Category: JungianTheory

“The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.”

This quote is by Rollo May, who was an American existential psychologist who lived from 1909 to 1994.

What often comes to mind when people think about courage are those heroic acts done by women and men that we learn about through the media:  people helping others at great risk to themselves, such as rescuing someone who is in a life-threatening situation.  I’m very thankful for and impressed by people who have the courage to help others in this way.

It also takes courage to face challenges that life presents to us in our personal lives, such as addressing relationship issues, making major decisions that impact our life and others’ lives, being assertive when it’s uncomfortable but necessary, getting help and making the effort to overcome an addiction, and dealing with many other types of difficulties.

And courage is also needed to endeavor to be the unique person each of us was created to be.  Among other things, this requires us to resist conforming to societal pressures because of fears that we won’t be accepted unless we do.  This is the conformity to which Rollo May refers, and he emphasizes that conformity is a common problem in our society.

Although May wasn’t a Jungian psychologist, his words reflect an essential aspect of Jungian psychological theory called individuation.  Individuation is the opposite of conformity.  Individuation is the inner process where we grow in consciousness and become more whole and unique persons.  We do this by endeavoring to discern and then to integrate contents from our unconscious into our consciousness.  And this type of personal growth also happens as we face difficulties and do our best to deal with them rather than fearing and running from them.  The process of individuation requires us to be brave, but as we become more individuated, we also grow in courage that helps us to deal with future challenges.  In addition, it enables us to be more generous, more helpful to others, more humble, and to acquire other positive qualities.

I encourage all of us to be watchful of our tendency toward conformity and instead to be our unique selves.

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being.”

This quote by Carl Gustav Jung is from his memoir Memories, Dreams, Reflections.  Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who lived from 1875 to 1961.  He founded the school of analytical psychology, and he wrote many books and articles about various aspects of it.  Foundational to his psychological theory were his extensive clinical work with clients and his own inner work.  He was also knowledgeable about a great many cultures, and that knowledge along with his travels to many areas of the world contributed to his understanding of the human psyche. 

Jungian theory emphasizes integrating unconscious contents into consciousness which leads to better self-understanding, personal growth, and what Jung termed individuation.  Individuation can be defined as the process of growing in consciousness and becoming more whole, thereby becoming the unique person each of us was created to be.  Some of the ways unconscious contents become part of our consciousness are by working with our dreams to try to understand their guidance for us, endeavoring to recognize when projection has occurred and learning about ourselves when it does, and discerning possible meanings of synchronicities.

According to Jungian dream theory, the persons who appear in our dreams symbolize aspects of ourselves.  When people who we know appear in our dreams, it is helpful to identify our associations to those people and then to see how those associations apply to ourselves.  For example, when I had a dream where a politician who I do not respect appeared, I was reminded that I need to be more open-minded and selfless—two qualities that the politician clearly doesn’t have and two areas where I needed to improve.  Identifying associations is just one of many ways that dreamwork helps us to incorporate information from our unconscious.

Projection occurs when we attribute to another person or group qualities and/or characteristics that are a reflection of something about ourselves of which we are not aware.  Racial and other types of prejudice are often the result of projection. Projection is not something we do consciously and therefore we cannot cause it to happen.  But we can become better at recognizing when it has happened and then learn from it.  An example from my life is when I had an attraction to a coworker who was intelligent and self-confident.  I automatically attributed many positive qualities to him even though I didn’t know him well.  When I later learned about projection, I realized that through the projections my unconscious was helping me to see that I had accomplished things that were a basis for having more confidence in myself.  Being reassured of this helped me to be less fearful of failure which had been holding me back from starting a new endeavor.

Synchronicities are meaningful, acausal occurrences; in other words, two things happen, neither causing the other, but those two things occurring lead to thoughts that are meaningful for us.  One of the times I recognized a synchronicity was when in one day I had difficultly opening three doors in three different buildings that usually opened without a problem.  I needed to pull one of the doors very hard for it to open, one scraped the floor as I opened it, and the other had a sign on it directing people to use a different entrance while repairs were being made.  I had been feeling some “stuckness” in my inner work, and this synchronicity helped me to recognize that I had been making excuses for myself and helped me to move forward—a door opening certainly symbolizes “moving forward”!

