Search

In November 2018, the British Journal of Psychotherapy published an Open Letter on the topic of Jung and 'Africans'. The Open Letter (not a petition) was signed by 35 Jungian clinicians and academics from diverse and international backgrounds. The signatories take responsibility for attending to the many difficulties arising from Jung's writings on 'race'. Rather than proceeding to castigate Jung, the signatories delineate actions which might be taken with regard to the 'decolonialisation' of Jungian psychology. The Open Letter is reprinted here in full. Notes explaining the context and providing examples of Jung's attitudes are provided by the author, one of the signatories to the Open Letter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a methodology derived from management and organizational studies, the author reviews the future of Jungian analysis. The methodology is termed SWOT - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. A selected list in each of these categories is presented. The author is transparent in allowing for the fact that the paper not only derives from a public lecture on the topic, but also retains the immediacy and the contrarian and opinionated style of such a lecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reviews the distortions of global politics wrought by US power and also by US vulnerability. It is understandable that many in the West are far from proud of the achievements of their culture. Those whose concern is for the management of climate change via ecopsychology are right to challenge ‘climate change denial’. But it is problematic when ‘salvation’ is sought from other cultures alleged to have a closer connection to ‘nature’ (itself a problematic term). Though well-meaning, this, the author contends, is politically and psychologically damaging. The author charges many Jungian attempts to compare the ‘Western psyche’ and the ‘psyche’ of indigenous peoples such as the Navajo Native Americans with cultural colonialism, Orientalism, and idealisation. He suggests that other political pathways and projects are needed if the desires of analytical psychology and Jungian studies to exercise social responsibility are to be realised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing as one engaged in the enterprise, the author discusses critically the possibilities and limitations of psychoanalytic and post-Jungian theorizing in connection with consultancy work in the field of organizations and corporations. Slippage between the individual and more collective perspectives is inevitable and, though intellectually inadequate, may turn out to be useful. Often in such work, the paucity of many approaches to leadership available to consultants becomes apparent. The author contributes some ideas of his own concerning the “good-enough leader.” In the next section of his response, the author discusses whether these consultancy interventions are of any use or not, and concludes, broadly speaking, caveat emptor. Finally, specific ethical challenges inherent in psychoanalytic consultancy work are identified and explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Los analistas Jungianos que tomaron parte en la elaboración de este trabajo se refieren explícitamente o implícitamente a situaciones como el estancamiento político, la regresión y el cambio social, a través de su visión personal del concepto de la función trascendente. Singer propone que la función trascendente es un término aplicado generalmente a individuos en quienes el material simbólico parece sugerir el reconciliar de contrarios, que conduce al desarrollo psico‐ espiritual. El observa así mismo que la noción de la función trascendente puede surgir en forma similar en la psique colectiva. Además, él llama la atención sobre el fenómeno opuesto—el cual podría ser llamado la función descendente—tal como aparece en la psique colectiva y su liderazgo, materia en donde su simbólica puede crear la división en grupos de personas, en contrarios, movilizando energías destructivas antes que experiencias transformativas. Meador indica que Jung designó a la función trascendente como el proceso mediador para la asimilación de imágenes e ideas inconscientes al consciente. Así como este proceso sintetizador puede producir concientización en el individuo, también puede ser aplicado a cambios en la sociedad colectiva. Las suposiciones colectivas impresas tienden a cambiar cuándo los contrarios chocan, tal como ocurrió, por ejemplo, en los confusos años sesenta. Su contribución se centra en la reciente revolución, en actitudes raciales y sexuales, producto de una lucha colectiva entre ciertas costumbres sociales arraigadas en el pasado y en conflictivos nuevos puntos de vista. La conclusión de Samuels es que el concepto de la función trascendente tiene poco valor con respecto a problemas políticos. Su contribución se centra en: (I) Las limitaciones de utilizar tales ideas (como la función trascendente). Ella derivó del análisis de individuos para apoyar la comprensión de fenómenos sociales y políticos. (II) El problema específico de una falta de modelos psico‐políticos creíbles para los avances sociales y su retroceso—argumenta que la función trascendente no es útil para esta consideración. (III) En relación a la pregunta sobre agresión política, la violencia y el conflicto en la sociedad explorados desde el punto de vista de la función trascendente para investigar su posible papel en la gestión del conflicto político, Samuels critica severamente lo que él llama "triangulación" e híper‐reflejo por parte de analistas que se comprometen en debates y asuntos políticos. (IV) El liderazgo examinado desde el punto de vista de la función trascendente, no parece pertinente. Más bien, nuevos descubrimientos en la psicología familiar acerca del papel del padre, tienen mayores posibilidades para sentar una base en un nuevo concepto de liderazgo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a reprint of an interview of Fred Plaut (who died in June 2009) conducted by Andrew Samuels in mid-1988 and first published in April 1989 in the Journal, 34, 2, pp. 159–83. The interview covers Plaut's early life, his career, and historical observations of the development of the Society of Analytical Psychology from its beginnings, and of the wider community of Jungian analysis. Plaut reflects uninhibitedly on such topics as the role of leadership in analytical psychology, discussing the parts played by Michael Fordham in London and Hannes Dieckmann in Berlin. Plaut explains his thinking concerning individuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I am responding to your welcome request for an update concerning the Open Letter on Jung and "Africans" published by the Journal in October 2018. At the recent IAAP conference in Vienna in August 2019, the Open Letter was a prominent topic of conversation. I conclude with an anecdote: There was a meeting of one of the IAAP group members in London in order to discuss the Open Letter. [Extracted from the article]

