/r/Jung
We discuss the ideas and life of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (pronounced YOONG), and all things Jungian. We like to discuss symbols, myths, dreams, culture, alchemy, and Jung's unique contributions to psychology such as archetypes, personality types, dream analysis, the collective unconscious, and synchronicity. Welcome!
Please note this forum cannot provide a substitute for professional advice or one to one therapy.
Orientation:
Welcome. This is a space for discussion of the life and work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung and all things Jungian.
Basic guidelines & code of conduct:
A civilised discourse is preferred, with respect towards all participants. Mods generally keep a light hand but we will remove any material, or persons if required.
Content & How to use this subreddit:
Highlighting how your post content is Jungian related, either in the post title or its subject matter, is important and required. If it is not clear how a post relates to Jung it will tend to generate disapproval from the readership and may be removed.
Please include with any post, particularly if a meme, a dream interpretation request or a video post, some broader context.
Please see Reddit Content Policy for further information.
Disclaimer:
The mods in this sub are enthusiasts, familiar with Jung's work and model but not professional analysts. Though we take care to guide and act responsively to content posted here we are not responsible for how that content is interpreted or applied.
The advice given in this subreddit does not qualify as professional psychological advice. If you are experiencing profound mental and emotional difficulties a professional point of contact is recommended.
Jung Resources
Dreams
Videos
Podcasts and Audiobooks
/r/Jung
If there is life on another planet and if there is consciousness, not just plant and animal life, but awareness, they must have their own collective unconscious. Also their own God too. Would it be the same God, the same Self as ours but in different imagery and symbols? I very much wonder about this and what Jung wrote on UFO's doesn't answer it. I'm curious what do you guys think.
I believe Social Medias give a slightly more concrete shape to what Jung called Collective Subconscious. However, it could also be that what we call " Real World" is nothing but our own unconscious collectively taking some ( illusory) shapes. After all, there are prominent scientists embracing a theory which sees the Universe as a hologram, even if it is still a bit " fringe Science". Any idea????
I have just remembered several dreams that deeply unsettled me in my childhood. I wonder whether there are some known themes.
Dream 1. The wolves.
Probably the earliest dream I can remember. The chronology is quite fuzzy. I was maybe like 5?
It went like this: I was looking out of the window in my childhood home (we lived in an old part of a European city with lots of old buildings). I see a window in the distance with a sickly yellow light, like from a single dusty incandescent bulb. Then “the camera” flies out and looks inside of this window. There is a room with no furniture, bare wooden floors, and indeed a single lightbulb dangling from the floor. In the center there is an old lady (70-80 years by the look of it) in a wooden rocking chair. She has an old rotary dial phone on her lap. Suddenly a wolf pack enters the room and the wolves start to circle her. The woman lets out an ungodly scream, crying and visibly terrified. I feel paralyzed and can just watch as the wolves circle around her, the circle getting narrower and narrower. I understand she is done, but no one in a big city can hear her scream.
This dream maybe recurred twice. Because I’m unsure whether she tried to use the phone or not. Maybe in one recurrence she did.
Dream 2. Doctor and a death sentence.
I was like 6 or 7. Me and my parents are at a doctor’s, but surprisingly we are just in his apartment. He is a dude in his 30s, so quite a young for a doctor (the family doc we had at that time was much older, and she was a woman). The vibe is casual and non-medical almost, looking back at it he is like a psychoanalyst or a homeopath? He still has a white lab coat.
The doctor is kindly, but firmly says that, sadly, I have several hours left to live. And I must decide, what will I want to do in my last moments. I’m terrified, and my parents are visibly disturbed, probably hugging each other. Doctor asks once again, what would I do. And then it turns to hilarity, as I say that well, I’d probably like to do something on my dad’s computer (which I was obsessed with, even if there are no games).
Dream 3. The snake
In my childhood I was completely terrified of snakes, to the point of being afraid to look at them in pictures etc. (The similar fear was of skull imagery, but that’s irrelevant for now). This dream happened when I was around 12.
The dream was really short. I fall down in our apartment and find myself paralyzed on the kitchen floor, lying on my belly. Then the door swings open, like it was kicked in. And a large green-ish fat snake enters right at me, tongue flailing, and she nears me. I scream at the top of my lungs and the dream dissipates as if it was fog.
I stopped having a fear of snakes after that dream anymore.