Jung stresses how vital it is that we have meaning in our lives when he says it’s the sole purpose of our existence and that without meaning we only exist.  Only existing is a very limited way of living.

Having a sense of meaning is essential to living life fully.  The people whose words I have quoted in the other posts I’ve written reflect various aspects of living a meaningful life.  Whether their words are about having courage, making sacrifices, growing in faith, acting with integrity, helping others, or appreciating nature–all of these and many other attributes add meaning to our lives.  And growing in consciousness kindles a light of meaning, to use Jung’s words, that helps us to develop these and many other positive qualities.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

This quote is by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who lived in the 1800s.

To be one’s true self is definitely a great accomplishment.  For doing so requires that we make it a priority to endeavor to follow our unique path.  This takes discernment, courage, and perseverance.  Emerson wrote the above words more than 100 years ago, and the challenges to being our true selves continue to be prevalent and persistent.  Societal and other pressures encourage us to follow certain “shoulds” and popular trends rather than to listen to our inner wisdom. 

One of the main principles of Jungian psychological theory is the concept of Individuation.  Individuation is the process of growing in consciousness and becoming more whole.  As we individuate, we become the unique person each of us was created to be.  It isn’t completed in our lifetimes but rather is a gradual process where becoming more conscious leads to our making positive changes.  Our lives become more authentic and we become more able to discern inner direction given to us by the Self (to use Jungian terminology) and by our Creator (to use spiritual terminology).

Some of the ways to try to discern what our inner wisdom is attempting to tell us are paying attention to the symbols and stories of our dreams, being watchful of when projection might be happening and trying to learn about ourselves from those projections, noting possible meanings of unexpected occurrences, and paying attention to our intuitive thoughts and reactions.  It can be helpful to keep a journal to write down these occurrences and also to write down the dreams we remember and our thoughts about them.  It can also be helpful to meet with a Jungian therapist.

By putting forth the effort to be our true selves, we live more genuine, purposeful, and meaningful lives.  In so doing, we experience the great accomplishment to which Emerson refers.

“What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me.”

This quote is by Helen Keller, a woman who when she was 19 months old had an illness that resulted in her becoming both blind and deaf.  With the assistance and companionship of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen learned to read, write, and speak, and eventually she became a famous author, speaker, and philanthropist who positively affected the lives of many people.

When I read Keller’s quote, I thought about how her words apply to the Jungian psychology concept of individuation.  Individuation is the inner process where we grow in consciousness and become more whole.  It is directed by what Jung termed the Self, which is the larger reality that includes both the ego and the unconscious.  The guidance from the Self corresponds to that of our inner voice, which is a religious/spiritual term referring to the same reality.  It provides energy, creativity, strength, and direction to the ego.  The Self communicates to us in various ways, including through our intuition, synchronicities, unexpected happenings, and our dreams.  That’s why it’s important for us to pay attention when we experience these phenomena and then to try to discern their possible meanings and messages to us.

Having awareness only at an ego level is extremely limiting.  Looking “out there,” to use Keller’s words, too often leads to us being influenced by “societal should” messages and behaviors rather than to doing those actions that our inner direction is trying to help us to do.  What is “out there” means going along with the crowd rather than becoming the unique persons we were created to be.  Instead, when the ego has a relationship with the Self, we are able to grow in the qualities of courage, creativity, perseverance, ability to genuinely love, and many other virtues.  Having a relationship with the Self is the opposite of limiting.  It is life-giving and life-changing.

Therefore, as Helen Keller says, looking within ourselves is what we need to do.

“To be healthy, then, has nothing to do with serenity, and less to do with adjustment: to be healthy means to become whole.  We can perhaps say that the truly healthy person is the person who is involved in the lifelong process of individuation.”

This quote is by John A. Sanford from his book Healing and Wholeness.  Dr. Sanford was a Jungian analyst, Episcopal priest, writer, and presenter.  I have read many of his books, and I highly recommend Healing and Wholeness to you as well as his other books.

When reading this quote, one might question why Sanford would say to be healthy has nothing to do with serenity.  As he says in his book, he is referring to the idea that some people put forth that having serenity every day should be one’s goal and that feeling that way corresponds to being healthy.  Although serenity occurs from time to time for most of us, and is welcome when it does, it is unrealistic to expect to feel that way all or even much of the time.  If that were possible, it would mean we wouldn’t experience the many other emotions that are naturally part of being a human being who has feelings, for life includes happenings that cause us to feel various emotions.  It is natural that at times we will feel anxiety, fear, grief, and other difficult emotions.  And it is also natural that at times we will feel peaceful, content, and joyful.

