25/02/2022
Exciting news about upcoming course - if you require further details, please pm me.
This is just a reminder that deadline for registration for the next Jungian Principles and
Practice Course is ๐ง๐ต๐๐ฟ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ญ๐ณ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ.
I thought I would give you a brief taster of the first module โ Individuation.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
Jung first mentions Individuation in Collected works 6, Psychological Types. Psychological types was translated into English by H. G. Baynes, and the English translation was actually subtitled โThe psychology of individuation. "
In Psychological Types, Jung describes the process of individuation in the following terms: โIn general, it is the process of forming and specializing the individual nature; in particular, it is the development of the psychological individual as a differentiated being from the general, collective psychology. Individuation, therefore, is a process of differentiation, having for its goal the development of the individual personality. "
He further writes: "Identification [with the dominant function] then leads to the formation of a secondary character, the individual identifying with their best developed function to such an extent that they alienate themself very largely or even entirely from their original character, with the result that their true individuality (q.v.) falls into the unconscious. This is nearly always the rule with people who have one highly differentiated function. It is, in fact, a necessary transitional stage on the way to individuation.
In โThe Way of Individuationโ Jolande Jacobi describes two kinds of individuation: The โNaturalโ or โbiologicalโ kind, this happens without the need for our conscious effort or attention โ our bodies grow and mature automatically and without our having to โdecideโ for this to happen โthis is one very obvious example of the natural kind of individuation. Then there is the โartificialโ โ later called โconsciousโ - kind of individuation โ this only happens through our conscious decision and โaided for instance by analysis, developed by definite methods, and consciously experienced.โ
Jacobi says that the difference between these two types of individuation is โas different as, say, a wild fruit and a highly cultivated one. In the first case everything is left to the natural process; in the second, this is assisted, intensified, and consciously realized by the application of a specific technique.โ
The โtechnique, 'or rather โtechniquesโ being referred to are depth psychotherapy/analysis, dream work and Active Imagination.
Later in the same book, Jacobi writes โGenerally speaking, there is a polar relationship between the two forms of life [i.e. โnaturalโ and 'consciousโ individuation], since the one often develops at the expense of the other. We observe, for instance, that spiritually strong, creative people, the so-called "geniuses", are often weak biologically and compensate this weakness by their outstanding spiritual achievements, as though Nature did not permit them to belong to both realms in equal degree. For every plus on one side must be paid for with a minus on the other. "
And, in the same piece, she gives what can read like a quite dire warning โ โLike a seed growing into a tree, life unfolds stage by stage. Triumphant ascent, collapse, crises, failures, and new beginnings strew the way. It is the path trodden by the great majority of mankind, as a rule unreflectingly, unconsciously, unsuspectingly, following its labyrinthine windings from birth to death in hope and longing. It is hedged about with struggle and suffering, joy and sorrow, guilt and error, and nowhere is there security from catastrophe. For as soon as a [person] tries to escape every risk and prefers to experience life only in [their] head, in the form of ideas and fantasies, as soon as [they] surrender to opinions of "how it ought toe" and, in order not to make a false step, imitates others whenever possible, [they] forfeit the chance of [their] own independent development. ๐๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ [๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ] ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐จ [๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐จ] ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก [๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ] ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐ [๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง]๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ช๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ [๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ] ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐ค๐๐. "
Jungian theory, and the work of Marie-Louise von Franz in particular, has looked at the way in which most of the worldโs myths, and in European culture, Fairy Tales, are symbolic representations of the path of conscious individuation. So, for instance, in the story of โSleeping Beauty "the sleeping princess represents that aspect which Jung described as being our โoriginal characterโ and which, in other places he describes as the โsoulโ and ultimately the Self, whilst the prince represents that part which is โalienated very largely or even entirely from our original character,โ now awakened and desperately seeking to be reunited with our original Self.
So, how can we begin to live this second, conscious individuation process?
Well, the main task is to separate ourselves out from the collective assumptions that surround us (both internally and externally, both the collective and the archetypal). So, here is a simple exercise to begin the process โ for the next month try to remember to be more conscious of your choices. So, for instance when you are shopping for groceries, or when you go into the kitchen to prepare a meal, ask yourself โWhere is this decision coming from?โ and โIs this really what I have decided to put into my body?โ and if so โOn what am I basing my decision?โ For many people, this practice can be very challenging, and indeed consciousness transforming.
๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฌ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐!
