room.

 Unlike his troubled caregivers, food can be controlled and so rendered harmless; it’s allowed in and brings relief and pleasure. All of us cornered by trauma find a secret tunnel through which some small goodness can touch us. Throughout the movie, life tries to rescue Charlie, walking through his front door despite his frightened protests. Characters storm in, demanding acknowledgment. Through these encounters, Charlie is forced out of his shrinking life.

 Obesity is never a choice; it is a sign that other paths to receive have been ruined. Many fight their way free, some are rescued by love, and some seek promising new medications. Charlie fights for love and finally resurfaces, drawn by his daughter’s fierce eyes demanding engagement.

 “The Whale” depicts a real-world problem and is also an allegory, a contemporary retelling of an epic story. When we learn to see beyond the surface of people’s specific struggles, we can recognize the great human endeavor we all share-- to love and be loved, to know and be known.

 HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “I just moved to my childhood neighborhood with my best friend, and I wake up before dawn. As I walk home to school, my legs melt, and I fall to the floor. A classmate finds me lying on the floor and takes his chance to try and have sex with me. I beg him to please carry me home. Inside, my ex-boyfriend and family became concerned about my state. I need to rest; everything is fine. This new house is big and has a beautiful light, yet it seems old and dusty. There are several pieces of wood of unfinished furniture that I cannot work on now. I leave the house again; everything seems nice, but on my way home, my legs stop working, and I desperately start to crawl. Now I seem not to find the door to the house; luckily, a cleaning worker comes up to help me, then she hands me a caterpillar having babies. She tells me had I been lying on my bed for more time, I would have woken up surrounded by them.”

 REFERENCES: THE WHALE (film, 2022)

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Piping through mountains and glens, the great god Pan carries the relentless procreative power of nature. He symbolizes the archaic level of psyche from which all wild instinct rises; feared during war as his panic could undo even the Titans and attacked in the Common Era as the image of the devil. 

Half man and half goat, Pan’s untamed sexuality evoked rapture and impulsivity. As the god of shepherds, he ushered young men into puberty, introducing them to the spring rut in their flocks and their own bodies.

In the first 30 years of the Christian era, Plutarch wrote that a sailor heard a divine proclamation, “The great god Pan is dead!” This foreshadowed the fate of natural sexuality as it encountered the ascetic demands of Christianity. The anthesis of Christ’s innocence and virtue, the lustful goat-foot-god, was recast as the prime cosmic offender.

And so, Pan-ic was slowly redirected from fear-driven flocks racing from danger to the human conscience fleeing from the evils of the flesh. The triumph of ego control over instinct was the goal of many religions and philosophies. Civilization itself rose from repression and redirection of primal instincts. The great god Pan was yoked to the engine of art and industry, providing seemingly endless energy.

 Freud named the cost of strangling Pan’s lust as he developed his concept of the pleasure principle and psychosexual theory. Neurosis was the strange revenge of cut-off sexuality creating symptoms from hysterical blindness to intolerable moods. Jung understood that banishing images and rituals representing archetypal forces left humans vulnerable to dangerous affects both individually and collectively.

Today, mass Pan-ic dances through social media setting off one frenzy or another. The renewed demonization of sexuality and the deification of malignant innocence is an old tactic made new again. Panic disorder has its roots in the same inner conflict. Jung warned that cutting off conscious access to archetypal forces leads to the rise of fascism and other rage-driven mass movements.

If we can welcome the renewing powers of nature and restore the medicine of healthy instincts, we may yet avert the worst repercussions of killing Pan. It is not enough to champion ecological causes in the outer world; we must extend that to our inner landscape. The divine beasts that graze in our imaginal meadows and the strange gods that beckon in our dream forests also require careful tending. The way we treat Pan inside us is mirrored in the way we treat nature around us. Then we might join the poet Eleanor Farjeon and say,

 “Arcadia! it is the very music

Of the first spring-tide rippling its first wave

Over the naked, laughing baby world ...

Come again, thou sparkling spring-tide, come again,

Rush in and flood this autumn from my soul!”

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It seems that an intrepid consortium of impact investors, real estate developers, and the Swiss Tourism, Farming, and Dairy Products Oversight Authority have created a juggernaut heading for Jung’s home in Kusnacht and his famous tower in Bollingen. The enterprise called Große Böse Wölfe Hinein Unterwäsche has announced its plans to finalize the acquisition of Jung’s estate and transform it.

The modernization of revered sites is familiar across the world. Saddled with mounting maintenance costs and increasing government regulation, British Estates have been repurposed as luxury hotels and sacred temples into coffee houses. Ineligible for inclusion as a UNESCO world heritage site, the Jung properties were placed in a precarious position and seemed to be headed for a similar fate. The consortium has leaked plans to position the properties within a large compound inspired by the successful Disney Adventureland highlighting fairytale motifs.

While Jung himself might have delighted in bringing the archetypal themes in the Grimm’s tales to life, it is hard to imagine he would have tolerated the intrusion into his sanctuary, Bollingen. Analytic psychology has long understood the role of liminal spaces that straddle two states of consciousness. One could argue that the developer’s plans will likewise provide a transitional space between the quaint blend of medieval and Heimatstil Architektur of the original buildings with innovative technology and luxury hospitality.

Like Jung himself, this venture suggests a battle between the Voice of the Times and the Voice of the Depths. To capture the interest of the modern collective, focused on boutique experiences, the creative team is including a luxury hotel compound, a spa centered on historic Swiss folk remedies, children’s camps inspired by Jung’s boyhood experiences, and an immersive virtual reality-enhanced tour based on Emilie Preiswerk’s spiritualist practices.

Perhaps to mollify the expected outrage, the consortium plans to support the Analytic community by digitalizing the Jung library and reproducing artifacts from the homes for sale abroad. Finally, as a bow to the Voice of the Deep, there are plans to organize a nonprofit extension of the new corporation that will fund quantitative research into the efficacy of Jungian Analysis—a long-awaited tool to protect the integrity of analysis.

Holding the tension of the opposites, modernization vs. heritage, may help our community envision the transformation of the Jung properties as a kind of symbol that blends both values without diminishing either. Or we may find our memories, dreams, and reflections trampled by monetization and exploitation. Only time will tell.

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Schadenfreude, the joy in someone else’s misfortune, is a common human experience. We often feel it when someone we believe deserves it embarrasses themselves or is caught in a scandal. Nietzsche once said, “Humor is just schadenfreude with a clear conscience.” This is true, as many comedic scenes involve some form of hilarious undoing. However, when this pleasure becomes malicious, it can be troubling.

Some rules govern schadenfreude. We feel pleasure when an envied person is shamed because it tarnishes their status, making them seem less superior. We delight in the failure of the opposing team because we feel enhanced by the success of our side. Distributing humiliating information about a public figure across social media delights certain influencers, and those who pass it on feel a secret joy in expanding the denigration. Dehumanization is at the core of this kind of schadenfreude.

Children as young as six display signs of pleasure in seeing peers fail but are pressured to hide their glee. Compensation restores inner balance when we go too far, and we’ll dream of arriving naked for a test to put us back in our place. Contemporary culture encourages schadenfreude when historically unsuccessful groups, carrying painful feelings of inferiority, externalize their anger towards a competing group. When the latter is harmed,  rage can convert to pleasure. It temporarily relieves inner anguish.

However, we should feel sobered by all antisocial qualities and meet them with ethical restraint. Religious texts offer warnings that suggest the unconscious will react to unrestrained schadenfreude.

“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth…”

(Proverbs 24:17-18, King James Version).

Delight in our enemies’ harm can turn the Self away from its preserving and protective role, leaving the ego vulnerable to collective shadow and unpredictable tumult. The only remedy for schadenfreude is empathy.

When we outgrow our feelings of inferiority, rage, shame, competition, and malice, we may discover a grace that emanates from the Self. A spiritual quality of kindness that grants us the ability to suffer-with. Grounded in understanding, we can find the power to stand side-by-side with the accused, the misfortuned, the scapegoated, the exiled, the abandoned, and the shamed. Offering them comfort and good counsel as they go on to what lies before them.

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

 “I am in my childhood bedroom with my boyfriend. He is lying on the bed, and I am standing facing him. I wear lingerie, white fishnet stockings, and a cobalt blue lace bra. I felt good about how I looked, and I felt desired by him. There was sexual energy and anticipation. I said I’d be right back; I needed to go to the bathroom. I exit the bedroom, turn the dark corner, and stumble upon a creepy doll in the darkness. She was hand sewn, looked like a kind of rag doll or like Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas, and she notably had two embroidered circles on the top right of her head, which were unfinished, the needle and thread still hanging from there. I wasn’t scared of how she looked, but this doll evoked a faint sense of horror in me. Her presence felt jarring, emotionally charged, and possibly ominous. I turned around the corner with it in my hands to show it to my boyfriend.”

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The Pied Piper story holds a dark secret that has repelled and fascinated us for over 500 years. It asks, "What does it cost to banish our shadow?"

 At its surface, it looks like a simple morality tale cautioning us to be prudent and fair. Rats overrun a town, and the locals are beside themselves. A magical piper vibrantly dressed offers a solution too good to be true. His pipe weaves a tune that leads rats to their doom – and they drown in the ocean so neatly. Thrilled at first, then cunning and foolish, the town leaders refuse to pay the piper for his service. In turn, he entrances all but three children and takes them away forever.

Historians wonder if the account is an artifact of a devastating plague. The Lueneburg manuscript from about 1440 CE records the following event: “In the year of 1284, on the day of Saints John and Paul on June 26, by a piper, clothed in many kinds of colours, 130 children born in Hamelin were seduced, and lost at the place of execution near the koppen.” But tragedy was common in the middle ages, and death a constant companion, so why has this account remained vital?

The enduring interest in the Pied piper lies in its symbolic resonance with psyche. When we place the events in our imaginal world, our curiosity is liberated, and our questions become more interesting. What are the pestilential rats inside us? What happens when we ask another person to solve our inner problems? How does the unconscious react when we trick and devalue the inner and outer figures who help us along our way?

Rats populate our inner and outer world. We use them as pharmacological proxies and share about 69% of the same DNA. We keep them as pets even as others work tirelessly to exterminate them from our buildings. In some cultures, they represent prosperity and are tended to as the reincarnation of family members. But foremost, they are survivors and adaptors living side by side in every human endeavor.

We project much shadow on rats accusing them of spreading disease and taking our food without permission – those ratfinks. They hold our unsavory instincts; like all shadow-invested objects, we want them gone! But why are we thankless when someone helps us achieve that? Freud’s Taboo insights suggest anyone associated with our ‘filth’ becomes impure, so degrading them engenders relief.

Complications with money play another part. We’re quick to promise payment when our need is aroused but grim when it’s time to write the check – our mounting credit card debt bears witness to that. Paying the piper evokes dread when we fail to imagine the complete cycle of exchange, and our inner infant is indignant being charged for restoring comfort. Shouldn’t it be free?!? We project our psyches into money and use similar terms for its fluctuations – inflation, depression, and devaluation. Handing over our cash feels like we’re sacrificing an inner potential, surrendering it to our creditors.

 This may be a key that unlocks the fairytale.

 Perhaps it’s warning us that there’s a cost to banishing our shadow. Strangely, rats, money, and children carry a similar symbolic valence. They all suggest unrealized potential. The vitality in our rat-shadow could have fueled a midlife renewal. Money could have turned our desires into realities. And our children could have carried our hopes into the future.

 Perhaps demonizing any aspect of our potential puts all of it at risk, and banishing it to the unconscious may trigger strange, irresistible compulsions that can lead us astray.

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The archetype of the orphan, closely related to the hero, evokes powerful feelings of abandonment, deprivation, and hope. From Harry Potter to Little Orphan Annie from Daenerys Targaryen to Cinderella, orphans who triumph over adversity remind us that healing the inner child is possible.