When we feel grief, anxiety, fear, and other difficult emotions, they are often related to specific life experiences, such as grieving the loss of a loved one, fearing we will not succeed at something that means a lot to us, and feeling anxious when people we care about are struggling and we are limited in how we can help them.  Feeling what I’m referring to as difficult emotions not only is part of living life more fully, but also our dealing with whatever is happening that is causing those emotions leads to developing qualities such as perseverance, courage, patience, and empathy.  Such experiences are part of the individuation process to which Sanford refers:  the lifelong process of becoming the person we were created to be, of becoming whole.

Sanford also discusses how adjustment does not lead to a healthy life.  In Healing and Wholeness, he refers to the fact that many people adjust by wanting to fit in and by going along with whatever is expected by the culture they are a part of.  The concern here is that the messages to approach life in that way come from certain people in our lives, the media, the internet, etc., rather than from our inner voice.  Societal messages lead to sameness rather than to uniqueness, and we were all created to be unique human beings, each of us having our individual life journeys.  Also, Sanford points out that there is much about society that is not healthy, so to have adjustment as our goal is to make choices that are limiting and the opposite of health.

Trying to do that which is necessary in order to individuate by following our spiritual path—in other words, taking steps toward becoming the person we were created to be—is not easy.  In doing so, there are times when we will feel alone and have doubts.  And yet making the effort is often accompanied by a sense of reassurance that we are on our path even as we are going through challenging times, and also by times of genuine joy.

“We have to at some level ask the question: ‘What is psyche asking of me?’  And try to live that as best we can.  And that makes a huge difference in our lives and becomes part of the legacy we pass on to our children and to our families and to our fellow citizens.”

This quote is by James Hollis, a Jungian analyst, author, teacher, and speaker.  I have read several of Dr. Hollis’ books and highly recommend them to you.  Some of his books are A Life of Meaning, Living an Examined Life, and What Matters Most.

In order to grow in consciousness, we need to try to discern the messages and guidance of our psyches.  The psyche is the totality of the unconscious and the conscious.  In my posts, I often refer to the psyche as our inner voice.  However we refer to it, what matters is that the purpose of its guidance is to help us to become more thoughtful, courageous, empathic, and persevering individuals.  And then to use those qualities to contribute in positive ways to our world.

It’s essential to remember that growing in consciousness and as a result becoming more the persons we were created to be is not just for ourselves.  It is to help others, either directly or indirectly, in whatever ways our life path leads us to do.  Hollis refers to this truth when he says doing so will become part of the legacy we pass on to others.

According to Jungian theory, we discern what our psyches are asking of us by paying attention to our dreams, noticing intuitive promptings and synchronicities, trying to be aware of when projection might have occurred and to learn about ourselves from it, contemplating possible meanings of unexpected happenings, and in other ways.

Many of the quotes that resonate with me and therefore that I have chosen to write about in my blog include the word “try.”  It is so important to our personal growth and becoming more conscious individuals that we remember it is by trying that we make progress.  The word “try” also implies that things might not always work out in the way we expect or hope—that we will sometimes make mistakes.  But if we expect that everything we endeavor to do will be successful, we are not being realistic, for that’s not how life is.  And if we stop trying because something didn’t work out as we expected or hoped it would, then no change will happen.  That is far worse than making mistakes from time to time.

Since I first learned about Jungian concepts and approaches many years ago when I sought out a therapist for help with some difficulties I was experiencing, I have tried to grow in consciousness.  I have made mistakes and at times I have been resistant to following guidance I discerned.  Thankfully, our psyches remind us when we are on the wrong path to help us get back on track, to give us more chances.

Doing inner work has led to my having a meaningful and purposeful life, which is a gift of great value.  The other motivation for my making the effort to do inner work is my believing, as Hollis says, that it has a positive effect on others, including our children and other loved ones.  By doing what we can to try to do what our psyches are asking of us, we make a huge difference, to use Hollis’ words, in our own lives and in the lives of others.

