Search

C. G. Jung wrote very little about psychedelic drugs and he took a sceptical view of them. However, he was sufficiently impressed by Aldous Huxley's 1954 account of taking mescaline, The Doors of Perception, to invite Huxley to visit him in Switzerland. Huxley declined Jung's invitation but Huxley's collaborator Humphry Osmond met Jung instead. This paper documents Jung's contact with the British pioneers of psychedelics research and presents the scant material illuminating his views about these drugs. It also determines the efforts of British psychiatrist Ronald Sandison, who was the first to develop an "explicitly Jungian approach" to psychedelic‐assisted psychotherapy (Hill, 2013), and it highlights a connection between Sandison's initiative and the Society of Analytical Psychology (SAP) through the involvement of two SAP members: Margot Cutner, Sandison's colleague, and Michael Fordham, who supervised a trainee working with one of Sandison's former patients. Despite Jung's objections to the use of psychedelics, Sandison and Cutner developed ground‐breaking protocols during the 1950s and they were among the first to document the phenomenon of "spiritual rebirth symbolized in the birth experience known to many LSD therapists" (Sandison, 2001). In two companion papers, I consider Jung's treatment of the rebirth motif in his commentary on The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which later became a central text in the psychedelic movement, and I chart the evolution in psychedelics research from an association with schizophrenia during the 1950s to the mystical paradigms of the 1960s and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of Analytical Psychology's latest issue features a variety of papers with academic and clinical relevance, as well as an interview with Warren Colman, a previous editor and regular contributor to the Journal. The papers cover topics such as the personal and transpersonal psyche, anima projection, embodied metaphors, and power dynamics in Jungian theory and practice. Additionally, the issue includes reviews of books and journal articles, as well as an announcement of the winner of the Michael Fordham Prize. The Journal also invites submissions from authors and plans to hold workshops on different topics. [Extracted from the article]

The September edition of the Journal of Analytical Psychology explores various topics through the lens of analytic psychology. The articles delve into Jung's views on psychedelics, collective polarizations, and the threat of self-annihilation. One paper examines Jung's skepticism towards psychedelics and his correspondence with Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Another paper explores the alchemical understanding of the analytic relationship and its impact on therapeutic transformation. Additionally, there are discussions on emotion regulation, the public understanding of analytical psychology, and an interview with Jan Wiener. The journal also includes clinical commentaries, journal reviews, and an invitation for readers to contribute their own papers. [Extracted from the article]

Freud’s oft-cited hostility toward religion is often taken as a counterpoint to Jungian analytical psychology, with the latter being known not merely to accommodate religious experience but to assert that the religious function is in fact integral to the psyche’s flourishing. An area that has not received much academic attention, however, is the relationship between Freud’s ideas on psychopathology/religion and those of the late post-Jungian writer and founder of archetypal psychology, James Hillman. This paper aims to address that gap in the literature, bringing to the fore concepts that are of central importance to Hillman’s oeuvre as soul and soul-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a two‐part paper: in the first one, a personal story serves as a conceptual prism through which I address the issue of how a queer analyst can be a problem for analytical psychology; in the second, I present some readings and images—mostly from decolonial feminisms—that have been of interest to me lately in my path to queer Jungian psychology, that is, to de‐essentialize and de‐individualize its theory and practice. By borrowing (and altering) the title from Gloria Anzaldúa's (1991/2009a) essay "To(o) queer the writer", this paper explores some themes she has elaborated there on solidarity, theorization and ways of writing and reading from othered points of view. In dialogue with Donna Haraway's (2016) Staying with the Trouble and Ursula K. Le Guin's (1989/2000) The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, together with the imagery of bags, weaving and string figures game, this paper aims to explore the potential of what I have called "woven onto‐epistemologies". By imagining and developing this new condition of knowledge, other stories and theories in analytical psychology may have an opportunity to be told. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Association for Analytical Psychology has awarded its Mercurius Prize for films that embody the spirit of Jungian psychology to the documentary film "Ripples of Physis," produced by Sanae Kawai. The film explores the centuries-old karakami practice of art paper printing in Kyoto, Japan, and the way naturally occurring patterns can capture and express life energy. The film was shown at a conference in Strasbourg, France, and had its first American showing at a private event in San Francisco. The film's director, Ayako Mogi, discusses the process of achieving natural design and the skill of the master artisan, Kenkichi Senda. The film is described as an alchemical journey of transformation and a way to draw closer to the beauty and miracles of nature. [Extracted from the article]

