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Freddie Taborda | The Hermit is Knocking at the Door (English/Español)

July 24, 2020

During this pandemia, the archetype of the hermit is knocking at the door worldwide. Then, quietly, he looks at us in the privacy of our homes, with ancient eyes, offering the gift of contemplation with which we awake to what is around us. We sense ourselves more. Also, the hermit’s abode is silence, which welcomes and embraces the fullness of life within; yet, at our homes, his visit may make us tremble with terror when facing such emptiness of sound and the magnitude of the space within. He carries a lamp to guide the inner traveler to the realm of solitude. Yes! During this pandemia, the hermit has brought, worldwide, the gifts of solitude, silence, and contemplation, which, for some people, may be unbearable to withstand, forcing them to run away from themselves. Thomas Merton wrote: “Not all men are called to be hermits, but all men need enough silence and solitude in their lives to enable the deep inner voice of their own true self to be heard at least occasionally.”

(Español)

Durante esta pandemia, el arquetipo del ermitaño está tocando la puerta en todo el mundo. En silencio, el nos mira en la privacidad de nuestros hogares, con ojos sabios, ofreciendo el regalo de la contemplación con el que nos despertamos a lo que nos rodea. Nos sentimos más nosotros mismos. Además, la morada del ermitaño es el silencio, que acoge y abraza la plenitud de la vida interior; sin embargo, en nuestros hogares, su visita puede hacernos temblar de terror al enfrentar el vacío del sonido y la magnitud del espacio interior. El lleva una lámpara para guiar al viajero interior al reino de la soledad. ¡Si! Durante esta pandemia, el ermitaño ha traído, por todo el mundo, los dones de la soledad, el silencio y la contemplación, que, para algunas personas, esto puede ser insoportable, obligándolos a huir de sí mismos. Thomas Merton escribió: “No todos los hombres están llamados a ser ermitaños, pero todos los hombres necesitan suficiente silencio y soledad en sus vidas para permitir que la profunda voz interna de su verdadero esencia se escuche al menos ocasionalmente”.

This post originally appeared on thehealingpsyche.org.

Freddie Taborda, LCPC, PsyD is a Jungian Analyst with over 30 years of clinical experience. He maintains a private practice in Chicago, Illinois.

Links: Dr. Taborda’s Website | About Dr. Taborda | Dr. Taborda’s Page on the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago’s Website

Ashok Bedi & Robert BJ Jakala | SSS: The Password to login to the Spirit -Making Room for the Sacred dimension of life

July 22, 2020

The following post is part of a series of reflections by Jungian Psychoanalyst Ashok Bedi, MD & Jungian Psychotherapist Robert BJ Jakala, PhD. Dr. BJ Jakala is a photographer and Dr. Bedi and Dr. Jakala jointly amplify the image. The ongoing series is available on pathtothesoul.com.

We seek the effective images, the thought-forms that satisfy the restlessness of heart and mind, and we find the treasures of the East.

Jung, 1934/1954/1968, p. 13

I was walking through a small village when I encountered this woman sitting on the wall. When I gestured to her to gain permission to take her photo. She nodded. As I raised my camera, she raised her hands to the namaste position. I pressed the shutter and lowered my camera but continued to look at her looking at me. I felt blessed. Her grounded soulfulness welcomed the moment of encounter with another. I felt her hospitality; without a camera she captured me. There was need for a polite smile by either of us. The gratitude of being recognized at a deeper level eliminated the idea of surface pleasantries.

Life in the United States has very few moments of stillness unless we make them. The pandemic, social justice, political upheaval, concerns about schooling in the fall leave little space for a full acknowledgement. Yet, we all need to be seen, heard, understood, and loved. I would benefit from creating and partaking in more moments with the woman sitting on a wall.

Most of us engage a lifestyle of horizontal engagement with the mundane, survival dimension of our daily, routine and busy existence. This calls for a balance with attention to a vertical axis of interiority, spirituality and the sacred dimension of our lives. When the horizontal, survival axis of our daily life intersects with the vertical, archetypal axis of our inner life, it forms a symbol of the Cross – a symbol of Wholeness. This calls for a sacrifice in the material/horizontal life to make room for the contemplative space to engage the sacred.

