https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesPDowling

Jung To Live By, Liverpool (2025)

23/05/2022

We are happy to announce that our Grail Knight community is now hosted on Guilded, which is a huge upgrade to our original Discord.

The community is composed exclusively of serious students of, and enquirers into, Depth Psychology.

Steve and James are active in the server every single day, making original posts and replying to others.

You are welcome to join our elite-tier, personally curated membership - all the details on our website: https://www.jungtoliveby.com/product-page/grail-knight

03/01/2022

De-Constructing your "Jungian" Complexes

Clinical insights from Steve Richards - Depth Psychologist with 40+ years of Clinical Experience

Complexes can be 'metabolised' by unconscious, natural self-regulatory processes, for example psychological immune system functions - which is why we aren't routinely overwhelmed by suggestion in our lives.

They can lay dormant, and be re-triggered. It all depends on the strength of the associative bond, between, say, an event, and retro-associative activation.

There's a very wide bandwidth of approaches to this...

An example is deploying a 'counter-complex', built in collaboration with the unconscious and then in the manner of a 'smart-weapon' its deployed to attach to, and break-down the affect-bond that holds the association (the negative complex) together.

In general terms, avoid naming complexes unless it's absolutely clear what it is that you're dealing with.

Names can be misleading, and certainly, the named ones above just show a very poor understanding of things.

Complexes can be 'assessed' but the relationship to them is always dynamic.

'Naming' in a positive sense can be related to the process of dissolving a complex, but, as in Rumpelstiltskin, you have to guess the name correctly....

This text was written by my mentor, Steve Richards, on the Jung To Live By Discord server.

Join here for instant access to thousands more:
https://patreon.com/jungtoliveby

04/06/2021

☕️ Our team prepared something awesome for you guys! Get your ANIMUS INVICTUS mug, and much more Jung to Live By merch at https://jungtoliveby.shop

27/05/2021

▪️I had no idea what I was getting myself into only a few short months ago.

▪️As Carl Jung famously said: "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."

▪️Around 6 months ago, I decided to take my life into my own hands and do a deep analysis of everything that’s happened across my life, including all of my maladaptations, with the hope of finding my through-line: who James is, underneath my Persona. By this point, I have analysed most of my most important memories and social relationships, analysed my Anima Timeline, and worked through my Complexes to the best of my ability - at least, insofar as I am capable of doing so at my current level of experience.

▪️Discovering and analysing your Personal Myth is where your true Depth Psychology journey begins - not with inflated gurus yelling about how evil you are, or nonsensical talk about integrating this archetype, or that one, which only results in further confusion, maladaptation, and lack of truly "becoming who you are".

▪️Have you had any significant realisations as you were working on your Personal Myth?

▪️If you haven’t started working on it yet, Discover Your Personal Myth: Ultimate Handbook is now available in Digital and Print versions!

Digital: https://gumroad.com/l/jtlb1
Print: bit.ly/3eaB6LY

23/05/2021

▪️There are all sorts of things you can meet in your unconscious. The outcome of meeting some of the unconscious contents can vary from very productive, to unpleasant, to say the least.

▪️From my experience, I’d invite you to ground yourself in your own knowledge and theory of Complexes, and keep building your Ego Strength, so that you are ready to productively face whatever your psyche dialectically decides to reveal to you.

20/05/2021

Reading this fascinating study by H. Ellenberger about the discovery of the unconscious — from the invention of hypnosis and trance states, to Freud, Adler, Jung, and New Psychiatry Schools. A must-read fundamental work!

19/05/2021

▪️Parapsychological phenomena are common when a person starts working in-depth, especially in the context of a psychotherapeutic process and relationship.

▫️Exteriorisation/paranormal phenomena are powered by a conflict between the conscious mind and an unconscious memory.

▪️Such a conflict is deeply dissociated from consciousness, and as a result it exteriorises into the environment as a parapsychological phenomena.

▫️It is a homeostatic attempt by the psyche to resolve the conflict - by driving your attention to it.

▪️Parapsychological phenomena are common in therapy since the patient's psyche attempts to transfer the conscious understanding of a conflict onto a therapist (transference).