“If we judge others, it is because we are judging something in ourselves of which we are unaware.”

This quote is by John A. Sanford who was a Jungian analyst, an Episcopal priest, a speaker, and the author of several books.  Reading his books has been of great help to me, and I highly recommend them to you.  Some of his books are Healing and Wholeness, Dreams: God’s Forgotten Language, The Kingdom Within: The Inner Meaning of Jesus’ Sayings, and Dreams and Healing.

Judging others is a tendency that most if not all people have.  We all have values and worldviews, and we often expect others to have values and worldviews similar to ours.  And when they don’t, we can fall into the trap of assuming there is something wrong with them.

When Sanford says “we are judging something in ourselves,” I’m reminded of psychological projection.  Projection occurs when we attribute to another person or group qualities and/or characteristics that might be a reflection of something about ourselves of which we are not conscious.

Because projection happens unconsciously, we do not control whether or when it occurs.  But we can try to notice when it has happened and then do some self-questioning:  Is it possible that what I don’t like about a certain person or group is an aspect of myself I hadn’t realized was there?  For example, if we notice ourselves being judgmental about someone we consider to be self-centered, upon reflection we might remember times when we too have been self-centered.  It’s far easier to notice what we consider to be faults of others than it is to see them in ourselves.

Having a strong emotional reaction to or about another person or group is often a signal that projection has occurred.  That emotional reaction can serve as a reminder to put some thought into what is very likely projection and then to learn from what we’ve discovered about ourselves.  The purpose of learning about ourselves isn’t to be down on ourselves but rather to assist us to change in positive ways by being watchful of negative tendencies we’ve discovered we have.

Sanford’s words “of which we are unaware” point to the importance of making efforts to grow in awareness.  Lack of awareness frequently causes harm to others.  Projection is the basis for prejudices against people with whom we disagree and against people who are different from us by race, ethnicity, sexual identity, age, faith tradition, etc.  Prejudice and the judging of others it leads to are often the basis for unjust laws and even are the cause of wars in addition to the hurt they causes to individuals in day-to-day interactions.

By making an effort to grow in awareness, we are less likely to judge others.  And we add to our self-knowledge which is the first step to making positive changes that decrease the chance that we might unconsciously cause harm to others.

“There is a source within us that always works to bring things into the light.”

This quote is by John A. Sanford who was a Jungian analyst, an Episcopal priest, a speaker, and the author of several books.

One of the reasons I have been drawn to Jungian psychology is the way that many of its concepts correspond to religious teachings and spirituality.  And one of the reasons I think so highly of Dr. Sanford is his ability to clearly write about that interrelationship.

Sanford’s referring to a source within us is an example of that interrelationship.  The source within is the guidance we receive from our Creator which I often refer to as our inner voice.  That source is also the Self, a Jungian concept which can be defined as the larger reality that includes both the ego and the unconscious.  The Self provides energy, strength, and direction to the ego.  The Creator provides our life force which includes energy, strength, and direction.

Another key Jungian concept in addition to that of the Self is individuation.  Individuation is the inner process where we grow in consciousness and become more whole.  We grow in consciousness by integrating aspects of the unconscious that we learn from the symbols and stories of our dreams, from intuition, from synchronicities, and from unexpected occurrences.  And our dreams and intuition, synchronicities, and unexpected occurrences are all given to us by our Creator for the purpose of helping us to learn about ourselves.  Learning about ourselves enables us to change in positive ways that help us to live vital and purposeful lives.  As we become more individuated, we become more the persons we were created to be.  And we were created by our Creator.

Sanford’s words “bring things into the light” speaks to enlightenment.  When we are enlightened, we have a clearer understanding and awareness.  Just as in outer reality when lights make it possible for us to see whatever we’re looking at more clearly, in inner reality something brought into the light helps us to understand the guidance we’re being given.

I’m reminded of people I’ve known or read about who, through their actions and words, are people who are wise, courageous, empathic, and have other qualities that make it possible to live fulfilling lives.  They are not perfect, for no human being is.  But they clearly are on their spiritual path and are people who are individuating.  They are in touch with that source within us that brings things into the light.  This is possible for every one of us, and I encourage those who read this post to learn more about Jungian psychology so that they too will live more fulfilling lives.