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Book Release | Sandplay: A Psychotherapeutic Approach to the Psyche

July 10, 2020

This new release of Dora Kalff’s classic Sandplay: A Psychotherapeutic Approach to the Psyche, is edited by Dyane Sherwood, PhD and translated by Boris Matthews, PhD, LCSW, NCPsyA; both are members of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts. It is published by Analytical Psychology Press. From the publisher:

Dora Kalff’s classic, originally published in German in 1966, is the foundational book of the psychotherapeutic modality she called ”Sandspiel” in German, translated ”Sandplay” in English. In sandplay, the therapist quietly witnesses while the patient creates a ”world” in a shallow tray half-filled with sand. Miniatures and natural objects, such as stones and shells, are provided for use in these creations.

Sandplay is now practiced around the world. Contemporary readers will discover that Frau Kalff’s wisdom and way of working with children and young adults feels fresh and engaging. Her deep insight into the development of the human psyche, with reference to Eastern contemplative traditions and the work of C. G. Jung, has found support from contemporary neuroscience.

Sandplay is widely integrated into therapeutic work with both children and adults, allowing body-based emotions and memories to emerge in a ”safe and protected space.” It has found particular application to trauma, including relief work following natural disasters and in zones of conflict.

In 1985, Kalff and her students founded the International Society for Sandplay Therapy, with branches in many countries. It is a collegial society that provides training and certification in sandplay therapy and is affiliated with the International Association of Analytical Psychology.

A review by Rosalind Heiko, PhD reads:

Kalff’s book is wonderfully accessible, and the case histories of the children resonate with spirit and compassion through their sand stories in the trays. It was the first book I read on Sandplay – and it fascinated me over 25 years ago, as it does now. I highly recommend this edition!

Purchase from the Publisher
Purchase on Amazon

Speaking of Jung Podcast | Interview with George Hogenson

July 6, 2020

Speaking of Jung, a podcast by Laura London, is a wonderful series of interviews with Jungian Analysts. In this episode, recorded on March 14, 2016, she interviews George Hogenson, PhD, LCSW, member of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts.

Dr. Hogenson is a diplomate Jungian analyst in private practice in Chicago, where he works primarily with adults dealing with life transitions, dream work, and trauma.  He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Analytical Psychology, is the author of Jung’s Struggle with Freud as well as numerous articles on archetypal theory, synchronicity and the nature of symbols.  His teaching in the Analyst Training Program of the Institute has concentrated on the works of Jung, and he offers supervision and small reading groups for clinicians interested in Jung’s psychological system. Prior to becoming an analyst, Dr. Hogenson was on the faculty of the Yale School of Management, and a consultant to many organizations on leadership and strategy.  He continues to work with individual executives and organizations on management issues using the principles of Jungian psychology.

Listen to the interview on

speakingofjung.com
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts

Speaking of Jung is available through a variety of podcasting platforms and apps, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. Just search for “Speaking of Jung” in your favorite podcasts app to subscribe on your mobile device. You can also listen to select episodes on YouTube.

Links: The Speaking of Jung Podcast Website | This Episode of Speaking of Jung | The Speaking of Jung YouTube Channel | George Hogenson’s Recorded Lectures on the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago Website

The Salomé Institute of Jungian Studies | The Astrology of Jung’s Red Book

June 29, 2020

The Salomé Institute of Jungian Studies is hosting a series of free weekly online salons on Jung’s Red Book from and astrological perspective. Below is the first of video in that series, by Satya Doyle Byock, MA, LPC, which currently spans 15 episodes. You can join the live salons every Sunday at 10am PDT (6pm GMT) on Zoom and watch past episodes to catch up. If you don’t have one, you may want to purchase a copy of The Red Book to follow along.