Preface: I wrote this essay for absolutely no reason, and of all the communities I'm in I think Jung meets most of the criteria I'm hoping for. Largely I do mention him by name, and think his analysis of a poor translation directly preceded him not following his own advice in not trying it at home with the Red Book. Regardless, I hope you at least find it interesting.
I have already written a rather metaphysical text in the vein of 80s counterculture pop magick, attempting to address the hows and psychology of the practice from a westerners perspective. I notably use the spelling “magick” with a K at the end indicating Crowley's difference between sleight of hand and spiritual practice however; while I find Crowley’s distinction useful and his effect on society to be overall necessary in many ways, I do not like the man. The text I would argue is unfinished and largely doesn’t cover the width and breadth of my true understanding from a historical perspective, nor does it focus my aim at trying to establish a scientific understanding of what I understand as a natural biological phenomena that has been spiritualized. Although I do think the spiritual component is somewhat necessary as the way to navigate the phenomena is largely through meditative practice and visualization, this makes the practice somewhat difficult to study with any scientific scrutiny. To further the issue, while the phenomena is rather normative in eastern society most studies on the practice fall into the realms of philosophy or history, and while the academics studying it may bring a common thread to light in the practice itself, it is still distinguished from phenomena that can be understood and measured in those areas. Indeed the word chi in Chinese is used synonymously with gas so finding any kind of study on the biological phenomenon is somewhat more challenging pouring through academic publishings in the shared database (“inner alchemy, 内丹” yields best results here). I think the importance of study in this field is somewhat synonymous to finding the microbe, as it is indeed a function still hidden in regards to human senses and widespread understanding.
Using the term “eastern society” rather loosely as the phenomena persists historically and modernly throughout non English Asia with some caveats as practice is largely “religious” if we assume religiosity means simply a “belief in a conscious agent greater than oneself, or forces unseen,” I would argue though many of these practices are codified in ways that can be considered scientific if one takes the meaning of science as “that which is reproducible.” Also there is some precedent that the use and understanding of chi was an archaic ‘global’ practice in one form or another but survived in some cultures over others into contemporary, the question of ‘why’ could be likely found in linguistic markers but ultimately the surrounding codification of terms and meditative practice has been largely kept in canonical and somewhat secret sects that survived in near isolation, as many of these philosophies seek and sought discretion. In fact, one such text “The Secret of the Golden Flower” was a sort of pamphlet using secretive language and symbols to appeal only to those that could decipher its meaning, indeed Wilhelm did his best to translate for Jung’s analysis and fell short in his understanding as the language is so coded that it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny without an underlying understanding of the practice itself and philosophical framework it suggests. The Secret of the Golden Flower’s secretive coded language suggests it was somewhat heretical (there is precedent for this), but perhaps it was also coded so as to maintain a religious hold over its applications. Many texts around the subject only infer the writer's thoughts in regards to practicing inner versus outer alchemy stressing one over another, there are many shifts in opinion and debate, but the core practice is still somewhat shrouded because of codification and the secretive nature of the pursuit.
My preference of the word “chi” over that of psi or prana is unique. While the term prana could be synonymous, the body of language suggests more than chi does in simplicity. Prana implies a connotation connected to Vayus or breathing techniques present in yogic meditative pursuits. While my familiarity with yoga isn’t as strong, and I hold only a philosophical understanding through my own meditative lens which too is somewhat biased. I don’t hold the yogic body of knowledge in contempt, rather my argument is: in pursuit of a scientific proof, one must establish a baseline from which to work from and accepting an entire body of work at face value doesn’t qualify for clean data. The Daoist philosophy is more appealing in this approach as it synergizes well with the ataraxic ideals from Phyrronist philosophy. The irony is Phyrronist philosophy can likely be rooted in India’s interaction with Greek philosopher Pyrro of Ellis but one may also find a cultural link with esoteric Daoist practices as well as the cultural exchange of ideas historically is tantamount and as formative as the great Greek discourse. Ideally to study this phenomena with the hypothesis “Chi is a biological function,” it follows to find the ideology that says the least regarding the practice, and to observe other approaches into the ‘alchemy’ with a scientific scrutiny. Psi has its own connotations that roots itself in parapsychology, and carries with it a few core tenets that don’t necessarily help describe a baseline phenomena as it seeks to utilize the fruits without understanding the root of its source and my aim is to understand the body of the phenomena in totality. One such example would be seeing as the works in Pranayama focuses on centers in the body where we may then compare our medical data to see what it is the codified language shares in common, what we may derive from a shared understanding, and where to look to understand forms and functions therein. This “sense” and philosophies surrounding it, should thus be regarded as a description of an innate biological technology that can and should be explored as such.