▫️However, it is the job of a therapist to help a patient to become conscious and resolve a conflict - to avoid amplifying transference, and an unnecessarily long therapeutic process as a result.

♦️The process for working with Parapsychological Phenomena is a part of the curriculum at IPSA, and our students are taught to recognise, understand, and deal with such phenomena in themselves and in patients. If you are drawn to Depth Psychology and see yourself as a psychotherapist in the future, or if you want to further develop your psychotherapy skills - join the course as a part of Cadre 3 starting in June! More information about the course and application procedure: https://ipsa.thinkific.com/courses/ipsa

12/05/2021

The majority of complexes manifest biopsychosocially, and so will have a ‘physiology of their own’ (to quote CG Jung).

🔹Psychosomatic conditions are symbolic conversion reactions to a conflict between the conscious mind and unconscious contents - in other words, a class of neurosis - that isn’t resolved by the psyche's natural tendency towards homeostasis. In the attempt to be reconciled, this conflict transduces from the psychology down into the biology, and can manifest as physical symptoms: e.g. migraines, pains in different parts of the body, or other 'issues' that have no known neurological cause, upon examination.

❗️Important to know❗️
👉Not every physical symptom/illness is psychological.
👉There is a difference between the cause of a complex and it’s ‘expression’.
🔸This is why therapists studying Psycho-Systems Analysis are trained rigorously in systematic assessment and re-assessment skills, as multifactorial systems, like complexes, present simultaneously biologically, psychologically and socially.

You can join our IPSA professional training course now:
▫️If you want to become a psychotherapist;
▫️To know how to analyse and treat psychosomatic conditions (and much more!)
▫️Or as a part of a continuing professional development in the field of psychotherapy.

More information here: https://ipsa.thinkific.com/courses/ipsa
Hope to speak with you soon!

11/05/2021

Jung held that there were two kinds of Individuation: Natural, and Conscious.

🔹Natural Individuation happens organically as a result of completing the stages of life that emerge from the genome, as a timed-release process over the lifespan. This does not require any special psychological effort or training, and one can fully individuate without knowing anything about Jung’s theory or practicing depth psychology. This, is intuitive - why would we have evolved a process that, by necessity, requires Jung's writings to complete?

🔸Conscious Individuation, however, requires great effort and commitment to developing the whole of our personality. This involves making as much of our unconscious contents, as is possible, conscious, or at least, bringing them into reflexive relationship with our ego consciousness.

🔸During the process of Conscious Individuation, by adapting fully to the biological facts of our nature, and the realities of the social world, one will achieve a true bio-psycho-social 'adaptation', and, therefore, will be as balanced and harmonious as one can be, with respect to the true totality of our nature.

♦️Our students at The Institute for Psycho-Systems Analysis (IPSA) are training to be psychotherapists, and are held to the highest standards of self-development and Conscious Individuation - one can only bring a patient up to the level that they have achieved themselves. This is facilitated by first-class resources, wide opportunities for practice, tons of pre-recorded practical demonstrations, and personal supervision.

♦️If you're interested in joing CADRE 3 of our professional training course, click the link https://ipsa.thinkific.com/courses/ipsa

06/05/2021

At a place with a very powerful energy and fascinating history - Holy Cross Church, where Steve and Pauline got married in 1981.

The main fabric of the church dates back to 11th century. Inside the church there is a Saxon Wheel Cross (7th century), and even earlier remnants of fabric that date back to 6th century. This church was originally built on an ancient Druid site (4th century).

Stay tuned, a very interesting video follows soon!