I begin with some general issues and problems of defining the 'S' word. Next, I present a contemporary anatomy of spirituality stressing connections to lived experience in society. The third section is on 'responsibility' and how that links to psychological, spiritual and political concerns. Finally, inevitably, given my Jungian background, I discuss the shadow of spirituality. Throughout I make connections to the clinical encounter and dialogue in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is a critical study of the intellectual relations of analytical psychology and national socialism. I try to show that it was Jung's attempt to establish a psychology of nations that brought him into the same frame as Nazi anti-semitic ideology. In addition, Jung was absorbed by the question of leadership, also a pressing issue during the 1930s. Exploring these ideas as thoroughly as possible leads to a kind of reparation, for I think that post-Jungians do have reparation to make. Then it is possible to revalue Jung's overall project in more positive terms. By coupling a less simplistic methodology and a more sensitive set of values to Jung's basic intuitions about the importance of a psychology of cultural difference, analytical psychology has something to offer a depth psychology that is concerned with processes of political and social transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views on author Marvin Spiegelman's paper published in a previous issue of the journal. Despite the thematic overlap, Marvin Spiegelman's paper and the author's own, "Analysis and Pluralism: The Politics of Psyche," both published in the January 1989 issue of this Journal, were written quite separately. The author found so often when he was writing "Jung and the Post-Jungians" that there was much in common to be found in relation to Jung's work on the part of analysts who would not otherwise be much in agremeent. He puzzled for some time over how to reply to Spiegelman's paper, for it is written in a rather unusual style for the Journal. In the end, he has opted for a low-key, even pedestrian, offering. This is because he has already responded in a more passionate manner in a public setting.

Focuses on pluralism, an attitude to conflict which tries to reconcile differences without imposing a false resolution. Pluralism as an ideology; Definition of political pluralism; Role of pluralism in the evaluation of tensions and oscillation within the psyche.

The article presents information on developments in the understanding of countertransference in psychoanalysis and analytical psychology. It is concluded that there is a consensus that some countertransference reactions are usable communications from the patient. Countertransferences are grouped as bodily; behavioural, feeling and phantasy reactions. Body and image emerge as key themes. This research leads to an examination of the "mundus imaginalis" in terms of countertransference and to the proposal of additional terms, analytical visions and bodily visions.

This paper addresses (1) the history of a cluster of unusual institutions — analytical psychology clubs — which started in 1961 and by 1934 had become established in many of the countries in the world in which there was interest in the analytical psychology of Carl G. Jung; (2) the conflicts involved in trying to unite the relatively informal earlier ‘Jung Clubs’ with the more formal societies being established by the increasing numbers of professionally trained analysts; and (3) the wider cultural and social issues included in the professionalization of analytical psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents books about analytical psychology. "The Narcissistic and Borderline Disorders," by J.F. Masterson; "Autistic States in Children," edited by F. Tustin; "The New Polytheism: Rebirth of the Gods and Goddesses," by David L. Miller.

The author comments on Jungian psychologist Toshio Kawai's response to his Society of Analytical Psychology (SAP) lecture. Topics discussed include the significance of cultural context when Western approaches to and systems of psychology spread outside their homelands, the writings by Carl Jung about Africans, and the reasons why there are so few Jungian analysts of African ancestry.

Presents a letter to the editor commenting on David Rosen's response to a comment by Sonu Shamdasani on his article "If only Jung had a rabbi," in the "Journal of Analytical Psychology".

Presents a correspondence in response to the article published in the January 1995 issue of the 'Journal of Analytical Psychology.' Exploration of psychoanalysis theory of Sigmund Frued; Comments on the themes of archetypes, mysticism, philosophy and religion; Consideration of the failure of empathy and feeling.

Presents a letter to the editor concerning analytical psychology.