Esoteric texts that do exist on the subject are rather instruction manuals to formalize the approach in one’s practice; the texts further seek to establish a kind of goal for the practitioner to reach. The word “alchemy” is used in Chinese translations to refer to a historical understanding of past alchemists from European alchemists seeking similar pursuits, indeed all science was alchemy in one form or another, Newton was the last alchemist before academia really burnished the age of reason. Alchemy is often misrepresented as someone seeking an easy way to transmute lead into gold, and certainly there may indeed be some precedent in this matter, but largely alchemy was a loose term applied to all sciences before the vagaries of spirit was exorcized. So to apply that logic to “inner alchemy” how does one proceed?
Unfortunately all evidence in this field is only verifiable by human senses, and indeed it uses the individual body for measurement of success. External validation within these sects comes from a line of practitioners more advanced in their ways to pass on this knowledge applicable to how it applies individually on a case by case basis. I think it unnecessary to prove the phenomena through a sort of double blind study as the depth of practice and implications are rather more interesting than the learning of a new unexplored sense that could indeed expand understanding much more than it existing as a simple fact. The double blind too has an issue in that it can be reproduced only by those who are able to utilize this practice as the agent administering the chi for those to feel it in the study group, so it would then be a question of good faith authority to see the study in its own terms, and that kind of scrutiny doesn’t work in academia. Ultimately we don’t have the academic language to accurately derive qualia of the phenomenon. Imagine the sense “smell” had no underlying background except in a few individuals who sought out the ability to smell things, also smell had been codified and hidden within a few ideological sects wherein one may achieve the sense in totality if only they were pursuant in the practice; How then would one begin the process of describing the scent of a rose?
Viewing chi as a sense that some can emulate and most can learn simplifies the academic approach. By minimizing individual bias, we can focus on understanding the fundamental nature of the phenomenon; to do this however, it would require the use of individuals until a technology can be made to both sense and disperse the phenomena itself, further technological applications that could be interfaced by using this phenomena would still require individuals able to utilize the ability however, any expedition into the area would need a few approaches. First one needs to detect and implement the phenomena without the use of any individual. Second, there should be an established baseline that seeks to understand the commonalities between the esoteric practices, reducing them to their simplest terms so we may have a generalized method of traversing the topology without spiritual influence, not to say the spiritual findings have no inherent value rather, it is up to an individual to derive these meanings, the scientific understanding thus needs to be beyond reproach regarding any kinds of conclusive feelings these may bring. Third a mapping of all endeavors in the general practice to compare to medical and physiological understandings at present. These fronts should be held collectively as both scrutiny and success are necessary components to fundamental understanding; further, new ideas may unblock others in their approach. As an aside, a genetic marker may be of interest as well, as the evolutionary value of having this ability has many unanswerable questions and to see if the trend historically increases or decreases could be indicative of an overall basis for a new hypothesis.
On all points I unfortunately have to use my own experience utilizing this phenomenon in a spiritual way, though there are historic earmarks that coincide with my findings, they largely have similar drawbacks. While anecdotal information is data, especially large amounts of it, it isn’t necessarily indicative of anything useful regarding how to measure something largely thought of as a hallucinated phenomena. Starting with the first, to detect and implement chi are two different things and there are plenty of ways to do both. The question is one of efficacy in regards to both, as Kirlian photography attempts to see, and Jade or other precious stones are thought to have qualities producing these values. Starting with precious stones, the seeming only quality beyond chemical makeup would be a crystalline structure that seems to produce a field individuals are sensitive to. Detecting this field both visually and in binary could be foundational for future research in more esoteric leanings the phenomena presents. Kirlian photography, while interesting, doesn’t necessarily meet the requirement and definition we need to analyze the phenomena as it seems to be a physiological autonomous and nonautonomous function within the body that shares qualities with inanimate crystalline objects, for any kind of imagery we’d need something more discerning that could display a flow’s directionality and infer subtle differences to better utilize future endeavors like building structures capable of harnessing it. The phenomena is often tangentially related to concepts like electricity and magnetism and these subtle fields would be rather easy to detect with modern technology, this too may be an area of interest but I feel the descriptive terms are just methods of understanding and not necessarily indicative of their origins.