The factual history of orphans is frequently heartbreaking. In the ancient world, unwanted infants were subject to abandonment or death through exposure. In the US, Orphan Trains moved 200,00 children from NE coastal cities to live with farm families between 1853 to 1929. Journalists exposed the nightmare of Romanian orphanages in 1989, rousing adoption efforts and fundraising efforts. The Canadian government forcibly took native children and placed them in Christian boarding schools under the pretense of assimilation. This tragic history lives on in the collective unconscious.

Many of us have inner orphans. The unloved parts of us shipped off to the unconscious exert a powerful influence over our moods. Our adult selves may feel resilient and resourceful most of the time, but a cruel tone of voice as we’re dismissed from work or a cold shoulder from a lover can awaken our inner children putting us in a tailspin. When threatened by abandonment, they can trigger profound feelings of dread and even panic.

In the grip of our inner orphan, we may find ourselves pining to rewrite our childhood, including a cast of perfect parents. Some of us may even question whether we’re adopted because the feeling of belonging somewhere better haunts us. We can suddenly feel desperate and likely to starve even though we have substantial assets in our accounts. Finally, and most painfully, we can feel unloved and unlovable.

We may scramble to find reassurance from outside sources – asking our family if they really do love us or fawning over a new acquaintance in hopes they’ll stick around. We might hoard food or money, reassuring ourselves that we won’t need to rely on anyone, which is best because no one stays with us anyway. In the grip of this complex, our bodies ache, and we may even feel invisible or unreal.

Working through these feelings seems daunting at first because a moat of distress surrounds the inner child. But if we persevere, we may find an inner treasure. On the far side of our remembered suffering is a part of us that recalls how to love and be loved. And when they return, we will wonder how we ever forgot.

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

“I am in an orphanage. There are many other children with me as well. I am the oldest of the group; I feel responsible for the group’s well-being since I am the oldest. We are together in a room with wooden floors and ceiling. Suddenly an evil man and strange appears out of nowhere. He is our master. He teargases us; we cannot see or breathe. The gas makes what is in our pockets fall out, knick-knacks, little toys, memorabilia, coins little notes on crumpled paper. What is in our pockets does not have high monetary value, but it is meaningful to us since we are orphans and have nothing else. The evil master collects our belongings that are falling to the floor from the gas. He makes them his. I ache with sadness to lose what was the only remnant of our identity. Suddenly, Komitas (he is a famous Armenian composer and ethnographer) breaks through the door of the room we are in. He charges aggressively toward the evil master. Komitas has a gun; he points and tries to shoot at the evil master. He misses. Komitas turns toward me. His eyes are full of rage but feel vacant and maniacal. I feel Komitas is in a psychotic state. Komitas takes my hand and places it on the gun. He is standing behind me, I am holding the gun, and he is holding my hands. He points the gun at the evil master. He asks me, “Is this the man? The one I need to kill?” I say yes in agreeance. I know this is what needs to happen. I am sad and afraid.”

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The word test originally referred to an earthenware vessel in which metals were smelted to separate ore from dross. Like ancient vessels holding the heat of the refining fire, our task is to contain the tension of the test. Tests smelt fantasy from the ore of reality and force us to adapt. If a test feels arbitrary or unfair, we may be failing to dissolve the dross of inadequacy, limitation, or shame. Tests require us to develop the ego strength to put our courage, morals, and perseverance on the line—and withstand the ego wounding of failure. Ultimately ego itself is put to the test. Jung says, “Only if we know that the thing which truly matters is the infinite can we avoid fixing our interest upon futilities, and upon all kinds of goals which are not of real importance.” The archetype of the Self undergirds testing, first to help distinguish ego from unconscious, and then to relinquish ego’s illusion of supremacy.

 HERE'S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

“I’m in our living room hanging up laundry, when a large bird (maybe half my height) flies through the open glass door to our terrace and perches on a cupboard. It looks into my eyes, and I look into its eyes. At this point I think, I’ve got to tell my wife about this. I run into our bedroom and tell her about the bird. She looks through the doorframe, sees the bird, and says, “Oh, that’s a type of penguin.” I had thought it must be a hawk or an eagle. (In retrospect, it looked like neither of these, but was sort of lanky and cartoonish.) I reply, “Are you sure”? She says, “Yes, do you see how its mouth is open like that”? I look at the bird and see that its mouth is indeed open, in a strained, fixed, almost comical way. For whatever reason this was proof to me that it is, in fact, a penguin.”

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Despite volumes written on morality and ethics, how do we determine what’s right? Values distilled over time by family, faith, and nation define and denounce wrong, but the effort to banish shadow only allows it to emerge as projection onto others. We decry in ‘them’ what we deny in ourselves. Jung says, “The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality…for to become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects [of oneself]…as present and real.”

 We have all faced a moral dilemma at some point in our lives, questioning our own judgment and rectitude. This internal conflict is a result of our shadow self, the parts of ourselves we keep shamefully hidden and refuse to acknowledge. In order to make ethical decisions, we must discover our shadow and integrate it into our decision-making process. This is called shadow work, a psychological practice that requires facing our fears, insecurities, and doubts. We can genuinely understand our moral philosophy only when we engage our inner conflicts.

 Sages have long debated the nature of ethical decision-making. Some argue that morality is objective and universal, while others argue that it is subjective and relative to each individual. The ancient Greek philosophers reasoned it is crucial to consider the impact of the decision on others, both in the immediate situation and in the broader community. This involves empathizing with those affected by the decision and seeking to minimize harm while maximizing societal benefits. Jung believed that religious codes provide an initial framework for the developing child and facilitate cultural adaptation. As our ego individuates from instilled norms and submits to the Self, our allegiance shifts, and our attitudes become increasingly unique.

 Making ethical decisions is not always easy. We often face conflicting duties and obligations, and we must weigh the consequences of our actions. In these moments, it is essential to approach the situation with humility and consciousness. We must recognize that our decisions may have unintended repercussions and be willing to take responsibility for our actions. Careful deliberation requires us to embrace uncertainty and trust our intuition.

 The definition of morality is not fixed but rather constantly evolving. It is influenced by cultural norms, religious doctrine, personal beliefs, and individual experiences. As such, it is vital to approach ethics with tolerance, curiosity, and courage. We must be prepared to challenge our own beliefs and biases and be open to new perspectives. Only then can we make truly ethical decisions that are grounded in empathy, insight, and compassion.

 Jung’s ethical stance is rooted in recognition of our disowned qualities and the influence of the emerging Self. Morality may be relative but requires thoughtfulness, humility, and a willingness to explore ambiguity. As we navigate the complexities of decision-making, we must approach the world with an open mind and a readiness to learn. Only then can we awaken to the world and make truly ethical decisions that honor our larger Self.

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Invitations are a subtle siren song, tapping into our primal human need to be chosen combined with our thirst for novelty, making them an irresistible force.

When you receive an invitation, it is a moment of recognition, an invitation to be a part of something greater, to feel wanted, valued, and accepted. In the hierarchy of human needs, the sense of belonging takes a top priority, surpassed only by our basic requirements for survival.

There is power in inviting and being invited. The myth of Baucis and Philemon, who innocently invited Zeus and Hermes to dine in their humble cottage, and were blessed for their generosity, reminds us that the right invitations can bring abundance and joy into our lives. But, like the cautionary tale of Sleeping Beauty and the curse of the uninvited fairy, withheld invitations can also be dangerous, hiding the potential for envy and retribution.

An invitation can be a fateful call to action, tapping into our innate desire to be heroic and admired. It’s difficult to resist such a call. But, just as the hero must leave the safety of their home and venture into the unknown, so must we when we accept. Invitations promise a world of possibilities, whether we’re being asked to join a cause célèbre, fight for change or seek personal meaning.

However, not all invitations are created equal. Some are manipulative, depending on our naivety, susceptibility to feeling special, or sense of obligation. Some may only lead to an evening of mind-numbing boredom. Therefore, it is essential that we take a step back and evaluate each invitation objectively, wisely, and carefully considering the implications and outcomes before accepting. We must understand that invitations are not simple requests but symbols of growth and possibility.

 So, join us as we explore the unpredictable consequences that come with each invitation and embrace the opportunities that await us. The irrefusable invitation awaits, and the choice is yours. Will you accept?

 Here’s the dream we analyze:

“Me and three old friends are at a fair-like event. One of the friends comes to the three of us and suggests that we should try out the batting cage, which we are all excited about. We start heading to the batting cage and the friend that suggested we go is not going with us. We get to the batting cage and the guy running it says the speed of the balls is 91 mph and asks if we can hit that. My other two friends seem confident, I am not. I was never a good hitter when I played baseball. We head to the batting cages, I notice everyone else is paying in tickets and we didn’t. My friends get slightly ahead of me and a worker points me towards a ladder that is going up about three stories. I am terrified of heights. I climb up the ladder and I’m at the top but there is a worker’s desk right there. She seems nice and unbothered by the fact that I’m climbing up a ladder to get over her desk. I try for several minutes, while at the top of the ladder, to climb over her desk to get to the floor with the batting cages. I am unable to do it. My leg is not flexible enough to reach over the desk. I wake up breathing heavily.” 

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When the goddess Aphrodite claims us too fully, over time, our bodies become abandoned temples of physical perfection, sexual allure, and romantic passion. 

 Her seductive archetypal power has captivated us for eons, but in today’s world, the enhancements of fashion, beauty, and physical appearance have intensified veneration of this goddess. However, her enchantments can have profound consequences, particularly when it comes to aging and the pressures of perfection.

 In this episode, we delve into the mysterious realm of the archetype with guest Arlene Landau, Ph.D. - a Jungian analyst, mythologist, lecturer, and author of Tragic Beauty: The Dark Side of Venus Aphrodite and the Loss and Regeneration of Soul.

 An intricate and complicated relationship exists between women and the goddess of love. Arlene fills a gap in Jungian literature from the female gaze, providing a reflective 21st-century examination of the Aphrodite archetype’s dark shadow. When pressured to concretize Aphrodite symbols -- pursuing beauty can be a treacherous path, especially for women in the entertainment industry who must always be young, beautiful, sexy, and attractive. In addition, body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia are common challenges among the daughters of Aphrodite.

 Arlene shares her Hollywood experiences, including a declined opportunity to date Elvis Presley. In addition, she sheds light on the tragic fate of “dead blondes” like Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith, who over-identified with Aphrodite goddess of love.

 Fairytales warn us the aging Aphrodite type may feel bitter and dangerous as her beauty fades. She prompts us to engage in extreme beautification measures leaving us vulnerable to disfigurement or grotesque approximations of her qualities. She can poison our hearts against seeming rivals, leaving us hollow and alienated from love. Men are not immune to her demands for perfection either.

 To balance the psyche, we explore embracing the goddesses sisters Athena, Hestia, and Artemis and developing a relationship with them to counteract the hold of Aphrodite. Finally, we explore an alternative to her excesses - to nurture character and embrace the beauty of selfhood and laughter as we age.

 Seeking wisdom offers a crucial balance in our appearance-driven, youth-oriented culture. Arlene writes: “I have had to carry powerful Aphrodite energies, along with a numinous yearning to learn—holding both. It is my task to understand Sophia not just from my mind and animus but from my imagination and soul”.

 Join us as we embark on a journey of exploration, navigating the perils and pleasures of Aphrodite and discovering the hopeful path toward the regeneration of soul.

 Here’s the dream we analyze:

 “I’m looking down from the terrace of a house, which could be the house I grew up in as a child. Down in the front garden, I see two men cooking something in a bucket. The two men are chit-chatting and mingling with a certain ease. I have this packet of beans with me that I want to cook, and I’m tempted to try to toss the beans down into their bucket without them noticing but abandon that idea as impractical. In any event, when I finally tear the package of beans open, I realize they are dry beans, not soaked. I’m a bit daunted now. So I decided to microwave them for ten minutes to soften them up and try to eat them.”

