This Jungian Life
When we betray ourselves, we abandon our values, needs, or truths to gain approval or avoid discomfort. This leaves us disconnected, fragmented, and unsure of who we really are. These patterns often start in childhood, where conditional love or invalidation teaches us to hide our authentic selves to stay safe or gain acceptance. We see this in our daily lives—staying in unbalanced relationships, ignoring our emotions, overworking, or making choices that don’t align with who we are. We justify it, suppress what we feel, or take on others’ beliefs without realizing how much it costs us....
info_outline ECSTATIC TRANSFORMATION: Activating the Archetype of Radical JoyThis Jungian Life
What does it mean to depose the ego and encounter the dismantling joy of the Self? Ecstatic transformation challenges our understanding of ourselves and breaks the boundaries of ordinary experience, leaving us questioning a lifetime of assumptions. It shatters our ego’s illusions of separation, shifting the foundation of our identity. It is the greater solutio where our ego and Self come face to face. This psycho-spiritual process is symbolized in the Dionysiac archetypal themes of death and rebirth through ecstatic states that transcend the rational, intensify emotion, and connect us to...
info_outline WEDDING DREAMS: Symbols of Sacred Union and Inner TransformationThis Jungian Life
How does one reconcile and integrate opposing forces within to achieve wholeness? Wedding dreams symbolize the union of opposites that spans psychological, spiritual, and alchemical dimensions. Encountering the wedding archetype in dreams constellates an inner marriage that calls for synthesis of known and novel traits and attitudes—depicted as the merging of masculine and feminine aspects or encounters with shadow. Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams will help you understand and prepare for inner union: https://a.co/d/9EyMMgE Alchemy called this process the hierosgamos, or...
info_outline DECISION ARCHETYPE: the power of sacrificing optionsThis Jungian Life
How do we navigate the forces within us to make choices that reflect our authentic nature? Every decision acts as a bridge between the conscious mind and the unconscious depths, connecting archetypal patterns to individual choices that define human experience. Each choice reveals inner conflicts and values, compelling us to confront both personal desires and universal forces within psyche. Decision-making is not merely logical; it is a convergence of intuition, cultural imprint, and raw instinct, calling for integration rather than domination by one mode of thought. In conscious choosing, we...
info_outline SATANIC PANIC: The Archetypal Slanderer and False Memory SyndromeThis Jungian Life
What drives us to seek meaning in the shadows, and how do we discern the real from the imagined when fear and faith converge? The rise of the Satanic Panic in the 1980s drew upon ancient archetypal fears of evil embedded in the collective unconscious, merging with societal stressors like the emergence of fundamentalist Christianity in American politics and women’s increased participation in the workforce with the resultant rise of daycare use. The archetype of the Devil as slanderer can capture a community. Even as they are prompted to accuse others of devilish behavior, they themselves are...
info_outline Jung and Gnosticism: Discovering a Universe Of Whole-MakingThis Jungian Life
What is the ultimate path to inner wholeness, and how do we reconcile the tension between the spiritual and material aspects of our existence? Take up the journey to find your lost spark this fall at Dream School: Jung’s exploration of Gnosticism enhanced his vision of the human psyche. In the Gnostic myths, Jung recognized the modern inner journey—where the Self represents the wholeness we all seek, mirroring the Gnostic Anthropos, the complete human being. Individuation, much like the Gnostic quest for spiritual awakening, becomes a journey of reclaiming our hidden divine spark,...
info_outline CULTURAL COMPLEXES: the hidden force in modern politicsThis Jungian Life
How do unconscious forces shape our collective behaviors and influence how we navigate societal conflicts and personal identity? Free yourself from the collective nightmare—discover the wisdom of your dreams this fall at Political dynamics are deeply influenced by underlying psychological forces known as cultural complexes, which shape group behavior, reinforce divisions, and heighten emotional responses to societal changes. Tom Singer, editor and fellow author of , explains that these social psychology phenomena, arising from emotions and ideas, affect how individuals think and feel....