Since the early 20th century, cinema has become a means of depicting the mind for psychoanalysis, providing a platform to discuss mental phenomena. Over time, both disciplines have enriched each other, becoming significant tools for perceiving and understanding the world. One such analytical method is Carl Gustav Jung's analytical psychology, which revolves around the archetypal theory as a central tenet. Jung's analytical psychology focuses on archetypal patterns and the dynamics of the unconscious. He founded his theoretical framework on the intent to heal humanity, relying on archetypal forces in his proposed methods. Archetypal behaviors are activated through thought processes or the assimilation of experiences. Moments of transformation, such as the development of the Self or shifts due to age and experience, involve archetypal processes. Within the archetypes, which serve as crucial references in an individual's long and arduous journey toward self-realization, the "shadow," according to Jung, is a primary element that individuals must first encounter, confront, and integrate. Jung argues that there is a parallel relationship between the shadow and the Ego, asserting that strengthening the Ego occurs as the shadow becomes conscious. As a significant component of the collective unconscious, the shadow archetype plays a vital role in an individual's self-realization. Recognizing and accepting the shadow archetype is a critical stage in achieving psychological balance and individuation. Jung discusses two distinct types of shadow archetypes: the "personal shadow" and the "collective shadow." This paper analyzes the main character, Yalın Eşref, from the 2023 film Boğa Boğa directed by Onur Saylak, using the archetype theory within a Jungian framework, specifically focusing on the personal shadow archetype. Furthermore, Yalın's psyche and individuation process are explored through the lens of the shadow archetype within this psychoanalytic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1958 Japanese Zen master and professor of philosophy Shin'ichi Hisamatsu and C. G. Jung held a historic meeting at Jung's home in Küsnacht, Switzerland. Hisamatsu was touring the world and meeting with leading figures in the disciplines of psychology and philosophy, not unlike the traditional practice of accomplished Zen masters taking extended pilgrimages to test, deepen, and refine their enlightenment experiences. This meeting has received scant professional attention at least in part because Jung asked that it not be formally published. Nonetheless, Hisamatsu did publish their dialogue in Japanese and, thereafter, several translations followed. Commenting on their dialogue many months afterward, Hisamatsu summarized the meeting by highlighting three central areas of interface between Zen Buddhism and analytical psychology: 1) The relationship between "No Mind" in Zen and the unconscious; 2) The similarities and differences in what is meant by the "Self/self" in both disciplines; and 3) The means of identifying and seeking to relieve human suffering. This paper looks more closely at these junctures by briefly highlighting their theoretical implications and, in doing so, seeks to further the dialogue between Zen Buddhism and analytical psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groups of Jungian analysts, which included the present authors, met to discuss four key theoretical concepts, each of which was felt to have problematic aspects if used unquestioningly in contemporary practice. The concepts were: The Primitive, Inner and Outer Worlds, Contrasexuality and Participation Mystique. The discussions were informed by clinical material and specific papers chosen for their critical evaluation of the topic. Four recorded transcripts were made, with permission, for further consideration of the relationship between contemporary Jungian theory and practice using the research method of thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified: Work of Analysis, Frames of Reference and Power Dynamics. The authors discuss the themes in relation to the overarching theme of power, understood as operating at conscious and unconscious levels. The artwork "Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View" by Cornelia Parker is used as a metaphor in discussing the dynamic of challenging foundational concepts. The authors suggest that power dynamics are intrinsic in both the difficulty and the benefits of critically evaluating key concepts, binding together the theoretical (what informs us) with the clinical (what we do in the consulting room) as well as blowing apart pre‐conceived notions of what underpins the analyst's work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This book review discusses "Transforming Infantile Trauma in Analytic Work with Children and Adults: The Clinical Writings of Alessandra Cavalli," a collection of papers by Alessandra Cavalli, a Jungian-trained analyst. The book explores Cavalli's work with severely traumatized children and adults, focusing on the impact of early infantile trauma on the developing self. The review highlights Cavalli's dedication to establishing meaningful emotional connections with her patients and her persistence in trying to communicate with highly defended children. It also mentions Cavalli's exploration of intergenerational trauma and her consultancy work with a staff team at a home for street children in Mexico. The reviewer recommends the book to child and adult psychotherapists. [Extracted from the article]