The second point is to find a foundational baseline that shares a commonality between practices, if the intent is to draw a parallel to reproduce enmasse or simply for those who would like to establish the sense themselves, then the answer would be somewhat different and more refined than the question of what all these systems share in practice. I think both approaches are necessary for different reasons, and categorizing the minutiae of meditative study could prove useful for later endeavors approaching the issue as a biological technology as they may offer new avenues of study. To simplify the practice there are a couple methods one may choose to approach, the simplest would be to have a practitioner to show or demonstrate the ability and method to other individuals. The issue with using practitioners is the very underpinning of the overall issue approaching the phenomena scientifically: the practitioner is going to be biased with their own understanding of how the phenomena manifests, where it originates, and what to do in order to manifest it, not to say the practitioner is wrong on any of these fronts, simply there are many explanations that may be only somewhat correct and each may point at a bigger picture than any individual could surmise with a generalized opinion. For a non practitioner I must venture into this realm of ‘teaching’ from a biased perspective in hopes of creating a simple method of arriving at the phenomena without interpretive guidance, some inherently cannot achieve state however, because some of it requires a meditative acuity, not to say they cannot feel it when presented to them individually. Simply put, each practice incorporates breath, stillness of mind, relaxation, the moving of focus and visualization. Not all of these things are necessary components to arriving at the phenomena itself, in fact to just feel chi one can simply do a hand exercise, but I will incorporate each of them in my instruction despite this:
In a relaxed and comfortable position, in a space devoid of distraction, with eyes lidded or closed and palms open and facing up not touching anything: breathe slowly through the nose, focus on relaxing the body, quieting the mind. Draw awareness to the periphery of sensation around the body, to around the hands, visualize movement in this space.
Or a simpler version would be as follows.
In a comfortable position, in a space devoid of distraction, place your hands one on top of the other as if holding a ball and not touching. Focus on the space between the hands both visually and in the mind, visualize a ball forming there and attempt to feel that space, breathing slowly and deliberately.
The hurdle formally lays in the crux of suspending belief long enough to experience the phenomena. Despite these issues the implications are profound enough to warrant it. If indeed the human mind can visualize a projected form and feel it wordlessly, share that feeling wordlessly, and this is just scratching the surface of the practice, then what else is possible, and where could study in this field lead?
On the third point, mapping a historic context and relating it to medical data may fill gaps in understanding and bring new thoughts regarding where to go next. A lot of these practices get really esoteric and fanciful detailing what can be done with chi, for the most part I think it is safest to stay in the realms of reproducibility. Unfortunately a lot of these advanced practices require an individual to reach a certain level of acuity, basically from exercise within the practice. The utility of using a historical framework helps guide a dedicated search for what is testable, it serves to be a sort of investigative directionality for future hypotheses, and further as a method of constructing simple terms and roadmaps for those specializing in this form of knowledge. Conserving historic data also avoids pitfalls of just utilizing fruits without a solid framework to understand the ideas presented, which I think are inherently necessary to truly apply methodologies in any systematic way.
In summation, the exploration of chi as an innate biological function represents a frontier where ancient wisdom and modern science converge. By dissecting historical practices, seeking commonalities, and applying scientific scrutiny, we may unlock a deeper understanding of human consciousness and ability. The challenges are significant, yet the potential rewards—advancements in medicine, psychology, and our grasp of human potential—are immeasurable. As we stand at this crossroads, the question arises: are we prepared to transcend traditional boundaries and venture into this hidden paradigm? The pursuit of chi not only beckons us to expand our scientific horizons but also to rediscover the latent capacities within ourselves.
Is this what Jung calls the shadow? The ptsd rage is easy to deal with, but when I feel like a black hole I feel like i have no soul and it scares me. Is this the shadow or something unconscious or primal?
This worries me a little. I am often alone and do not want to project it onto girls. Then my dreams become homosexual. How can such an anima be integrated and calmed?
I have a roughly two-hour commute every day and am looking for an Audiobook that explains and breaks down Jungian ideas. I've read a few of Jung's own works but I'm hoping for something that explores, explains, or expounds on what Jung has taught. Would love to have some suggestions.
In title.
