loader from loading.io

Episode 105 - Ancestors: Our Psychological Inheritance

This Jungian Life

Release Date: 04/02/2020

JUNGIAN ALCHEMY: the secret of inner transformation show art JUNGIAN ALCHEMY: the secret of inner transformation

This 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 Within show art DRAGON: The Archetypal Monster and Ally Within

This 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_outline
STUCK IN THE COMFORT ZONE: When Wrong Feels Right, and Right Feels Wrong show art STUCK IN THE COMFORT ZONE: When Wrong Feels Right, and Right Feels Wrong

This Jungian Life

Too often, we cling to what feels familiar, even when it harms us or others. We shy away from what’s better because it feels odd or awkward. Understanding the tension between Ego-Syntonic and Ego-Dystonic behaviors is essential for personal growth. Often, we cling to familiar patterns that feel comfortable (ego-syntonic), even when they increase our suffering, while the changes that can truly transform our lives feel unsettling (ego-dystonic). By embracing the discomfort of novel actions and confronting the parts of ourselves we have long rejected, we can align with our authentic Self. True...

info_outline
PARENTAL COMPLEXES: How They Shape Your Child’s Future show art PARENTAL COMPLEXES: How They Shape Your Child’s Future

This Jungian Life

Our parent's complexes influence their behavior toward us, causing unintended consequences. It's as if we were raised by their unresolved emotional issues. Parental complexes shape our emotional and psychological development, influencing how we relate to others and perceive ourselves, often in ways we aren’t fully aware of. These feeling-toned webs of unresolved emotional struggles unconsciously shape our parent’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors. To some degree, we are raised by our parent’s complexes rooted in generational trauma, cultural pressures, and societal expectations. As...

info_outline
SHADOWLAND: Relentless Pain  - the story of Jean Campbell show art SHADOWLAND: Relentless Pain - the story of Jean Campbell

This Jungian Life

JEAN CAMPBELL  is a supermodel who from the outside looks to be living a fairy tale life. Stunningly beautiful, she has modeled on the international stage for brands including Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton and Burberry. Of course, nothing is ever so simple (especially in fairy tales). After experiencing a traumatic injury at a young age, Jean had to learn how to live with chronic pain. She underwent multiple surgeries, and confronted despair induced by the extreme physical and emotional challenges she faced.  Shadowland is our This Jungian Life forum for exploring...

info_outline
Demure Social Media Trend: Elegant or Oppressive? show art Demure Social Media Trend: Elegant or Oppressive?

This Jungian Life

Does the Demure social media trend offer a path to true elegance or reinforce restrictive norms in an extroverted world? The Demure social media trend has become a countercultural movement that seems to promote elegance, modesty, and introspection in stark contrast to the flamboyant exhibitionistic behaviors often seen online. It forces us to question whether its rise signifies a return to refined values or a subtle form of oppression, as it compensates the extroverted behaviors that dominate modern society. By prioritizing simplicity, restraint, and authenticity, the demure trend resonates...

info_outline
Loyalty to Self and the Death of Illusion show art Loyalty to Self and the Death of Illusion

This Jungian Life

Loyalty is deeply tied to our identity and evolves unconsciously, shaping our relationships and expectations. This evolution is influenced by attachment styles and can be manipulated in political contexts, distorting our sense of fairness. Disillusionment occurs when our loyalty to people, institutions, or ideas meets harsh reality, leading to the painful but necessary process of individuation. Mourning the loss of illusions requires taking responsibility for our lives and listening to the wisdom of the unconscious. Choosing Self over the system—whether through personal decisions like coming...

info_outline
VOLCANO: ARCHETYPE OF CREATION AND DESTRUCTION show art VOLCANO: ARCHETYPE OF CREATION AND DESTRUCTION

This Jungian Life

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...

info_outline
The Secret Life of a Woman's Soul show art The Secret Life of a Woman's Soul

This Jungian Life

What is unique about the evolution of consciousness in the female psyche? Hilary Morgan, filmmaker and granddaughter of Christiana Morgan, created the documentary "Tower of Dreams" to lift up her grandmother's significant contributions to analytical psychology and her exploration of the feminine psyche. Christiana's visionary art and collaboration with Carl Jung, particularly her influence on the Vision Seminars, were pivotal in clarifying how archetypal forces emerge in the psyche and eventually adopt human forms. Her tower embodied her individuation process and created sacred space to...

info_outline
UNLOCK THE POWER OF SYMBOLS show art UNLOCK THE POWER OF SYMBOLS

This Jungian Life

Author, teacher, and Jungian analyst Murray Stein helps us unlock the power of symbols.  Symbols, as the keys to unlocking psychological forces, have the transformative potential to heal our suffering and restore our relationship to the center of our being. These images connect our waking minds to the unconscious reservoirs of creativity and emerging potential. From historical religious practices to modern everyday life, symbols evoke powerful emotional and psychological responses that can guide or manipulate us. Whether through dreams, visions, or cultural contexts, symbols bridge the...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

The archetype of origins is in resurgence since the advent of ancestry-mapping programs. What are the psychological and symbolic meanings of ancestry? Identity is often strongly linked to ancestry in its ethnic and cultural aspects, and as the carrier of personal traits.

Genealogy gives rise to meaning-making narratives such as: I get my talent for storytelling from my Irish forebears. Jung knew that family complexes are handed down when he said, “Psychologically, the central point of a human personality is the place where the ancestors are reincarnated.” Genograms, another mapping technique, allow us to trace those intellectual and emotional family patterns.

Every individual rests on a historical foundation of family, tribe, clan, and nation—and, at levels below consciousness, we are also affected by our common roots in the primeval past and the mysterious central fire of life. In order to differentiate from this multi-layered context, it can help to know it.

 

Dream

I was in a quaint English village. Next to the village ran a river, and on the other side of this river were fields. A traditional Cotswold stone bridge joined both sides of this river. Suddenly, I seemed to be competing in some sort of local race. I was competing in this race against 2 friends/girls (unknown to me). I remember pushing myself past one of the girls to place first in this race.

I remember feeling a little self-conscious of the fact that I had not let this friend of mine win, and hoped that she didn't think I was being a "dick". The race centered and finished around the bridge joining both sides of the river. As I stood on this bridge and looked down at the river, I noticed a dog (possibly a Springer Spaniel) was drowning. I felt a strong urge to save this dog, and felt sad that it was in such distress.

As I looked on in horror I noticed some netting was beginning to cover the surface of the river (a bit like when you cover a pond or swimming pool). I knew at that point the dog was going to die, as it could no longer come up for air. I could hear sirens in the distance, which seemed to indicate both the possibility of help and danger in the form of police sirens (something/someone coming to reprimand me). It was forbidden to jump in the river but I did it anyway. I pulled the dog out of the river, at which point I noticed it had morphed into a Seal.

I began to care for this Seal, and in doing so, it again morphed in to a small, podgy young boy. I held the young boy in my arms, and I told myself, "I'd do it all again despite the potential danger". I was relieved I had saved the dog - seal - young boy. There was a sense of heroic accomplishment.

References:

Monica McGoldrick: source of multiple books on genograms (Amazon).