04/05/2021

With Steve heading to Liverpool. In one of our latest videos we break down the dream that revealed to Carl Jung what his Personal Myth was - “Liverpool is the Pool of Life”. It’s a ‘canon’ video for the channel, so don’t miss it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1egK1uFN9k

03/05/2021

Behind the scenes with Yuliya Feshchuk talking about what men can do to appeal to women’s Animus 🔥 watch the most recent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCTZzwslKV8&t=1174s

30/04/2021

“Liverpool is the pool of life” - C.G.Jung

On a recent filming location at Carl Gustav Jung’s bust in Liverpool with Steve Richards. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1egK1uFN9k

15/04/2021

Do you feel a calling towards depth psychology? The Institute for Psycho-Systems Analysis has opened it’s doors! Start your professional training in June 2021 as part of Cadre 3. Apply here https://ipsa.thinkific.com/courses/ipsa

03/12/2020

MOTHER COMPLEX ORIGINS AND IMPLICATIONS
It is hard to come across an adequate clinical discussion on Parental Complexes, mainly because of social and political suppression of this topic in the context of current zeitgeist, even in a therapist’s office. But such complexes cannot be ignored as they are very common, and are a cause of major maladaptation and distress in people’s lives.
The difficulty in spotting a Parental Complex lies in the fact that they are latent and often run on the background of other problems. They are deeply unconscious as it originate from early childhood.
HOW DOES MOTHER COMPLEX FORM
It originates from an early attachment to the main caregiver. The early attachment is a crucial step in person’s development as it determines a frame of self-reference, sense of personality, boundaries, and conscious anticipation for how one’s life will unfold.
There is a genetic anticipation that a caregiver will meet a child’s needs properly (or 'archetype'), and the attachment instinct facilitates this process.
If a caregiver abuses the relationship, then the instincts that deliver emotions to imprint attachment get affected. This begins to build complexes. As that person evolves and develops though puberty and on into adolescence then that initial impression start to attract other material to it.
Since the frame of self-reference is shaped by the early experiences, it is not easy to spot a complex that is embedded in it. Technically, in order to discover such a complex a person will need to contradict their learned sense of identity. This shows the deeply unconscious nature of parental complexes.
Visit our Jung To Live By YouTube channel where we developed a series of video discussions in which three Depth Psychologists provide you an ultimate practical guides of how to get over your Parental complexes.

02/12/2020

You can apply for Institute of Psycho-Systems Analysis if

- You feel a calling towards depth psychology or psychotherapy
- You have a Postgraduate level of education. This is a preference but not a requirement; personal qualities are valued above anything else
- You are from any professional background and consider a career change. Our IPSA Professional Training Course can be conducted online and is flexible to accommodate your learning pace
- You live in UK, EU, US, Australia or Canada

Click here for more details and application procedure: https://ipsa.thinkific.com/courses/ipsa
See you on the course!

19/11/2020

Not all complexes are pathological.

Complexes are simply the functional units of Personal Unconscious.
They make up a dynamic form of memory, a unit which has a degree of autonomy from our normal consciousness.

18/11/2020

FROM BOY TO MAN

An ancient masculine instinct is innate to every male’s biology. It is encoded on a genomic level, and gets released and actualised by men as they grow up.

There are four key developmental stages that determine successful transition from a Boy to Man:

1. Attachment and consequent separation from the mother
2. Engagement and identification with the father
3. Moving on towards connecting with the wider peer group
4. Establishing relationship with a partner

Early adaptation on each stage is crucial for succeeding in the following stages. If the process does not happen as smoothly as anticipated by the genome, many different adaptation issues may arise later in life. For example, pathological influence of mother (overprotective, distant) or father (abusive, aggressive, absent) can negatively affect an impression of a man’s own masculinity, as well as impede relationships with friends, cause issues with finding a relationship, approaching women, keeping a woman, or seeing the potential in a woman.

GOOD NEWS
There are other ways to achieve a reorientation of masculine instinct in case maladaptations developed in response to a pathological environment. The culture itself evolved in a way to facilitate natural release of inner masculinity. A stable enough society allows peer groups to nurture a young boy in a way that compensates for any anything that was lacking in the father. This way an originally dysfunctional adaptation may be overcome and a young man can reconnect with his genetic potential.

We recorded an Ultimate Psychobiological Guide where Steve, Pauline and myself discuss this topic further in depth, and include a discussion of the pitfalls of today’s culture in the context of masculine instinct, and what to do with it. See the latest video on our YouTube channel «Jung To Live By»: https://buff.ly/3lIhXSu

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Jung To Live By