Field theory as a concept entered scientific discourse in the midnineteenth century. Yet the essential features of a field long predate discoveries about the physical properties and behavior of matter. The paper briefly describes ancient esoteric precursors to scientific field theory, including the Hermetic tradition and archetypal astrology, before turning to twentieth-century sociological field theories and their elemental idea of subjectivity and intersubjectivity. Jungian psychology is a field theory, expanding the limits of sociology in important ways. The paper adopts a somatic archetypal perspective to argue that intersubjectivity, the basis of sociological and psychological field theories, is inadequate. Instead, depth psychologists should embrace intercorporeality, the more embodied, holistic field theory originating in the work of Husserl and Merleau-Ponty. The paper concludes with a discussion of nekyia to illustrate how an intercorporeal field theory can include the underworld in world mythologies. The inverted cosmic geography of one tradition, the Sámi, gives new meaning to numinous encounters with one's ancestors and spirit guides. Such encounters intertwine the subtle energy bodies of the personal and transpersonal worlds, a meeting one can imagine as soul to sole, not just soul to soul. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The February 2024 issue of the Journal of Analytical Psychology features a range of stimulating papers. Silvia Presciuttini's paper explores the impact of mask usage in the treatment setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wes Wallace examines Jung's paper on the psychology of transference and proposes a new translation to clarify Jung's meaning. Ginny Hill discusses the clinical application of Jung's Black Books and The Red Book in therapy for a patient experiencing feelings of being the "living dead." Gunnar Reefschläger investigates synchronicity in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, focusing on relational and transferential aspects. Benjamin Swogger pays tribute to Anthony Stevens and his contributions to the archetype debate. Joe Cambray interviews Ann Casement, discussing her journey in depth psychology and her various roles in the field. The Clinical Commentaries section presents a vignette on unconscious-to-unconscious linkage and the challenges it poses for the analyst. The issue also includes book reviews on a variety of topics. [Extracted from the article]

An oft‐repeated and largely unexamined assumption in Jungian psychoanalysis is the notion of "analyzability", that is, of an individual's ability or present capacity to think symbolically. It is often taught that if someone is unable to think symbolically, a depth analysis is not possible. Such an individual may be more aptly suited for supportive psychotherapy, the argument goes, an experience that may very well lead to the development of the ego's capacity for symbolic thought but is not, in and of itself, a Jungian analysis. While this sort of categorical thinking has, at times, crossed over into ontological claims about individuals and groups, the notion of analyzability encountered in psychoanalytic theory and praxis is often cloaked in facially neutral language. The impact, however, has been anything but neutral in effect. In this paper, I propose a softening of our theoretical edges through a genealogy of the category of analyzability within the broader history of psychoanalysis. Through this excavation, I explore the contingent nature of the category of analyzability, how it has constricted knowledge, perpetuated inequality, and, more broadly, obscured ways of knowing. In so doing, I recover the radically democratic potential that lies at the heart of Jungian psychoanalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronicity describes a meaningful coincidence of events, which is familiar to us from treatments of our patients, but unfortunately has not yet been empirically substantiated. Adding to previous findings that point out beneficial aspects of synchronicity (Marlo, 2022; Lagutina, 2021; Connolly, 2015), in this paper I will show through a series of five synchronistic moments which happened in the context of therapy and analysis and which have been documented empirically, how synchronicities occur and can be used therapeutically. In my research I found several situational factors that can be considered structural aspects of synchronistic moments. Furthermore, I will show that synchronistic phenomena can have a positive influence if certain relational and transference‐countertransference referential aspects are considered by the therapist and analyst. The concept of synchronicity brings the possibility of a further therapeutical instrument for the patient‐analyst‐dyad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Coaching Psychology Review's summer edition features four research papers and two book reviews. The research papers explore topics such as the mechanisms that create lasting changes in individuals through coaching, the role of mindfulness in managing stress and burnout in coaches, the relationship between Jungian approaches and coaching psychology, and the importance of embracing neurodiversity in workplace coaching. The book reviews discuss publications that invite reflection on coaching practice and explore the meaning of being a Coaching Psychologist. The journal welcomes contributions from coaching researchers and practitioners. [Extracted from the article]