info_outline DOG SYMBOLISM IN DREAMS: companions, protectors, and guides of soulsThis Jungian Life
How does the dream maker help us when we’re lost and alone in the wilderness of our lives? Let your inner dogs guide you to a deeper understanding of yourself—discover the wisdom in your dreams this fall at We love dogs, and they love us. For millennia, they have held deep symbolic meaning in mythology, religion, and literature, often serving as protectors, guides, loyal companions, and a connection to our instincts. When it comes to dog symbolism in dreams, they can embody emotional support, intuition, or boundless enthusiasm. Whether acting as guardians, like in ancient myths, or...
info_outline JUNGIAN ALCHEMY: the secret of inner transformationThis Jungian Life
Do you need a map to chart a massive inner transformation? Jungian alchemy provides a symbolic framework for individuation, connecting ancient alchemical traditions with analytical psychology to illustrate the psyche's transformative process toward individuation. CG Jung saw alchemical imagery as symbols for inner psychological processes, where the work of transforming base metals into gold paralleled the transformation of unconscious material into conscious awareness. This alchemical process deepens our understanding of confronting our shadow, inspires us to differentiate our true...
info_outline DRAGON: The Archetypal Monster and Ally WithinThis Jungian Life
Across the globe and through the ages, dragons lurk in our myths and dreams, haunting us as primal forces of terror and transformation. Found in almost every culture, these creatures are potent symbols of the instinctive unconscious, embodying both the dangers of the natural world and the depths of our psyche. In Western mythology, they emerge as fearsome enemies, threatening to drag us back into chaos. Eastern traditions, however, revere dragons as wise and transformative beings, symbols of transcendent power and enlightenment. The battle with the dragon mirrors our inner struggle to confront...
info_outlineThe question of whether, when, and what psychoactive medications may be helpful is both big and ambiguous. Mental distress has always been strongly influenced by cultural filters and subjective perceptions. Whereas a person might once have sought to placate a god, sufferers today may turn to medical management rather than mining their psychological symptoms for meaning. In his autobiography Jung describes his years of mental turmoil—and that they became “the prima materia for a lifetime’s work”; his Red Book documents his encounters with the unconscious in compelling and artistic detail. There is much evidence of the potential suffering holds for self-awareness and psychological depth – and it is also important to acknowledge that judicious use of today’s medications can relieve unnecessary or pointless suffering. No matter where on the spectrum of severity emotional illness may lie, psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle, and relationships can all play a role in recovery and growth.
Dream
“I am walking toward a large concrete structure with an unbelievably fit, handsome and powerful man. He appears to be my friend although I am envious of his physical attributes. We climb into a small passage that leads to a clearing in which undulating hills descend into a body of fast-moving water. I am immediately struck that there is a goal or intention to swim across this water and scale a flat concrete wall which is about 100 feet up, facing us across the body of water. My companion says, “I've got this,” and “I do things like this all the time.” He jumps in the water at the exact moment I become aware of holes in the wall which then begin to fire cannonballs. I rush back to where we began to avoid the cannon barrage, but also (it seems) to “watch” the negotiation of the obstacle. I am now with another man who is soft and slightly overweight. I ask him where the best place to watch this endeavor is and he leads me up a stairwell to a room that contains two old CR TVs. One is large and a smaller one is on top of the larger. The room has a greenish-yellow carpet and it looks very much like the late ’70s or early ’80s. I feel sorry for the man because in that moment I realize this is all he can afford. Next, I am struck with an awareness that the fit man has successfully completed his endeavor – although I did not see it happen. I then become aware that the room adjacent to the one I am in is filled with two groups of women. The first group are sitting at a table conducting what appears to be an executive meeting. The second group are on the floor engaging in a yoga class. My wife is among the women doing yoga and her cousin is among the executives. I suddenly am struck by the realization that I am only wearing a t-shirt and I’m naked from the waist down, and I fear they will discover this.”
References
Hillman, James. The Myth of Analysis (Amazon).
Whitaker, Robert. Anatomy of an Epidemic (Amazon).
Perry, John. The Far Side of Madness
Lingiardi & McWilliams. Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, Second Edition
Jung, C.G. The Red Book.