 REFERENCES:

Arlene Landau. Tragic Beauty: The Dark Side of Venus Aphrodite and the Loss and Regeneration of Soul. 

 Arlene Diane Landau. Professional Website.

 Douglas Stuart. Shuggie Bain: A Novel.

 Jean Shinoda Bolen. Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women’s Lives.

 Walt Whitman. Eidolons: a poem.

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Marriage is a mystery woven into the fabric of time. A 4,000-year-old contract etched in stone bears witness to its timeless significance. But what is the meaning behind this union of two souls?

Jung saw the definition of marriage as an alchemy of instinct and divinity, a blending of the physical and the spiritual. It is a bond that extends beyond legal and familial ties into the realm of the sacred.

The purpose of marriage is a journey of individuation, a chance for each partner to grow and flourish within the embrace of a supportive union -  it is a crucible of transformation. Tempered by our shadow, it can forge us into our best selves.

In marriage, we embark on a dance with our beloved, discovering new parts of ourselves with each step. But as time passes and our projections fade, we must pass through disappointment and conflict.

But as Jung saw it, these difficulties are opportunities for internal work, leading to the transformation of emotional connection into conscious relationships. The purpose of marriage is not just to provide comfort and security but to nurture personal growth.

We can see marriage as a symphony, where each partner's individual growth is intertwined with the growth of the relationship, and view it as a sacred bond, where each partner maintains their unique identity while being strengthened by the union.

What is marriage? It's a journey through the wilds of the human soul, a union that brings us closer to our true selves. This podcast episode explores the complicated and layered world of marriage through a Jungian lens.

Join us on a journey to the heart of this mystery, where the definition, purpose, and meaning of marriage are waiting to be uncovered. Let us answer the question, what is marriage together?

Here's the dream we analyze:

"I am parking for an open mic at a dive bar that I frequent. However, when I exit the car, I am on a residential street situated across from a church. I immediately panicked, not being where I believed I had just driven to, but think "I just need to park closer" and return to the car. I am then in my bed, alone in the camper I live in with my partner. This is how I fell asleep so at first I believe I've truly awoken. I look at my phone, no notifications but it is 8:50. I am disastrously late to meet a friend I record a podcast with. I get in my car and start towards his house. It doesn't occur to me that I am lost until I reach a pair of train tracks that once passed lead onto a road that goes through a trailer park filled with nice, white mobile homes shrouded in deep red light. I attempt to use my brakes right before passing over the tracks. On my dashboard a warning flashes that I can't read. I then lose control of my vehicle and it begins slowly sputtering over the train tracks closer and closer to the trailer park. This leads to another false awakening. I am relieved for a moment that what had occurred was only a dream. Again, I am home alone in my bed. The time on my phone is 8:51. I realize once again that I am late for the podcast. On the drive, I quickly become lost once again and am led back to the same train tracks and trailer park still drenched in red light. This time I know once my car crosses the tracks something bad will happen to me. Out of one of the mobile homes walks a man, slender and attractive but quite old. He is approaching my car, I slowly drive down the street. The man gets taller as I near him and his body is covered in eyes like an angel. He is acting almost like a zombie. I am scared until I tell myself, in a moment of lucid dreaming, "There’s a gun in my hand.” And just like that, there is. I get out of the car and shoot the creature three times before it falls dead. This leads to one last false awakening. This time my boyfriend is in the camper with me. I begin explaining the dream to him. I am then truly awakened by my alarm.”

REFERENCES:

C.G. Jung. Collected Works, Vol. 17: Marriage as a Psychological Relationship. https://a.co/d/9KZj3fN

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Guest Eve Maram, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist and Jungian analyst in Orange, CA. Her book, The Schizophrenia Complex, presents a clear-eyed and compassionate understanding of our encounters with severe mental illness.

The submergence in unconscious chaos that defines schizophrenia triggers negative emotions in others—yet Jung on psychosis showed that we are different from those patients only in degree.

Significantly his Word Association Test proved that the unconscious influences everyone’s daily life in multiple ways.

Moreover, Jung’s psychiatric work with psychotic convalescents led to his ground-breaking discovery of the collective unconscious, humanity’s mythopoetic substrate.

Understandably we shy away from people in psychosis because they are living out our own radical and universal mad parts. But, instead of turning from the schizophrenia complex, we can acknowledge our shared darkness and stretch into connection.

Then, as Eve Maram’s story depicts, we may find eros has the power to constellate hope, courage, and tenacity in the face of chaos, helping us discover that we are more than before.

“I am about to play tennis on a public outdoor court with 4 or 5 other guys and a coach. As we are walking onto the courts, I ask "are there any tennis prodigies from the neighborhood who play here?" Coach says no and I am a little disappointed. We spread out on the courts to get ready for a drill, and I step into a big pile of dog poo. I am disgusted, and I yell out to the other guys. They don’t hear me but they do notice that I am walking off the court. Just outside of the court, I stomp and scrape my shoe in a small grassy area, but I can’t get the dog poo off. It is clinging to my shoe with claws-it is actually a furry brown creature. At first, I think it is dead but as i stomp it comes alive and starts to fight back.”

Eve Maram. The Schizophrenia Complex. https://a.co/d/9NORqZJ

John Weir Perry. The Far Side of Madness. https://a.co/d/gxpIuXu

Nathan Filer. This Book Will Change Your Mind about Mental Health. https://a.co/d/atN5Syv

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Imprisoned by the sea with his son Icarus, mythological craftsman Daedalus constructed wings to escape. Beeswax held feathers in place, so Daedalus told Icarus not to fly too high or too low: the sun’s heat would melt the wax and sea spray would weigh the wings down. Elated, Icarus flew too high--and fell. Like Icarus, the moods of people with bipolar disorder swing from soaring into mania to sinking into depression. This disorder affects at least 2% of the population worldwide, with genetics by far the major contributor. BP is a major cause of disability and can also be a factor in creativity; it often brings with it anxiety, substance abuse, migraines, and more. Treatment includes medication, attention to lifestyle, and psychotherapy that includes relating to archetypal polarities. Jung says, “It is not a matter of indifference whether one calls something a ‘mania’ or a ‘god.’ To serve a mania is detestable and undignified, but to serve a god is full of meaning and promise.” Bipolar individuals soar between opposing archetypes leaving them exhausted and confused. Myths help ground the ego in a larger perspective.

Here's the dream we analyze:

“I am in a restaurant busy with people standing and moving around. I too am standing and have been given a seafood dish in an opaque glass (at first like a fancy stemmed glass for cocktail shrimp) and I slurp some of it down. Looking into the vessel I realize I've been eating raw seahorses. I continue to eat, one and then another, not wanting to be rude. They are slimy, room-temp, and gray. I look again into the vessel, which now is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom as if the seahorses, barely submerged in a grey liquid, are in a dark pit that I have to peer into, and I do realize that some of them are still moving, puckering their lips trying to breathe. I decide I cannot keep eating them. I go to where murky puddles have formed in the cement by the melting ice and crab parts of the kitchen's seafood prep. I assume the puddles to be brackish, or at least can provide a more bearable end of life for the seahorses, so I throw them in by flicking the glass. There are still more seahorses stuck to the bottom of the glass, my flicking hindered by its strange shape. People are standing and talking around the puddles now, so it's discreetly that I quickly flick the rest of the seahorses out, not wanting to be seen doing it and not wanting the seahorses to be seen in the puddles.” 

 REFERENCES:

Buzz Aldrin. Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon. https://a.co/d/j1IQZID

Jason Thompson. A Jungian Approach to Bipolar Disorder: Rejoining the Split Archetype. https://a.co/d/fZS821Y

Kay Redfield Jamison (multiple books): An Unquiet Mind; Manic-Depressive Illness; Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament; Exuberance: The Passion for Life. 

S-town podcast. https://stownpodcast.org/

Werner Herzog (film). Grizzly Man. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_Man

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Conned, swindled, or bilked, about 50 million Americans were ripped off by scammers in 2020. What deadens a person to preying on another? Tricksters commit crudely constructed fraud. Jung said they are “not really evil [but do] the most atrocious things from sheer unconsciousness and unrelatedness.” Cheaters may have behaved decently until tempted by need and opportunity and then become caught in a web of deception. Narcissists exploit others due to an inflated need for admiration and status that forecloses empathy and relatedness--and crooks turn predation, power, and risk-taking into a career. They lack authentic affiliation with others and an abiding sense of self; egotism and performative grandiosity substitute for feeling and being. The scammer unwittingly scams himself by seeking false gold in the external world. Real gold lies within.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I’m with my family in a grand dining room, around a large table with lots of food on it. It’s going to be dad’s funeral. I hear that mum is really upset because she wants to see dad’s body before they bury him. Some men bring dad’s body directly past the table where we are sitting, and as they bring the body past, I recite the lyrics to the Kenny Rogers song “The Gambler” to my brother. I look at him sincerely, and I clearly say: “On a warm summer’s evening, on a train bound for nowhere, I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep. We took turns in staring out the window at the darkness Until the boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. He said, “Son, I’ve made a life out of reading people’s faces Knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes. And if you don’t mind me saying, I can see you’re out of aces, and for a taste of your whiskey, I’ll give you some advice. You’ve got to know When to hold ’em, Know when to fold ’em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run, You never count your money When you’re sittin’ at the table, There’ll be time enough for countin,’ When the dealin’s done, Now every gambler knows, The secret to survivin,’ Is knowin’ what to throw away, And knowin’ what to keep, ’Cause every hand’s a winner, And every hand’s a loser, And the best you can hope for Is to die in your sleep.” Then I stop, and we start to eat the food.” 

 REFERENCES:

Bernie Madoff, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Madoff

Elizabeth Holmes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Holmes

George Santos, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Santos

John Carreyrou. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. https://a.co/d/3Gv3NMJ

Maria Konnikova. The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It Every Time. https://a.co/d/gWd18xR

Podcast: Dr. Death. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dr-death-s1-dr-duntsch/id1421573955

Sam Bankman-Fried, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Bankman-Fried

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New Year is a global time of celebration and self-reflection. We let go of what’s worn out and cheer on what’s new and emergent. Here at TJL, we raised our glasses in gratitude. We crested 8 million downloads, implemented major enhancements to your Dream School experience, started crafting our first book, The Key Dreams, and expanded our creative team. It’s been a year of dynamic growth, and we couldn’t have done it without you! Our mission to share Jung’s life-enhancing wisdom is advancing through your patronage, soulful participation, and kind-hearted enthusiasm.

Your experiences are important to us, and we noticed the 2022 episodes you liked best. So to honor that, we’re sharing some gems from those conversations.

REFERENCES:

Donald Kalsched

Connie Zweig

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Sex fascinates us. Whether we turn toward it, flushed and excited or away from it, tense and disquieted. Archetypal images of sex adorn the thresholds of ancient temples and inform most mythological systems. Shiva and Shakti, in their union, create the universe – she’s providing all forms for his undifferentiated light. The gods beget gods as they mate, giving rise to infinite imagistic permutations of cosmic and personal qualities. These religious images of creation and pleasure inform our individual psyche granting sexuality a numinous intensity. 

Human culture shapes our initial attitudes toward sex. When infused with monotheistic religious feeling, sex is held as a sacrament subject to the rites and rituals believed to protect the couple from its overwhelming power and god’s jealous monitoring of the behavior. Polytheistic religions generated a multiplicity of god-forms and related myths to reflect a wide variety of possible relationships to sex and its outcomes. Pan, the lusty fertility god of the rut, Aphrodite the mistress of beauty and refined passion, Anteros the god of love returned, and Pothos, the god of sexual yearning – the infinite diversities of sexual expression, were held by related images and protectively tended by their devotees.