I just started reading Jung's works and from my understanding concretism is a way to perceive reality and the users of concretism may develop an almost superstitious veneration of absolute truth/ reality. I am not sure if I understand this correctly but I am sure that I do not understand it well enough. Can someone please explain this idea a bit more ? Thanks !
Hello, I had a dream that a snake bit me on the foot. Would anyone have any insight on Jung’s perspective on it? Thank you
I will be brief, just wanted to share my little experience and ask more experienced Jungian scholars and practitioners, whether there is anything that stands out and warrants more close investigation.
I have been dabbling in active imagination for around a month, although I did only a few sessions as I have been spacing them out.
In one of the sessions before sleep, almost in a dream state, I was trying to confronting my fears regarding the self-image and social life, the following image appeared:
Forest at the hour of gloaming. The feeling is similar to feeling I get from looking at Ivan Bilibin's art. A child in a shack in the forest, alone. A dog is outside the door in an alert state, ears pointing up, side-eyeing, tense and nervous body language – it's not friendly. The dog growls menacigely, its head still on the ground.
I immediately get the feeling that the dog and the boy are both parts of me. The dog is some sort of a protector for this boy, maybe? The dog becomes more nervous and menacing. I imagine extending my hand and petting the dog (its fur feels dense and there is some kind of dust in it?). I say: "Thank you, dear doggie, for keeping the watch. I love you, you know?". And immediately a wave of emotion overcomes me to the point of tears.
The dog morphs into my parents' dog, a chocolate-colored lab mix, sweet and lovely. I remember that this feeling of dusty dense fur is how her fur felt when we first met her on the streets. (Fun fact, the next day analyzing the experience I realize that oh my, the dog's name is Gerðr, symbolic...)
The whole exchange is suddenly cathartic (and I've grown difficult to move to tears in the past years). The whole image vanishes, I think because the feeling is so strong and displaces the intuitive image. I soon fall asleep, and the whole following day there is a warm, fuzzy feeling of psychological comfort and peace.
So now the questions:
Bilibin's image I was referring to in regards to the feeling I had from the imagery.
Mental Audiences
i have this thing that whenever i have a new idea, my minds way of processing it tends to be to visualize me explaining that idea to someone. Who it is i explain the thought to has changed a lot throughout my life.
When i was a kid and young teenager it was to the characters i liked in the stories i watched or read. In my late teenage years it was to the people i found cool at my school. I College i fell in love, nothing ever happened between me and this girl besides a few conversations, but for years almost every new idea i had i would think about it as me telling it to her. Now, as i got over that crush, my thoughts mostly come in the form of me explaining my ideas in the news or in interviews to some random tv program.
This always felt very normal to me, as if every thought had to have a “listener”.
Except on very few occasions. Maybe 2 or 3 times while on acid i have felt there was no need for someone to hear my thoughts.
And a few days ago, as i tried ketamine for the first time, i had this insight that having every thought geared to an audience means i am living for “them” and not for myself.
I don’t know how much i agree with that idea now that the high has passed, but it get me thinking, what if i could just contemplate things for myself on a daily basis, wouldn’t it be a more authentic form of life?
Is there a “Jungian” perspective on this? or maybe one of you guys have any view achieved through other means?
I haven't read or consumed any Jung content in a few months and his teachings are really hitting me irl now.
I'm constantly changing and at times for the worst and I wish I could go back to my "old self" but I'm realizing that I can't go back to my old self and I actually need to integrate the old self with the current self to become my new self. The challenges I am facing now are presented to me for a reason, and once I overcome them new challenges will present themselves as well
I want to buy the red book, but i don't know which books from jung i have to read first to understand it properly. Has anyone read the red book? And which other books from jung would you suggest to read before it? And would you suggest to read an other author before it? I have a basic understanding of jungian psychology and read some of his work (psychological types, symbols of transformation, aion, archetypes, psychology and alchemy, man and his symbols) Thanks for the advice!
I know that 4,9,and 12 can symbolize wholeness in Jungian psychology.But Jung said number 13 is also important.Can anyone excplain Jung's view of the symbolic meaning of number 13 to me?
My ocd is real bad.
I get urges to make things “proper”. I tend to hyper fixate on things to make them “perfect”. From organising my Spotify playlists to my behaviour in relationships. I tend to get real invested, and i try to overly organise things, myself, my feelings and my thoughts.
I find comfort when in a “mess” as it feels calming, it feels liberating. Because once i start getting involved or invested in something, i lose myself.