“The goal of individuation is wholeness, as much as we can accomplish, not the triumph of the ego.”

This quote is by James Hollis, a Jungian analyst, author, and speaker.

Individuation is the process of growing in consciousness and becoming more whole, thereby becoming the unique person each of us was created to be.  Individuation isn’t completed in this life; Hollis‘ words “as much as we can accomplish” refer to this truth.  As we gradually gain in consciousness through the process of individuation, however, our lives become more authentic and we become more able to discern inner direction given to us by the Self (to use Jungian terminology) and by our Creator (to use spiritual terminology).  And as we become more conscious we are more able to follow that direction.  The proper role of our ego is not to triumph but instead to be in service to inner direction, to try our best to do the actions and make the changes that we discern.

Individuation, therefore, is the opposite of the ego triumphing.  When the ego triumphs, we become egocentric.  People who are egocentric think they’re in control, that they already have the answers and therefore have no need to listen to anyone, let alone their inner voice (of which they are most likely unaware).  As a result, their lives are stagnant rather than changing in positive ways.  Egocentric persons are cut off from the qualities that lead to a more meaningful life:  creativity, acceptance of challenges that life presents to help us grow in courage, perseverance, and other qualities, a sense of purpose, and times of genuine joy.

Some people, especially those who are naturally more intuitive, tend to live in a way that leads to individuation without needing to have a lot of knowledge about it.  By that I don’t mean it’s an easier process for them than for others, for there are always times of challenge and difficulty in order to grow in consciousness.

As a person who is naturally less intuitive, I had no awareness of the concept of becoming more conscious until I started meeting with a Jungian psychotherapist many years ago.  I was struggling to deal with some things going on in my life, and I made the decision to get help.  Through our work together and by reading books that my therapist recommended about Jungian psychology and other helpful topics, I not only received the help to deal with issues that led me to seeking out a therapist, but it was also the beginning of my growing in consciousness that has made my life more meaningful and purposeful during the time since and that will continue for as long as I am on my earthly journey.  And I believe that I was “led” to my excellent therapist by inner direction, even though at the time I wasn’t aware that was happening.  For that, I am very grateful.

The more each of us individuates and therefore becomes more whole, the less the ego triumphs.  This not only makes each of our lives matter more, it also has a positive impact on everyone with whom we interact.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

These words by Mahatma Gandhi are a perfect definition of happiness.  When our thoughts, words, and actions are in harmony, there is no dissonance.  We feel at peace, and peacefulness and happiness often occur together.

Endeavoring to live according to our values can be challenging.  Thinking about and liking the idea of living according to our values is one thing, but choosing to follow our inner guidance, which is shown by our actions, is another.  It requires courage, especially when some of our values are not embraced by people we care about, including family members and friends.  Sometimes we hold back from making changes that we believe we should make because we fear people will be critical of us, will try to convince us not to change, and/or will avoid us.

I’ve experienced some of these reactions at various times, including when I made the decision to stop eating meat.  A number of years ago, I had a dream which clearly gave me inner guidance to become a vegetarian.  I had never thought about being a vegetarian before that, but I knew it was the right thing for me to do.  Discerning the dream’s message also led to my reading about the many benefits of not eating meat.

When I was planning a visit to my parents the first time after making that decision, I let them know about it ahead of time.  My father was especially against my decision and tried to convince me that I was making a mistake.  I believe he was concerned I’d be missing nutrition he had been raised to believe was essential, but I also believe he didn’t like the idea of me being different.  Eventually my father stopped trying to change my mind, but there were a few months of discomfort between us as he struggled to accept the choice I had made.  I have never regretted following my dream’s direction, for there’s no question in my mind that I am a healthier person as a result.

A key Jungian concept is individuation, which can be defined as the inner process where a person grows in consciousness and becomes more whole.  We grow in consciousness by paying attention to our dreams and their symbolism, noting synchronicities and trying to discern their possible meaning, paying attention to unexpected occurrences and our reactions to and feelings about them, and trying to be aware of when projection is occurring and what it might be telling us about ourselves.  In addition to helping each of us to evolve as individuals, becoming more conscious increases our ability to care about and help others.

Endeavoring to do these things takes time and effort.  They are time well spent and effort worth making, for they lead to us to having a more purposeful and meaningful life, a more harmonious life.