With the age of enlightenment that inevitably led to the current juggernaut of science and empirical attitude, we disposed of the archetypal images of sex, driving them into our personal and collective shadow. Defenses like shame and resentment keep the gods of sex at bay. At war within our bodies, they cause genital tissue to ossify and choke off requisite blood flow. 

Freud was foremost in the battle to understand and liberate trapped sexual forces. As a neurologist, odd cases of functional disorders came to his attention – a patient who mysteriously could not feel a limb or a loss of sight without organic cause. His rigorous exploration of symptoms and personal narrative led him to a theory of psychosexual development which clarified how sexual energy, when thwarted, could lead to a host of mental and physical suffering or neurosis. Jung expanded the theory, suggesting there were many kinds of psychic energy, in addition to sex, that produced symptoms when trapped by unnatural attitudes or traumatic interference. He accepted the creative reality of sexuality and was an early champion of sexual diversity and self-determination.

As moderns, we have tried to liberate sex by reducing it to a transaction, making it subordinary and thus non-threatening. Kinsey championed the natural fluidity of sexuality by surveying and analyzing personal erotic experiences and publishing them – he tried to restore consciousness to the diversity of sexual themes, hoping it would broaden modern attitudes and cultivate acceptance. The chorus of explainers now spans widely from biopsychosocial researchers to evolutionary psychologists, gender role theorists, to social constructionists. Add to that list theologists, talk show hosts, and podcasters, and we can all agree – we can’t seem to take our eyes off sex.

Here’s the Dream We Analyze:

“I was running a marathon in the desert. First, I saw pueblos, familiar from an old dream. Then I saw a sleeping dragon, then a stack of rainbow-colored rocks. Finally, I entered a taqueria, and the man behind the stand gave me a sugar-covered tortilla. Then a woman with a veil came in.”

REFERENCES:

From Freud to Jung: A Comparative Study of the Psychology of the Unconscious by Liliane Frey-Rohn. https://a.co/d/63atnIv 

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex Paperback by John Gray. https://a.co/d/4ZWjSmW 

The Kinsey Institute, https://kinseyinstitute.org/ 

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Holiday homecomings kindle hopes of achieving a domestic ideal, though family gatherings are also likely to evoke old roles and emotions. Families open a portal into the patterns of the past, and unfinished business can cause repetition of disappointing dynamics as if one more replay will yield a different outcome. John Gottman, renowned interactive researcher, states that authentic relationships have more positive than negative interactions, creating an emotional bank account to draw on when difficulties arise. If relational deposits are low, it may be time to face the disappointing reality of what should have been and may never be. It’s time to start something new. We can engage the task of making a home within instead of seeking it from others. When we are at home with ourselves, we are free to enjoy relationships for what they have to offer.

Complicated family dynamics are not modern affectations but part of the original fabric of human psyche. Fairy tales offer a wellspring of archetypal images that capture elements of collective experience curated over thousands of years. These stories help define universal problems and offer attitudinal solutions. For example, Nordic tales frequently include trolls that embody unrestrained primal instincts that disrupt the peace, make uncivilized demands, and, once sated, return to the wilderness, often with a promise to return. The Norwegian tale, The Cat on the Dovrefell, helps us understand how we collude with disruptive holiday dynamics and what might be required to keep them at bay.

From the ancient wellspring of fairytales to the insightful observations of current researchers, one thing remains constant – challenging dynamics constellate when families gather for the holidays, requiring accurate recognition and skillful intervention. With this in hand, we might artfully disrupt old family patterns and bring forward the warm experiences of love and connection we hope for.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“It’s nighttime, and I’m at the airport with my mom, in line for security. I have my cat with me, and as I’m about to go through security with him, I suddenly realize we are outside on the tarmac. I’m worried about pulling him out of his carrier because I know that if he escapes my arms, I’ll never find him out there. I can’t bear to lose him; the thought fills me with dread, and I start to panic. Upon seeing this, the TSA worker lets me keep him in his carrier. I get through and get on my flight. Upon landing, I find myself in Berlin. I make my way to the hotel, where I meet up with several friends. We are all tired from traveling, and it’s snowy out, so we decide to stay at the hotel and rest before exploring the city. We head to the pool, where the bar is very crowded with old people. One of my friends decides to go swimming, even though it’s very cold out. She plunges in, and a hotel employee scolds her, telling her it’s too cold, and she must get out. She doesn’t listen. More of my friends have arrived and are now also jumping into the pool. I stand at the edge, looking down at the water, unsure if I want to go in. Suddenly, an impulse takes over, and I need to feel the cold water on my body. I realize at this moment that I have a migraine, and I know the shock of the cold will heal it. I jump in and am surprised by how deep the pool is. I’m underwater a lot longer than I thought I’d be. When I resurface, I suddenly remember that my cat and my ex’s cat are in my hotel room, and I’m struck with a need to go check on them. I couldn’t bear to lose them and need to make sure they’re okay. Back in my hotel room, I find the cats are safe, and I also discover that my ex is in the room like he’s been waiting up there for me. I get into the bed, which is large and has a fluffy white comforter, and he joins. I am suddenly nervous as I realize we haven’t shared a bed in months, and I’m not sure what to do. But we quickly fall into place, and he’s holding me tight. It feels secure and warm, and we fall asleep like that. When I awake, we are back in our hometown together.”

REFERENCES:

John Gottman. The Relationship Cure. https://a.co/d/6vj3fUj

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In psychoanalysis, a screen memory covers up a deeper, more emotionally charged issue. Similarly, movie and television screens both shield and open us to human complexity through fiction. The opportunity to peer into shadow and secrets from a safe distance is irresistible. Depictions of psychotherapists and therapy can range from the malevolent Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) to psychic empath Deanna Troi (Star Trek). Most on-screen therapists, however, like their real-world counterparts, are wounded healers doing their best to help despite sometimes substantial fallibilities. Bruce Willis (Sixth Sense) doesn’t realize he’s dead; Jennifer Melfi (The Sopranos) denies her mobster client’s sociopathy, and Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) embodies the mercurial power of humor that grants perspective. Jung understood the value of the analyst’s capacity to suffer as they led the way; he writes, “…it is his own hurt that gives a measure of his power to heal.” During the painful tumult of the COVID pandemic, growing demand for therapeutic support piqued public curiosity in the mechanisms of psychotherapy, opening the way for Jonah Hill’s vulnerable documentary STUTZ, filmed with his ailing therapist Phil Stutz. It invites the public to witness the wisdom, mutual vulnerabilities, and authentic affection that fuels the healing process. As Freud wrote in a letter to Jung, “…psychoanalysis in essence, is a cure through love.”

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

“I was attending a drag show, but I put on a costume and began to perform on stage. I was a background performer for someone else, and I was just walking around the stage. I felt like I wasn’t wearing the costume that I wanted to wear. I didn’t feel comfortable or confident. I also felt like I wasn’t getting cheered on by the crowd. I got off the stage and felt unseen. I remember seeing a pill bottle, and not knowing what it was, I took a pill. It was someone’s else’s medication that I stole. I spent the rest of the dream trying to hide in shame from taking someone else’s medicine and anxiously waiting to see what the pill was going to do to me.”

 REFERENCES:

Frazier (TV series, 1993-2004). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frasier

In Treatment (TV series, 2009-2021). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Treatment

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (film, 1975). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Flew_Over_the_Cuckoo%27s_Nest_(film)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV series, 1987-1994). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation

STUTZ (Film). (2022); Jonah Hill, Phil Stutz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKCmefQdplI

The Sixth Sense (Film, 1999). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Sense

The Sopranos (TV series, 1999-2007). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sopranos

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We tend to think of revolution as a people’s push-back against perceived oppression—a reaction to rulership that has rejected fairness, change, and accessibility. When a rigid power structure reigns supreme—often presenting as idealism, spirituality, or cultural integrity—it can generate opposing force as an effort to restore rightness and realize renewal. For Jung, revolution “is not conversion into the opposite but conservation of previous values together with recognition of their opposites.” He adds that to quite a “terrifying degree, we are threatened by wars and revolutions which are nothing other than psychic epidemics…modern man is battered by the elemental forces of his own psyche.” For revolution to be more than warring between opposites requires the capacity to mediate conflicts within ourselves and establish a new internal order. 

You say you’ll change the constitution

Well, you know

We’d all love to change your headYou tell me it’s the institution Well, you know You better free your mind instead

               The Beatles: Revolution

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am in some sort of tech office. Someone is here who is trying to steal data. My goal is to discover their identity, get the disc they are trying to smuggle and get out. At one point, a female friend from church is standing across the room from me. She has a sniper rifle with a scope on it, trained on me. I think maybe I can try to duck or run quickly behind something, but I know that I won’t get there in time, and she will shoot me. I am not sure what is going to happen. I also sense that she is friendly toward me, she may even be smiling, but she still has the sniper rifle trained on me. Then she is right in front of me. I take the barrel of the rifle and hold it up to my forehead and tell her it is okay, she can shoot me if she needs to. I close my eyes and am genuinely unsure of what is going to happen. Time passes. She decides not to shoot me after all. I am vaguely aware that there is a studio audience watching all of this like it is a reality show or a game show of some kind, and I’ve won “sympathy points” by doing this. The church friend has disappeared, and I continue looking for the infiltrator. I see a guy I noticed earlier, and I think it can’t possibly be him; that would be too easy. But then I see he has a CD under the cushion of his seat--it is him. When he is not looking, I retrieve the CD. I am very nervous to do this, but I do not get caught. Now I need to get out of the building with the CD. But the sense of terror is gone. I am sure he is not going to catch me, and I can probably leave as I please. I am weirdly sad that the sense of apprehension is gone.” 

REFERENCES:

Joseph Henderson and Dyane Sherwood. Transformation of the Psyche: The Symbolic Alchemy of the Splendor Solis. https://a.co/d/3D98biA

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Melancholy evokes images of poets and artists for whom suffering and giftedness go hand in hand. Creative ability as compensation for affliction is depicted in Greek myth by the god Hephaestus. Rejected by his goddess mother and cast out of Olympus, alienated Hephaestus forged magnificent, magical objects for the gods. Such archetypal imagery can inform our understanding of the kind of depression that seems intrinsic but may have roots in early, adverse childhood experiences of emotional deprivation or rejection. Early loss, separation from a primary caregiver, or relational abandonment can have lifelong repercussions. Such disruptive events, though not available to consciousness, nonetheless infuse adult attitudes and attachments. To name the void creates space for mourning and healing, and like Hephaestus, finding the inner fire to forge something new. 

Here's the dream we analyze:

“In my dream I am walking, I think toward a house. I'm walking through a wilderness area that has many, like at least 2 dozen, dead rabbits. They are dismembered. And I look at them, but when I do, I feel that I have violated their death. I'm not sure. I know a wolf got them but I never see the wolf. I see one of the rabbit's faces, and even though it is missing it's lower half (and is quite bloody), I know its soul is still alive, though its body is dead. I don't ponder this for very long in the dream. After that, I pass the rabbits, and I'm in the yard of what I think might be my home. But it is flooded - the aftermath of a flood. There is a large (80 foot) oak tree in the middle of the flood waters. Next to it is a tower of toadstools, each growing on top of one another. They are beautiful. They are lime green and white, almost glowing. I never go into the house because I'm amazed by the mushrooms. I take picture after picture of them from various angles.”