Links: The Salomé Institute of Jungian Studies | The Next Episode in the Series | Past Episodes in the Series and Other Videos | The Red Book on Amazon

Psychology Today | Soulwork: Interview with Ken James

June 22, 2020

Ken James, PhD, member of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts, was interviewed by Dale M. Kushner for Psychology Today. The interview is split into three parts:

Part 1: What Makes Jungian Analysis Different

Part 2: Why Dreams Are So Important in Jungian Analysis

Part 3: The Role Archetypes Play in Jungian Analysis

Dr. Kenneth James maintains a private practice in Chicago, Illinois at The Soulwork Center.  His areas of expertise include dream work and psychoanalysis, archetypal dimensions of analytic practice, divination and synchronicity, and ways to sustain the vital relationship between body, mind and spirit.  He has done post-doctoral work in music therapy, the Kabbalah, spirituality and theology, and uses these disciplines to inform his work as a Jungian analyst.

Links: Ken James’s Website | Ken James’s Recorded Lectures on the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago Website

Dennis Merritt | Presentation: Inflection Point in the Anthropocene Era and the Paradigm Shift of Jung’s New Age

June 17, 2020

The following video is an online presentation by Dennis Merritt, based on his article “Covid-19: Inflection Point in the Anthropocene Era and the Paradigm Shift of Jung’s New Age”., with the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, May 10th, 2020.

Dennis L. Merritt, Ph.D., is a Jungian psychoanalyst and ecopsychologist in private practice in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Merritt is a diplomate of the C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich and also holds the following degrees: M.A. Humanistic Psychology-Clinical, Sonoma State University, California, Ph.D. Insect Pathology, University of California-Berkeley, M.S. and B.S. Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over twenty-five years of participation in Lakota Sioux ceremonies have strongly influenced his worldview.

Dr. Merritt is the author of Jung, Hermes, and Ecopsychology: The Dairy Farmer’s Guide to the Universe Volumes 1 – 4.

Links: Dennis Merritt’s Website | Dennis Merritt’s Page on the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago Website | EcoJung YouTube Channel

Statement from the President | June 8, 2020

June 8, 2020

OUR TROUBLED TIMES

We at the Jung Institute of Chicago are distraught and deeply saddened by the violence and racism directed at people of color. We join in solidarity with all our sisters and brothers who have been the object of ongoing systemic racial discrimination, violence and hatred. We express our deepest sympathy for the deaths of the most recent victims of racial violence, George Floyd , Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the untold stories of so many who have suffered from the systemic oppression and injustice in our nation.

We astonishingly watch as the world community from Minneapolis, to DC, to London, to Berlin, to Tehran, to Dublin join in protest together – we witness and join the agony and suffering of the world soul responding to the oppression and ubiquitous racism prevalent in our world. We wish to join all peoples hand-in-hand in bringing greater consciousness and change as the fruit of the lives that have been lost through reckless and violent acts of hatred. 

The Jungian community of Chicago acknowledges that it needs to be part of the solution of bringing healing and care and an ongoing response that involves the courage to speak out and address racism in all its disguises. If we are faithful we will transform racism in both ourselves and in our world consciousness!

As sages throughout history have reminded us, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jesus, Jung and others, that one of the most difficult things is not to change society – but to change ourselves. We all have a purpose and mission, just like our brother, George.

George J. Didier
President

Adina Davidson | From the Sacred to the Banal: Can we Find a Way to Move Telehealth From the Banal to the Sacred?

June 3, 2020

This is part of a continuing series of posts from conversations with Lisa Maechling Debbeler, JD, MA, LPCC about the nature of being a therapist/analyst in a time of quarantine. We began talking on Saturday March 21, 2020 at the beginning of the shut down and are continuing to talk weekly. We were both continuing to work and trying to see as many of our clients/analysands as possible through Zoom or other virtual methods. We were both finding this both unexpectedly and expectedly difficult and wanted to share our experiences with colleagues and friends that we respect.

Lisa sent me a link to some long-term qualitative research being done by analysts who have been doing Teletherapy prior to the Covid 19 crisis. One of the issues they raised was whether Teletherapy brought an experience of banality into a sacred experience.

