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Episode 116 - Finding Resilience: A Conversation with Jim Hollis

This Jungian Life

Release Date: 06/18/2020

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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James Hollis, noted Jungian scholar, teacher and author, joined us to discuss resilience. His new book, Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times, will be available on Amazon in mid-June.

 

When life rhythms and habits are suspended or upended, we may find ourselves adrift. What supports us then? For most of history institutional religion, tradition, and tribal mythology unified communities and connected members to the transcendent. Today, however, discovering the capacity for creativity, wisdom and connection to a larger reality has become increasingly an individual endeavor. Hardship and its associates, anxiety, depression and desperation, can be the catalyst for turning from external authorities to the internal world. Our instincts, feelings and nightly dreams are accessible, autonomous and informative. They tell us what we don’t know about our values, issues, and actions—and they insist on re-accessing personal myth and meaning, for that is what moves us to an authentic journey. Real life wants to live in us and through us.