 REFERENCES:

Film: Melancholia; Kirsten Dunst, Alexander Skarsgard. https://play.hbomax.com/player/urn:hbo:feature:GYVLQ2wCF_6TDXgEAAACc

The Ultimate Rumi Collection. Three books by Coleman Barks, https://a.co/d/c99kiYA

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Humans have played games since prehistoric times. Games bring us together and pit us against each other. We agree to rules, take turns, develop tolerance for frustration, and learn to win and lose. We develop skills and submit to chance. Games range from luck to skill, from a throw of the dice to acing it at tennis. Games regulate aggression: only one can win, whether on a gameboard or the court. Shadow is sanctioned within the rules, creating monikers like The Black Death of chess and Boss of the Moss of golf—and in the heat of a game, shadier traits may also be revealed. But “playing games” in relationships is universally condemned as cheating. Games introduce us to conditions of life, for we must play the hand we’ve been dealt. Confronted with the limitations of ego and understanding, we may discover that games are metaphors for the movement of a mysterious cosmos.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I dream of this place that is dark and largely empty. The doors to the place are open. Inside there is a void, and in the void, particles. They are ominous. Dark. They exert impact on things inside this place. There is nothing inside this place except cut-outs of what look like humans. They float eerily and move through the air quickly, like ghosts. As one approaches the window through which I am looking in, the cut-out impresses as very human-like, even though it is not. It is eerily human-like. I am startled. All of a sudden, there are humans inside this place. I become aware of a lady with a shaven head. Her head reminds me of the Borg [Star Trek reference]. These particles have been affecting her and have caused her to be gone. She is alive but no longer a human--cannot be reached. Her condition cannot be undone. I am now in a room with a male human. He is not gone to the particles yet. He presents me 4 books quickly. He says they will soon be stolen. That everything in this place is stolen quickly. He says to remember the headings of books as this is the only way to keep the information, namely in one’s memory. The particles in the dream are rather ominous. The place is ominous. There is such hunger in this place, a kind that cannot be sated, hence the stealing of things.”

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As our bonds to historic roles loosen, fathers are finding new ways to express themselves within the family dynamic. In 2014 Pew Research Center identified two million stay-at-home-dads in the United States. Those men tell us that tending their children is more rewarding than chasing a paycheck. Being liberated from the hunter-gatherer role has allowed more men to incarnate aspects of the Father archetype infrequently seen since the industrial revolution. Being caregiver and homecreator does not diminish their experience of masculinity but rallies inner resources that had been set aside. Despite the national call for a redistribution of family duties and liberation from traditional paradigms, at-home dads face isolation, suspicion, and stigma.

Historically, as father’s left the home to work at factories and offices, their presence in the family psyche dimmed. Children often lost touch with the significance of their fathers, and family courts consistently relegated them to providers of income. Poet Robert Hayden captures this ambivalence and regret in his poem Those Winter Sundays.

Sundays too my father got up early

and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,

then with cracked hands that ached

from labor in the weekday weather made

banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.

When the rooms were warm, he’d call,

and slowly I would rise and dress,

fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him,

who had driven out the cold

and polished my good shoes as well.

What did I know, what did I know

of love’s austere and lonely offices?

Growth and change are central to Jung’s ideas. Making room for the incarnating Self in all its complex diversity is the task of humanity. When we muster understanding and support, cultural and personal transformation might be a little less painful

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am in New York with my sister. We are in the reception of a hotel, and it is cavernous, with walls and arches made from rich brown marble. The light is golden. We are taken to our room, and we are jetlagged and tired. This feels OK; we didn’t have anything planned in our itinerary anyway. Our room is big, but we go into the small bedroom and get into the bed, one of us at each end. Later, I go to a Victoria’s Secret in a mall. All the clothes are really expensive: the sale rack is not really reduced, and I find it annoying. Other people don’t seem to mind, and they are clamoring for the clothes. I return to the hotel room and find that I have accidentally stolen some underwear: I have no idea how it got into my bag. My dad has arrived, with some of my friends and my sister. The bedroom feels really cramped. Everyone seems to be in New York. I’m embarrassed about the ‘stealing,’ and everyone tells me I have to take it all back. I don’t know how to do this surreptitiously without getting into trouble.”

REFERENCES:

Dad Saves the Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6YmKIoUdZc, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEPq2rGLKZU

Farrell, W. (2019). The boy crisis: Why our boys are struggling and what we can do about it. BenBella Books. Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/abRKOzW

Hayden, R., & Glaysher, F. (2013). Robert Hayden: Collected poems. Liveright. Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ay0nLoi

National At-Home Dad Network: https://athomedad.org/advocacy/statistics-on-stay-at-home-dads/

Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/06/05/growing-number-of-dads-home-with-the-kids/#:~:text=Just%2024%25%20of%20stay%2Dat,%2Dat%2Dhome%20mothers).

Warren Farrell: https://warrenfarrell.com/

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Humans moved from stitching animal hides to sewing cloth, from necessity to fashion, and from handwork to factory. To sew is to repair, alter, and create. If a rip or tear is sewn unthinkingly, the garment will be too tight or unsightly. Alterations have limitations, and uncut cloth is the prima materia for the alchemy of construction. Sewing requires dexterity, knowledge, and judgment. Sewing transforms parts into wholes— meticulous stitches render possibility into product, and scraps store memories in the pattern of a quilt. We hold the opposites of design and detail with attention and patience, and can’t resist embroidering our garments, stories, and lives. What we sew has a limited lifespan, as do we. Stitching our inner and outer lives together day by day, we can create raiment for the soul.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am walking up a stairwell together with what feels like a close friend, and we enter an apartment which I assume is mine, even though I have never seen it before. The hallway is quite spacious and sterile; there is no furniture or curtains. As we enter, my white pet ferret rushes toward me and wants to be cuddled. I pick her up and hold her in my arms. I am so happy to see her, but at the same time, I feel bad because I know I have neglected her and left her alone in the apartment for far too long. Suddenly I’m horrified as I notice that she has a large lump on her right eyelid! My friend takes the ferret from me and carefully examines her eye. After a while, she says, “Look, the lump is covering her eye, and she will go blind if it continues to grow. Actually, you used to have a lump like this on your eye a while ago, but you removed it. She must have caught it from you--it’s a virus, you know.” I can’t recall any of this, but I trust my friend is right, so I’m instantly relieved. I feel so grateful that we discovered it in time to save her, and I promise myself to take better care of her in the future.”

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Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook, shares himself and his new book, We Are the Light. Writer’s block led Quick to This Jungian Life podcast, analysis, and letter writing as a literary device. Letters free us even as the privacy of the page dares us to reveal ourselves, risk intimacy, and express our longing to be received. Lucas, the main character, rediscovers himself through faithful letters to his former Jungian analyst after a movie theater shooting takes 18 lives, including his wife’s. Fragile, valiant, and humorously naive, Lucas Goodgame plays the game of life that Jung termed individuation. Lucas plays with all his heart, and his alliance with an alienated teen ignites the magic of healing in surprising ways. Did Quick create Lucas—or was Lucas waiting for Quick to unblock and let him in? Our conversation sheds light on the relationship between author and character, creativity and healing, Jungian analysis and soul. This book is about the angels and grace that lead us from grieving to living—and love.

REFERENCES:

 Learn more about Matthew Quick: https://matthewquickwriter.com/

Sign-Up for Matthew’s monthly personal letter: https://matthewquickwriter.com/contact/#personal-letter

Purchase a copy of We Are the Light https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668005425?tag=simonsayscom

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#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #selfcare #selflove #anxiety #love #mentalhealthmatters #depression #motivation #health #wellness #healing #life #loveyourself #therapy #inspiration #happiness #mindset #positivity #positivevibes #mentalillness #psychology #wellbeing #recovery #instagood #happy #mensmovement #toxicmasculinity #positivemasculinity #masculinity #trauma #PTSD #angels #psychoanalysis #jungiananalysis #shootings #alcoholism #AlcoholicsAnonymous #mentoring #communitymentalhealth #spirituality

Zombies have recently risen from mythological depths to menace modern-day culture. Zombies image the horror of vulnerability to dehumanized existence. They exist in a meaningless void marked only by insatiable appetite; they are our collective’s pathological shadow. The undead alarm us--and can also awaken us. We are summoned to contend with dark and deadening powers through vigilance, consciousness, and action. Jung says, “If you will contemplate your lack of…inspiration and inner aliveness, which you feel as sheer stagnation and a barren wilderness, and impregnate it with the interest born of alarm at your inner death, then something can take shape in you, for your inner emptiness conceals just as great a fullness if only you will allow it to penetrate into you. If you prove receptive to this ‘call of the wild,’ the longing for fulfillment will quicken the sterile wilderness of your soul as rain quickens the dry earth.”

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I was in a dark house with animals in large enclosures next to each other with glass screens. We opened them all to let them move around as we’d been somewhere all day. The person with me was a shadowy stranger I didn’t identify; it felt like their house. There was a beautiful little hawk that was very tame and had a feeling of wisdom and kindness. Then there was a giant pinky-purple “Spanish” snake, bulging, heavily pregnant, on the floor, asleep. I wasn’t scared of the snake but found it repulsive and knew it was dangerous. A blue jay flew in and started chasing the little hawk, and I got a bad feeling that continued to build. The jay was squawking loudly and was much bigger than the hawk. Then the snake suddenly stretched up and bit down hard on the hawk. The hawk fell to the floor, the noise of the birds stopped, and the jay flew off. The stranger took the hawk, and we saw it was dying; they then proceeded to pull off its legs and wings and then wring its neck.”

REFERENCES:

C.G.Jung. CW 14, para 189

Dawn of the Dead (1978 film), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_of_the_Dead_(1978_film)

In The Flesh (2013-2015, TV Series), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Flesh_(TV_series)

Night of the Living Dead, (1968 FILM), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead

The Walking Dead (2010-2022 TV Series), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series)

Wells Hanley, Zombie Say Hey (song). https://wellshanley.bandcamp.com/track/zombie-say-hey

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Problems can pester, persist and plague. They range from short-lived to chronic, bothersome to heart-wrenching, resolvable to unalterable. Problems cause what Jungian analyst and author James Hollis refers to as the three As: ambiguity, ambivalence, and anxiety. Ambiguity arises when a problem is complex and confusing, demanding action without certainty. Ambivalence is a state of conflicted feelings, often related to immediate versus long-term gratification. Anxiety is worry and doubt about whether we can meet a challenge or achieve a desired outcome. Problems confront us with a basic choice: action or avoidance—but action without analysis can also be a form of avoidance. We must accept the situation, tolerate the tension, and observe external and internal factors before identifying options. Jung says, “The most intense conflicts if overcome, leave behind a sense of security and calm that is not easily disturbed. It is just these intense conflicts and their conflagration which are needed to produce valuable and lasting results.”

Here’s the dream we analyzed:

“I was pregnant, and I went to a cafe with my husband. I went away and had my baby. I went to a party where some family and friends were welcoming the baby. I cradled a small plastic box with a transparent plastic lid. There were about six spaces pressed into the foam of the box and my baby, which was a tiny bee, was in the right bottom corner of the case. As the party was ending, family members encouraged me to let the bee out of the case. My husband said to do what I thought was right. I opened the case, and we left the party hall, the bee flying above us. When we got outside, it flew away. I ran to keep up with it, and it flew to a huge wooden and plexiglass hive on the lawn. My baby bee flew to a bigger bee, circled it, and was imitating it, even getting onto the big bee’s back while it flew. I wanted to catch my bee but was intimidated by the bigger bee. They flew off in a swarm with others. My husband told me it was time to go. I walked away, and we drove away with my in-laws. When we were alone again, I couldn’t stop crying. My husband took me to the same cafe, but I could hardly walk because I was crying so much. The server said I looked good for just having had a baby. I went to the bathroom, sobbing and feeling very swollen all over. I looked at my puffy face in the mirror and felt like I looked new.”