What makes our work sacred?

For me it is the times when I and my client or analysand experience the flow of healing that is beyond one ego talking to another ego. It seems that the connection or the field between the two of us opens a channel to something larger than either of us could have brought into the room. We experience the presence of the numinous. In Kabbalah or Jewish mystical tradition, this flow is called Shefa which can be translated as divine emanation or flow. Perhaps a analogous term more familiar in mainstream culture might be Grace.

In general, therapists and even analysts don’t talk a lot about this experience perhaps because it is so beyond our control but also because it is beyond language. By definition it is hard to talk about. At the same time, I would argue that without the presence of the numinous/Shefa/Grace there is no deep healing. With it there is sometimes change that seems miraculous or inexplicable.

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Freddie Taborda | The Future of Jungian Analysis After Coronavirus

May 29, 2020

Several years ago, I arrived at a building, and I thought it was empty. To my surprise, I ran into a man from another country (Mexico). I asked him if he was by himself. He said, “No.” Then, he added, as a clarification, of who else was with him: “My soul and I.” 

I was struck by the beauty and the wisdom of his comment, and I found out, later on, that his response was a cultural and popular phrase from his native land. I believe his comment (“My soul and I”) is an archetypal experience that highlights the primary and fundamental direction that Jungian analysis needs to take during and after the time of Coronavirus.

Coronavirus has forced individuals to ‘stay home’; it has compelled people to distance themselves from others; governments from around the world have implemented “social distancing” measures in public places, and the streets of major cities from around the world are somewhat empty. During this pandemic, people are forced to spend more time alone, at home. Solitude has increased world-wide. Individuals are noticing they are forced to be by themselves, at home, unless they distract themselves with electronic gadgets. Silence is more noticeable as well as the absence of other people. Therefore, Coronavirus is leading us to a spatial, temporal, emotional, and spiritual space of “My soul and I.” It is a space of possibilities and terrors.  

I believe the archetypal sentence, “My soul and I”,  has laid out the path that Jungian analysis needs to primarily pursue during and after the time of Coronavirus: the exploration, cultivation, and the caring for the Ego-Self Axis or “the soul and I.” In a letter to P.W. Martin, Jung (1945) stated, “…the main interest of my work is…the approach to the numinous…[which] is the real therapy…[and] as you attain to the numinous experiences you are released from the curse of pathology.” Furthermore, Jung delineated the relationship between images, soul, and the Divine, and emphasized the centrality of the Divine through working with images from dreams, active imagination, and synchronicities. Therefore, in time of Coronavirus, it is important that both analysts and analysands focus, during analysis, on those images (Soul) for ‘releasing’ the individual from pathology.

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Speaking of Jung Podcast | Interview with Tom Lavin

May 25, 2020

Speaking of Jung, a podcast by Laura London, is a wonderful series of interviews with Jungian Analysts. In this episode, recorded on April 27, 2016, she interviews Tom Lavin, PhD, member of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts.

Thomas Patrick Lavin, PhD is a Zürich-trained Jungian analyst who holds a PhD in clinical psychology and a PhD in theology. He was formerly chief clinical psychologist for the U.S. Army in Europe and is a founding member of the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago. He is in private practice in Wilmette, Illinois, and consults internationally on typology, spirituality and addictions. He has many recorded lectures available on the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago’s online store, including Jung’s Commentary on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, and Madness, Religious Experience, & the Wisdom to Know the Difference, and Myths to Grow By. The first part of Myths to Grow By, “Mythologies of Journey & Pilgrimage“, is available for free through the Jungianthology Podcast.

Listen to the interview on

speakingofjung.com
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts

Speaking of Jung is available through a variety of podcasting platforms and apps, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. Just search for “Speaking of Jung” in your favorite podcasts app to subscribe on your mobile device. You can also listen to select episodes on YouTube.

Links: The Speaking of Jung Podcast Website | This Episode of Speaking of Jung | The Speaking of Jung YouTube Channel | Tom Lavin’s Recorded Lectures on the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago Website

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