REFERENCES:

Edwards Deming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming

Video: It’s Not About the Nail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg

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Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts; compulsions are unwarranted, involuntary behaviors. Though different, they often go together, for compulsions pose as protection from the imagined bad consequences of obsessions. They tend to escalate, demanding more time and attention: spontaneity is sacrificed to schedule, desire surrenders to compliance, and aliveness is stifled by stiffness. OCD’s insistence on “rightness” attempts to deny feelings, especially anger, neediness, and desire, displacing them onto rigid exercise routines, midnight phone scrolling, finicky dietary convictions, and other attempts to serve performance and perfection. Marie-Louise von Franz, Jung’s close collaborator, says, “Every content of the unconscious with which one is not properly related tends to obsess one, for it gets at us from behind…You can either be possessed by a content constellated in the unconscious, or you can have a relationship to it. The more one represses it; the more one is affected by it.” When the unconscious is denied, it turns to unwanted forms of expression.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am standing in a field in winter. The earth is cold and hard. I have a simple, woven cloth wrapped around my head and am carrying a basket in the crook of my arm. I am in the field harvesting potatoes. I work slowly and methodically, moving up and down the rows, but at some point, I realize that the crops I am harvesting are upside down. The potatoes sit neatly atop the earth, and it is only when I pull them up that I can see all the green parts of the plant. This realization doesn’t phase me, and I continue to harvest. As I work, I am aware of a sense of great peace. I bend to pick up yet another potato and realize there is no resistance, for the potato has no stem, leaves, or roots. It is a solitary object. I stand and hold the potato in the palm of my hand. It is fairly small and somewhat paler than the rest. All of a sudden, the potato sprouts small white wings, which begin to flutter. The potato hovers above my hand for a few moments and then flies away. I watch it against the sky and am suddenly aware that the sky has become a brilliant blue, whereas, in the beginning of the dream, it was a heavy, pearly grey that threatened snow. I awake with a feeling of enormous well-being.”

REFERENCES:

Nancy J. Dougherty and Jacqueline J. West. The Matrix and Meaning of Character: An Archetypal and Developmental Approach. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0415403006/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CWV9HCTBJT9N9CPJZN7N

Nancy McWilliams. Psychoanalytic Diagnosis: Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1462543693/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ZADS2EPQNM082KGVM76Z

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Volcanoes appear in our myths, movies, and dreams. Their awesome destructive power fascinates us and serves as a reminder that we are not in control of nature’s primordial forces. Offering access to the earth’s molten core, volcanoes have been believed to be the entryway to the underworld or Hell. The Greeks believed that the fiery bursts from volcanoes were the sparks flying from Hephaestus’ forge, thus underscoring the creative aspect of volcanoes – Hephaestus created items of incredible beauty and power in his underground workshop. Volcanoes create new rocks and new land mass. Their mineral-rich output fertilizes the surrounding soil, producing abundant and delicious crops. The volcano serves as a potent image of the unconscious – unpredictable, sometimes explosive, powered from the depths – but also capable of bestowing its fructifying blessing upon us.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“A man and a woman are hiking down through a rocky environment. The man is leading her and tells her that they are on the side of a volcano. She’s intrigued and allows him to guide her. They walk around for a while, and then on their way back to the top of the volcano, they come across a large stone bridge. The bridge is wide, made of heavy stones the color of sandstone, like something out of ancient Rome or medieval Spain. The rapids beneath the bridge are incredibly strong. The waters are white. The man and the woman embrace each other on this bridge in an all-encompassing, deeply intimate hug. The emotion is palpable. There is a close-up of her face; she looks alarmingly like Beyonce. She fights tears. I can only see the man’s back, but I can tell he, too, is fighting tears. When they pull away from each other, they see, at their feet, right where they are standing, a bright orange ember burning close to the ground. This signals to them that they have to go. At this point, I am now the woman. The volcano is unstable, and we only have a few moments before we can make it to the other side before eruption. We pull away from each other and start heading to the top of the volcano. As we walk hand in hand, magma begins to break through the dark charcoal grey landscape like veins through skin. Then the volcano begins to erupt. Smoke billows, lava flows, and the man and I face away from the eruption, pressed up against something like the side of a wall. He presses himself against my back. I wonder if he’s even really there or if he’s going to stay. Everything goes black; the ash engulfs us. We survive. The sun reemerges, and I leave my male companion and climb to the top left side of the volcano, where I find a small wooden hut. I pull aside a curtain and see that inside of the hut are my older brother sitting next to his child self, as well as my child self (though she’s sitting on her own). I check on them and ask them if they’re alright. A woman’s hand hands me a cool washcloth (white) (I believe the woman is my deceased grandmother), and I press it to my brother’s face, then his child self, then my child self. I tell them I’ll be back, as they seem somewhat infirm. My brother jests, “Hey, mind bringing me some coffee?!” His child self jumps in and says, “Yeah! me too!” to which I respond, “I’m not bringing you anything. But I’ll bring her coffee!” as I point to my child self. She smiles.”

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There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in. LEONARD COHEN

Jung’s system of typology—our characteristic way of orienting to the world—led to the creation of the widely used Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Jung observed four essential ego functions. Thinking and feeling are rational functions of assigning value and making decisions, and intuition and sensation are non-rational modes of perception and attention. Ordered hierarchically from most to least developed, our inferior function lies closest to the unconscious. It tends to manifest through tasks, people, and situations that throw us off balance: we feel confused, overloaded, and unable to get a grip. The inferior function pushes in through the cracks in ego’s efforts at supremacy and opens us to what is unknown and unlived. For Jung, however, this seeming weak spot in the personality was also “the treasure hard to attain,” for it is also the source of our aliveness, freedom, and fun.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I was swimming in the ocean at nighttime. I was surrounded by a school of gigantic, hot-pink jellyfish the size of hot air balloons. They were almost bioluminescent. I looked down and saw a massive sea creature rising from the depths. At first, I thought it was a blue whale. As it got closer, however, I realized it was the size of several blue whales and shaped almost like a man. I was filled with terror and awe and swam away to the shore. On the shore, I was talking urgently with Doctor Who. Suddenly, we were attacked by Daleks (a fictional alien species). As they flew toward us, we ran away toward the ocean. We didn’t go underwater; however, we ran on top of it. As we ran across the sea pursued by the Daleks, the jellyfish and whale man from before rose out of the water, running and flying around us to protect us.”

REFERENCES:

Lenore Thomson. Personality Type: An Owner’s Manual. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0877739870/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_1EXKNRD8Y9YNCHJH7AND

Marie-Louise von Franz, Lectures on Jung’s Typology. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G2CBJ0K/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CWHRP65RJ41W03JKQW8N

Ann Ulanov. The Danger and the Treasure of the Inferior Function, Psychological Perspectives, 52: 9-53, 2009.

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Could the antidote to racism be enchantment? Chloe Valdary thinks so. Theory of Enchantment is a radical approach to anti-racism rooted in understanding that celebrates the complexity of the human spirit. Since racism derives from deep insecurities projected onto others, the work of enchantment includes shadow, acknowledges personal complexity, and affirms right relationship with self. Diversity need not be division, and inclusion does not discount differences. Empathy does not ‘fix’ but accompanies another’s suffering, and criticism can be used to uplift and empower. Valdary’s fulsome framework—from workshops to a self-paced online course--includes myth, literature, religion, and Jungian concepts. Theory of Enchantment reaches beyond conflict resolution for connection with universal principles of humanity, healing, and wholeness. It is a life practice and personal discipline that teaches that we can--actually—root everything we do in love and compassion.

REFERENCES:

Theory of Enchantment: a diversity training and inclusion program that teaches love: https://theoryofenchantment.com/

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Queen Elizabeth II is mourned around the world. The world saw stages of life live in and through her: from maiden to mate, mother to matriarch, elder to aged. She inherited her title but grew into her role, becoming a unifying image of virtue, service, stateliness, and constancy--wrapped in dedication and devotion. Above the skirmishes of ego-driven politics, the Queen balanced the mystique of majesty with human presence. She bore difficulties and disappointment with dignity, and in the 70 years of her reign modeled a standard of nobility that enabled her to preside over tumult and change. Elizabeth II first governed herself, enabling authentic representation of the archetype of queen in its beneficent aspect: steadfast, valiant, and faithful to enduring ideals of sovereignty. Queen Elizabeth II fulfilled the promise of the crown, ancient symbol of exalted life, conferring its possibility and promise upon subjects and admirers worldwide.

In Memoriam:

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of

Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am in the passenger's seat in a car with my partner. He is driving and seems anxious about something--talking and gesturing, but I can't remember what he said. We are going uphill on a tarred road--it is an unfamiliar setting. Suddenly a bird flies into his side window. He quickly opens the window and shuts it close again, tearing one wing off the bird. I am shouting at him "You have broken its wing," as we watch the bird fly away with only one wing. My partner is startled, and I am very sad and shocked. I am awakened by this shocked feeling. “

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The open road beckons: bigger, better, boundless. To see and to seek is a mythological theme with an American stamp, from wagon trains to memoirs and movies. Progress and mobility have long been associated with forging ahead and hitting the trail. Cars are personal capsules of autonomy and freedom: load, stop, and go according to wish or whim. Passing through and possibility are part of the road trip’s drift and direction. The traveler may hope for treasure, pleasure, or revelation—or be in flight from stasis, failure, and alienation. A road trip can be planned or spontaneous, solo or partnered, an initiation into the next stage of life, or an effort to evade it. Many are about relinquishing ego’s desire for a well-mapped destination and opening a path to psyche and Self. A road trip is an inner journey in the outer world. What will we encounter that reveals us to ourselves?

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I was sleeping in my apartment in Brooklyn when I heard someone trying to break the door into the hallway from outside. I stood in front of the entrance door, waiting for whatever would come, thinking it was better to face it. The door opens, and two figures walk in: one is my father (dead by then), another a shape of a man covered feet to head by a black overall.”

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Hatred is a universal human emotion related to distancing and destroying. Hatred is anger, disgust, judgment, and contempt cemented into implacable permanence. Obsessive and inflating, hatred dupes us into feeling righteous and wrathful instead of small and wounded. Hating tricks us into projecting our disowned qualities onto an outer other, making the object of our hatred into an avatar for our own split-off instincts and desires. Our fixation fuses us in a darkly intimate way with “other,” the holder of a secret we are compelled to uncover, a truth we demand to rule. Hate hides the dread of discovering the depth of our own shadow—for it is self-hatred that we seek to encapsulate and eradicate. We can face our hatreds, let them inform us, and transform them into what is brighter and more alive.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am walking and find a door that leads to a stairway. I am entranced by the stairs as they look like winding, ancient stone castle steps like in the movies. I enter and see that lining the walls up and down the stairs are cages - each cage contains a snake. As I walk down the dimly lit stairs, the snakes come alive and begin slithering, dancing, and reaching their heads up and out until a good third of each snake is out and getting closer to me. I am surprised to realize that the holes in the cages are big enough for the snakes to escape, but I am not afraid. I know the snakes will not escape completely or harm me, and I wonder why the snakes have cages at all. As I get to the bottom of the stairs, I am in a large room with books, jars, shelves, and tables. It is wonderous room, like Merlin’s workshop mixed with Dumbledore’s office. There is an older, tall man standing next to a younger woman, and they are looking at a book. I have interrupted them, they were not expecting me, but neither is startled. They both look at me with curiosity. I know I have nothing to fear but also don’t understand why I am there or where, exactly, I am. I am then standing next to them, and the young woman cries, “It has drawn blood! There is blood! Blood is drawn!” The man says nothing and calmly looks at me. I raise my hand and see a few drops of blood on my palm and know that I have been pricked by a needle. I didn’t feel the prick, and it does not hurt; I am surprised to see the blood. I suddenly know that the young woman is excited as the blood indicates that it’s her time to move on to the next level and that I am to take her place as this man’s apprentice. All of this knowledge washes over me as I look at the blood. I then become woozy, and my knees fail as I faint and fall gently to the floor.”

REFERENCES:

Robert J. Sternberg. The Psychology of Hate.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591471842/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_BMVXGVKJEAEW7H4DHGQS

Joshua Coleman. Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1529350824/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QQAC0BW1X9177KHY07W2

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Dr. Donald Kalsched, Jungian analyst, teacher, and author, discusses his acclaimed work on childhood trauma; (see www.donaldkalsched.com for upcoming programs). When there is unbearable emotional pain in childhood, archetypal defenses dismember such experience and banish parts of it to the unconscious, where it remains as unconscious suffering.  Such suffering is manifested as pathological symptoms, i.e., dysfunctional relationships, addictions, narcissism, and more. The defensive system that takes over--a ‘self-care system’--is both protective and persecutory of the innocence and vulnerability hiding in the inner fortress, and thus the trauma survivor leads a false, generic life instead of a true, personal one.  He/she is unable to feel and be fully alive in the world—especially in intimate relationships. The potential for such aliveness lies dormant, like a seed in the prima materia of unconsciousness, waiting to be awakened and restored to the ego—but against great resistances thrown up by the defensive system. Often dreams lead the way in this process of self-recovery, reconnecting the dismembered parts so that exiled aspects of ourselves can come home and wounded hearts can heal.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

 “I enter my parents’ kitchen, where a group of people are ready to cook lion meat for me to eat. I’m not sure who the cooks are. They show me the different ways they can cook the lion’s meat (minced, in a stew, steak, or raw, sashimi style). Afterward, they show me a mask made of the lion’s face, which I have to wear after I eat the lion’s meat. I never get to actually eat the meat or wear the lion’s mask in the dream.” 

REFERENCES:

Donald Kalsched. The Inner World of Trauma: Archetypal Defenses of the Personal Spirit. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0415123291/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_TTDKA7RX9NAHYNRGAFDJ

Donald Kalsched. Trauma and the Soul: A Psycho-Spiritual Approach to Human Development and Its Interpretation. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0415681464/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ENFCXEKS1T3FV61WRMP7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

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Compartmentalization is like a home electrical panel that separates power into different zones. It allows us to separate the charge carried by ideas, feelings, and actions without risking system overload. Compartmentalization lets us express concern about climate change yet fly overseas for a family vacation or care about animal rights and ignore factory farming. Such incompatible values and incongruent reasoning usually bypass the zone wired for emotional activation, allowing many daily activities and attitudes to operate smoothly. At the other end of the spectrum, compartmentalization can become denial, hypocrisy, or pathology, as when someone professing religious dedication engages in immoral or illegal practices. Our psychic wiring operates automatically much of the time in the interest of waking life governance, protecting us from the circuitry overload of indecision, doubt, and disorder. We also have the capacity to reflect on our values and activities, bringing them to consciousness and choice. 

Here’s the dream we analyzed:

“I am seeing this scene from the sky. There is a city in a desert. This city looks like a Mihrab or a prayer rug. It is like a niche, and it has a circle in its center. In my dream, at the top of this niche, there is a hidden or a secret door. Only some can go through this door, which opens to an exclusive world/chambers. I see a Monk in black robes going through the city and through this door. Then I hear, “the name of this city is Minoo.”

 [In all of the ancient world, including South Asia, when they spoke of “City,” they meant Minoo. Cities in dreams are also Minoo, an old Farsi word that means the heavens or realm of spirit. Mihrabs in ancient Persia were the birthplace of the Sun. They were caves where the goddess Anahita, the great water deity, gave birth to her son Mithra. Anahita was the original virgin mother, some scholars believe. These Mihrabs were often caves with water running through them and were temples of worship of Mithra and his mother.]

REFERENCES:

Carl Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FYZK52/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_RP4X5WF6HJTZXKNS280D

Mihrab: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihrab

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Karl Kerenyi collaborated with Jung in demonstrating the psychological meaning of Greek mythology. Kerenyi found in Hermes a representation of “a third way of living life, besides the Apollonian rational and the Dionysian irrational. God of jokes and journeys, thieves and magicians, the tricky Guide of Souls” arrives as a surprise. Like the quicksilver that is his Roman name, Mercury/Hermes appears on winged sandals, heralding the new. Hermes disdains regulation and law to deliver new ideas, dissolve opposites, and provide decisive experiences. Just as he alone traversed the realms--from the heights of Mt. Olympus to the underworld of Hades--Hermes now swifts his way from the unconscious to ego awareness. Hermes is the symbol of a living reality seeking conscious acknowledgment, the agent of creativity and transformation. How we perceive his message is not his interest. He is already gone.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

 “I’m on a piece of inhabited land, by the shore, with many others in a beach town. Some of the people I know, some I do not. Across the water is an island. It looks like Devil’s Tower in Wyoming (the one in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), but this island is lush, tropical, and Jurassic. It’s a beautiful day, close to sunset, and the view is gorgeous. All of the sudden, we all realize there are three enormous boats that look like cruise ships balancing on the edge of the top of the island. They’re huge, a third of the height of the island. One looks old, two look new. No one knows how they got there. There is a theory they went ashore when the water level was higher, but we all know that doesn’t make much sense... we would have seen them there long ago, but in this case, they just appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. We all realize they’re about to fall as they’re balanced precariously. As we anticipate an enormous crash, we take shelter. I can see them fall slowly off the top of the island to the base. There is a lot of destruction - so much dust and debris, and the sky gets very hazy. But I am safe. The next morning, we wake up, and it’s a beautiful day. The shape of the island across the water is totally different. It’s been totally reconstructed by the crash of the boats (which are no longer visible). The island looks a lot less ominous in shape. I look to my left and see that some of the debris from the island has landed in the water, which allowed for a bike path to be built from our land to the island, across the water. I realize perhaps this crash has actually improved things for the better, and everything feels calm and beautiful.”

 REFERENCES:

Karl Kerenyi. Hermes: Guide of Souls. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0882140949/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_FWG6RQ37RTQYF4X0MZGN

Rafael Lopez-Pedraza. Hermes and His Children. https://www.amazon.com/dp/3856307354/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VA65WSXZ59B9ZECAREVK

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Images of earth’s perpetual restlessness waves gently rock us, lift us up for an exhilarating ride – or inundate us in the terrifying phenomenon of a tsunami. Surfers surrender to the rhythm of waves, an embodied metaphor of attuning to the rising and falling of unconscious forces. Poseidon, Greek god of the ocean, was also the deity of destructive tidal waves, which can sweep us away and show up often in dreams. In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and matter, transferring energy from one place to another and, therefore, part of the fabric of the subatomic universe. From playful white caps on a summer’s day to waves that pound the shore as they break, waves are a potent image of energy and reflect inner psychic processes.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am paddleboarding with my ex-boyfriend and several other people, mostly older adults. We are in a mountain lake, with an evergreen, tree-covered mountain rising from the lake behind us. The sun is out, and the water is calm. It feels pleasant. After some time passes, I notice several people quickly swimming to shore. The sky has suddenly drastically darkened, and I think it’s either about to rain or the sun is setting, so it’s time to leave. The water gets rougher now, too. My ex and I swim to shore, and I am surprised by how quickly and easily I am able to swim. When I get to shore, I notice that the older adults are struggling in the water. I want to help them, but my ex stops me. It is now that I notice that the dark sky is actually due to the fact that the mountain is completely on fire, and the fire is rushing down toward the water. I have to stand and watch, hoping all the older adults make it. The fire reaches the water, and the last of the older adults are thrust to shore. It is very dark now, and there is something beautiful about the fire. I want to get a closer look but am wary of getting near the water, which I know will be scalding. I get closer and try to take a picture, but at the moment I go to capture the image, the smoke obscures my view.”

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Kabbalah is an ancient Jewish mystical tradition that has captured the imaginations of people from widely diverse backgrounds, including Jung himself. Three weeks after his heart attack in 1944, Jung had an ecstatic vision, “…Everything around me also seemed enchanted…I myself was in Pardes-Rimonim, in the pomegranate garden where Tiferet and Malchut married. I also imagined myself as Rabi Shimon ben Yochai, whose mystical marriage was celebrated now. It looked exactly as the Kabbalists portrayed it. I cannot tell you how amazing it was…” Though Jung did not live long enough to explore the Kabbalah fully, his psyche was deeply affected by the images and philosophies which played an important role in his life during this crisis.

Like analysis, Kabbalistic methods cultivate an extraordinary receptivity to Self that illuminates the inner dimensions of the human soul, its unexplored potential, and our relationship to the divine. Its first written fragments surfaced in the 13th century, but the oral tradition reaches back millennia. Its primary symbol, the Tree of Life, reflects a rich cosmology that maps the progression of archetypal forces in the outer and inner world. It helps us track the flow of psychic energy as it descends from its animating source to archetypal image, thought, and finally to action. Like all images of the Self, it invokes the transcendental ordering principle that heals and facilitates individuation.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I’m in Putin’s inner circle. It’s attached to some other business place that I’m working in. I’m wearing a suit. He’s got an office, like in a 1920s socialist apartment building with tall ceilings. It’s not particularly high security, and I’m in it. The place is a bit messy. Putin is thin; he looks like the younger Putin, not the rounder face. One we see on TV. He’s getting medication out of boxes, and I see their statins, and I figure he’s got heart trouble. I take a seat on a sofa, and we’re talking; I’m thinking about how vulnerable he looks like a nice man; actually, I’m sensing that he trusts me, we have a good easy rapport. I’m wondering whether he knows I’m queer and what he would make of that; given the state of LGBTQ rights in Russia, I figure out that there are two pollutants, this real one behind the scenes and the one on TV. The one on TV has a body double, but the rest of the world doesn’t know that. I wonder how I’m going to keep this from the world and whether it will ever come out that I know him and how I would justify that to the media. I go to the bathroom off his office, and Putin’s bath is running. I gather that he is going to have a bath. I go back into the office, smoke a cigarette on the sofa, and we talk some more, and then I leave. I go to another room or to my friends are out of affection. I kiss my friend A repeatedly on the face, whose name I get wrong. She tells me her name is something else. It’s the first time I’ve heard her tell me the name that she says she is hers. I know her by at least two other names. I accidentally kiss her on the lips. The other friend B is there too, and then I realized that I have kissed B, not A. B asks me whether I’ve been smoking cannabis because there is a really strong smell on my breath. I think about the cigarette I smoked in Putin’s office and wonder how it could have left such a strong smell, and for context, she says the future feels unclear.”

REFERENCES:

Dion Fortune. The Mystical Qabalah. https://www.amazon.com/dp/157863752X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CNHVRG5XVEK52RWZMASB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Erich Neumann. The Essays of Erich Neumann, Volume 3: The Place of Creation. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691603871/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_TMA84417K13TPNWG4DGV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. Meditation and Kabbalah. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0877286167/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0HVCPYAXXW8DKHKYXMJJ

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A fiendish inner spirit can prompt behavior that defies self-interest and even common sense. In Edgar Allan Poe’s story, the protagonist acts on his diabolical urge to commit murder, followed by a self-destructive urge to confess it. Jung says, “If he has done it secretly, without moral consciousness of it, and remains undiscovered, the punishment can nevertheless be visited upon him…” The impulse to take irrational and even immoral risks can cause inner torment and lead to damaging actions. The trickster within tempts us to yield to impulse, succumb to negligence, or be recklessly perverse—simply for the sake of indulging the foolish or forbidden. Posing as merely mischievous, the imp of the perverse proffers a sense of power and grandiosity. He challenges us to meet him with the power of self-reflection, ego strength, and restraint, the components of conscious choice. 

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am with my wife and child on the North pole. We are in a small cabin. I don’t know why we are here or how we got here. It is not a familiar place, but I’m not surprised to be here. There is a blizzard raging outside. Inside it is dark; a fire is burning in a traditional cast iron stove. We huddle together by the fire. I am responsible for the fire. The door blows open, and I can see the white blizzard outside. I fear that my daughter will somehow be sucked into the blizzard. I manage to close the door. I search for firewood, but the cabin is dark and unfamiliar. I venture out into the storm and find some firewood. I return inside to tend to the fire. I find my wife and daughter asleep by the stove.” 

 REFERENCES:

Edgar Allan Poe stories online: https://poestories.com/read/imp

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Fairy tales are fierce narratives of human shadow and its transformation. Hansel and Gretel depicts raw childhood trauma: parents abandon their children in the forest in order to feed themselves. Then the children discover a magical, edible cottage, only to be entrapped by a cannibalistic witch. Everyone is starving, a metaphor for psychic insufficiency. The children’s loyalty to one another gives rise to strategy and bravery, yielding riches and redemption—the reward for engaging danger with valor. Marie-Louise von Franz, one of Jung’s closest collaborators, recognized that fairy tales are maps of everyone’s unconscious. This tale invites us to consider how we handle our internal hungers. What might we be starving for? Have we abandoned inner children to the wilderness of the unconscious? Does a witch within threaten to devour tender potential? Or can we, like Hansel and Gretel, rise above our primal forest with consciousness and courage and find the treasure of wholeness?

Here's the dream we analyze:

“I’m on an ocean beach looking out to my one-room house that juts out on a dock above where the waves break. The house could use some work and a coat of paint, but there’s a feeling of pride as I gaze over it. I look down and notice I’m wearing a peasant dress, which is not at all my style and better suited for a little girl. A craggy cliff looms to the left side of the beach. From around the cliff, two sea monsters appear swimming, nearing my house on the water. I wasn’t afraid of them, but watched them calmly. As they approach, they begin to rock the walls of the house, and I continue to watch powerlessly as they wrest it from its dock and tear it out to sea. The sea monsters retreat over the horizon and the house begins to sink. I am then inland but not far from the beach, at a pub in a seaside town. I see my parents in a booth, engaged in a fiddle contest. They are my parents, I know this to be sure, but they are monstrous apparitions, soft as puppets and with frightfully large heads. I try to tell them about my house and that it is gone, expecting some kind of comfort or perhaps an invitation to stay with them. They glance my way but they don’t acknowledge me or that I’m in distress. The fiddle contest goes on uninterrupted. The barkeep tells me that if I’m not there for the fiddle contest, then I will have to leave. The dream ends as I struggle to breathe.”

REFERENCES:

Night Shyamalan Film: The Visit, : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfQnRjkuvaY

Erich Neumann: The Origins and History of Consciousness. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691163596/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_050QS0734HKDZG2S7BJD

John Hill. At Home In The World: Sounds and Symmetries of Belonging. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1685030211/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_E3T32X59A0E42D239D26

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The daimon, a guiding spirit of individual destiny, was discussed by ancient Greek philosophers and still surfaces in books and movies like The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Daimons were particularly linked to creativity and life force and described as lesser deities, divine messengers, and determinative fates. For Jung, “daimon” was a synonym for that part of the unconscious concerned with life purpose, and it spoke through intuition and dreams. Ego’s task is transforming the autonomous power of the daimon into authentic expression in life. Jungian analyst and author James Hillman says, “The soul of each of us is given a unique daimon before we are born, and it has selected an image or pattern that we live on earth. This soul-companion, the daimon, guides us here; in the process of arrival, however, we forget all that took place and believe we come empty into this world. The daimon remembers what is in your image and belongs to your pattern, and therefore your daimon is the carrier of your destiny.”

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am sitting in the front row of an academic lecture in a large auditorium. I can see my father sitting way back in the last row. A speaker is introduced. He begins to perform miraculous feats. For example, although he is an older man in his 60s, he successfully bench-presses over 500 pounds on stage. Next, he begins to levitate. While flying through the air, he proclaims that he is Jesus. He demands that everyone in the audience pray to him in worship. I do not pray to him. He goes around to each audience member and requests a prayer - all obey. When he appears in front of me, he demands a prayer. I hold up two sticks in the shape of a cross and denounce him. I state angrily that “Christ protects me” and that “this old man is not God.” At this point, I notice that my father (in the back row) is the only other person in the building not praying to the fraud.” 

REFERENCES:

James Hillman. The Soul’s Code. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182Q5VQ6/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PQMPE5QJ2S9FWVB3CTAK

Andrew Solomon. Far From the Tree. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743236726/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_47WXXPMBZNTE88VHYTC7

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The word consider derives from Latin considerare, “to look at closely, observe.” Con means “with, together,” and sidus refers to “heavenly body, star constellation.” Observing the marvel of the stars with another is very different from engaging in conflict, “to contend, fight, or struggle.” Conflict summons rigid polarities: for or against, right or wrong, and winning or losing. Significant issues like abortion test our ability to tolerate ambiguity and anxiety without activating the polarizing defenses of judging, moralizing, or demonizing the other. Pregnancy, the archetype of potential life, carries profound emotions--and the shadow of what could be is limitation. Lack of internal or external resources limits our ability to birth many of life’s potentials. Bowing to life’s limitations also holds potential for conceiving new life.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I am in a dressing room/anteroom getting ready for my wedding. My mother steps in and makes some critical remark to me…something along the lines of “you’re never ready on time” or “you always leave things for the last minute.” Then she exits, leaving me alone with my father. We are getting ready together for the wedding. I ask him what all the guests are going to do while they’re waiting for us, and he reassures me that the rabbi of my synagogue will keep everyone entertained while we get ready. I then hear the rabbi leading all the guests in Jewish songs from outside. Back in the dressing room, my father and I are putting on tuxedos. I take out a box of studs for the tuxedo shirt and lay them out across some kind of table with a soft surface (like a little bed or mattress). The golden studs are spread out across this surface, and I begin to sift through them, but I’m unable to distinguish which studs belong to me and which ones belong to my father -- they look identical. I examine them in the palm of my hand and grow frustrated, being unable to pick out which one is which. Then I realize that I am not clean-shaven -- I have the same stubble that I currently have in my waking life -- and grow even more frustrated, feeling a sense that my parents never leave me enough time to get the things done that I need to get done. Then I wake up, asking myself: Why am I blaming my parents for my own time management problems?”

REFERENCES:

Katie Watson. Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0190051728/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_3Q7EQVAVDHD0P85C2ZZ4

Jonathan Haidt. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics and Religion.      https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307455777/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_G79D9A2H4D384SDT8QVA

Daniel K. Williams. Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement Before Roe v. Wade. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0190053321/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_R1DFMY0C5YZW30F4W4T9

Sarah Hrdy. Maternal Instincts & How They shape the Human Species. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345408934/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_J5M6DPS90SQ71WHWAGXC

Diana Greene Foster. The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, A Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having—or Being Denied—An Abortion. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982141573/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_B8F181E6ZEZTVDRDCG7H

Edward Edinger. Ego & Archetype. https://www.amazon.com/dp/087773576X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_BY4RK04790ZKXVHPMVV7

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Schools have existed across cultures and throughout time; the knowledge they transmit leads us out of childhood, shapes our values and world view, and grooms us for citizenship. Schools help us build ego strength and adapt to cultural norms, the goal of the first half of life and the first stage of individuation. School experiences also wound us, as Jung recalled in his memoir. Collective schooling instills the uniformity needed for a cohesive culture, but individual uniqueness may be lost. Individualized education—including home life--can enhance personal uniqueness or compensate for special needs, but lacks universal principles and methods. Education by example allows the influence of the unconscious to be most openly included—whereas in other methods its power may be unacknowledged or denied. Jung says, “I would say, in the light of my own experience, that an understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough.”

Here's the dream we analyzed:

“I am participating in some sort of arts class where most of the students are younger and less experienced than me. We are assigned a project where two art works are placed on each of the four walls. The teacher/facilitator puts on some very interesting music that I like and the students/participants are to dance around the space and interact with the art works in a semi-choreographed dance. There are art materials available if they choose to add to the works, or they can choose to just interact through semi-choreographed dance (pointing, touching, etc.) I make a conscious and intentional choice to sit to one side and observe and absorb rather than to actively participate. During the dance, only one of the participants, a black female, chooses to use the art materials to make changes to one of the paintings. She is frustrated when her colored pencil breaks almost immediately so all she can manage to do is sign her name to the painting. The song ends and the teacher/facilitator immediately expresses her frustration that I did not actively participate. She treats me as though I am a hostile, unwilling participant who chose not to participate out of fear, which is simply not true. She refuses to understand or believe that I had made a conscious and intentional choice. I offer multiple times to explain myself and she refuses to hear me, saying instead that we will move on to the next activity and I better participate this time. I become quite agitated and angry that she won’t listen to me, and say so: “Since you aren’t listening to me, I’m going to FORCE YOU TO!!” I then tell my story angrily in such a way that she and the class have no choice but to listen. I tell how in my readings and studies, I’ve come across two stories that are the reason I’ve done what I’ve done. The first is a story of a man who lived in Greenwich Village in the 70s or 80s who would throw huge, elaborate parties in his apartment, inviting 20-40 intentionally cultivated younger men. He would provide the food and the drugs and the music. Decades later, multiple people who had attended these legendary parties would all describe the scene the same way: that this man would never actively participate, but only sit in the middle and observe and absorb the goings-on. “Don’t you understand,” I scream to my classmates/participants and the teacher/facilitator, “You can’t observe and absorb if you’re focused on participating!!! There was a second illustrative story but I’m too worked up right now to remember what it was!” 

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Guest Machiel Klerk has worked with dreams and healing traditions worldwide; his new book is Dream Guidance: Connection to the Soul through Dream Incubation. Religions, shamanic practices, and depth psychology have recognized the significance of dreams and sought their aid. Dreams open into a deeply intelligent source Jung called the two-million-year-old man. This inner companion is interested in our development and life purpose, and he transports us nightly to worlds of vivid images, fulsome feeling, and embodied experience. Dream incubation invites these encounters into consciousness through a well-defined process: identify a problem, develop a question, and create a ritual of receptivity. Questions related to life direction are especially likely to elicit response. Record the dream immediately upon waking, reflect, and relate its wisdom to waking life. Everyone dreams, everyone is connected to this mysterious source, and everyone has something meaningful to live and give. Our dreams are willing to help us. 

Lisa’s Dream Incubation Question: What is the most important thing I should bring forward for this podcast?

 Lisa’s Dream

“There is a guy who is maybe on a skateboard; I am maybe on a bike and with Deb. We are following him. He is enjoying the speed bumps and the twists and turns in the road. I have a somewhat superior attitude. I am going very straight. I think that we are exactly the wrong people to be following him because we have such different approaches. He seems to really be enjoying himself. When we stop, he comes over and is speaking to me. It is clear he is attracted to me, flirting and telling me I’m beautiful. It is hard for me to hear, but I make myself stay with it. I make myself continue to meet his eye. I make myself say “thank you” and accept the compliment. I know he is totally sincere. He says he knows that one day I will be tucking him into bed. I respond that I don’t think that is going to happen, and he says he knows it will happen. I know that our lives are very different and he can’t really understand mine. I mention something about almost having gone to college in the South, but there were no gothic universities. This man asks me what that means, and I am noticing how “out of his league” I am. Still, I can feel his real sincerity and my own surprising attraction to him.” 

REFERENCES:

Machiel Klerk. Dream Guidance: Connection to the Soul Through Dream Incubation. Hayhouse, 2022. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401968198/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_8EYVRAMB69SR8HFWQSJA or at: https://machielklerk.com/dream-book/#order

Book Depository: Free worldwide delivery of Machiel’s book: https://www.bookdepository.com

Jung Platform Free Online Dream Summit, https://jungplatform.com, June 23-26, 9:00 am PT – 12 pm ET. Click Summit, Dreams & Your Personal Journey.

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 RESOURCES:

Learn to Analyze your own Dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/enroll/