I have a problem with letting go. Like i literally get urges, uncontrollable urges. Its like someone constantly poking in my head and telling me “do it again do it again do it again”
I try to control everything in my life. All this pressure that i put on myself makes me overwhelmed. Then i let go off everything, even the important stuff. Its like a pattern in my life.
My feelings and efforts are very black and white, i refuse to see the gray area.
I don’t know how to let go. I don’t know how to be comfortable with messy situations, feelings, thoughts without losing my life. I don’t know how to be comfortable with unpredictability. I don’t know how to be comfortable with authenticity. I don’t know how to allow myself to breathe. I don’t know how let myself just exist without trying to overly control everything.
The worst situations are when i try to control others perception of me. When i try to act in a certain way to come off as “perfect” in their book. When i refuse to let myself just be myself. I also face these issues in my career. Either its food or relationships, i overindulge myself. What was Jung’s opinion about ocd?
I feel like he would touch the subject of the Anima and Animus and that duality.
So I had a random and weird dream, kinda embarassing to share it, but in the dream I saw two anime characters Yor and Loid from spy x family kiss (even though I didn't watch such stuff for months) but something inside of me awakened and I sadly don't remember what was going inside my head but I remember telling myself that all I have read about religion and philosophy was good for nothing. (Which is really weird because for the past few months I became very religious and wanted to drift away from the spiritual esoteric stuff) It was just a random meaningless dream for me when I woke up so I tried to move on, but it won't escape my head. So I chatted with a spiritual friend of mine and he pointed out a similarity to the Chymical Wedding of Rosenkreutz. What do you guys think, something meaningful or just a random dream?
The act of a woman swallowing my semen - and only if it's a woman I'm seriously attracted to.
It's not something I wanna do on first date or a random stranger, but if it's a woman that I seriously like and she likes me, then that sort of act "must" happen. If the woman is unwilling to do it, it literally becomes a sexual deal breaker to me. Enough that I eventually terminate a relationship, though I never have the courage to admit that this was the catalyst. The strangest part to me is that it's such an instant effect too: I legitimately like the person, have a good time with her, and then she doesn't do that one thing, and instantly - as if lightning struck me - whatever notion of halo effect the woman had gets dispelled together with my desire for her. It's like the person instantly dies to me as a relationship material. Not enough that I hate them mind you, most of the relationships I had I ended on a friendly note, and I still respect the person as an individual and a friend, but the idea of a lover is just no longer there for me. I also hate the idea of having to force someone to do it for me. It must come from the person itself, if I have to talk someone into doing it, it'll legit kill most of my attraction (and this is one aspect I seriously struggle with because communication is important in a relationship).
And here's the other end of it. If a partner does it for me, I end up going the opposite route. My desire, my personal attraction, and my willingness to ignore certain things I otherwise wouldn't get strengthened. On a purely physical aspect, as someone who usually needs some time before round 2, this act alone instantly invigorates me to the point that I'm way harder than I was before and ready to go like there's no tomorrow. It's like a primal arousal is being awakened in me, and no matter how much I try, I can't replicate this with anything else unless the woman performs this one act for me. Frankly I find this bizarre, from the situational aspect to the primal urge taking hold of me. I just can't quite figure out why it's so important to me. I read somewhere online that it's about power, but I don't think it's that in this case as I don't really seek to dominate or humiliate women - nor do I seek to submit to them. My ideal relationship is two partners/equals journeying through life supporting each other, like if you have problems at work, I'll listen to them, and if you have a hard time I'll take you on a date for a weekend and give you a hell of a good time to cheer you up, I'll stand up for you when you need me etc, and hopefully you'll do that for me if/when I'm low. That kind of thing.
So what the hell is wrong with me? Why must it be so convoluted too? At least I would have understood it if I needed to do it every time, but I legit don't wanna do it with people I don't know, I only want to do it with a person I love/like, and the worst part is that I can't explain it outside of "it makes me feel good". I just wanna do it when the all stars align and that's that.
I come to you people because you - and Jung - might as well be my last hope here. As internet and medical professionals failed to pinpoint the issue, or gave me an answer that isn't satisfactory - how can I accept myself like this without even understanding the why behind it?
Again: what the hell is wrong with me from a Jungian perspective?
Almost a month ago, I started shifting my mindset toward love, health, and abundance, beginning a journey of self-awareness, shadow work, and personal growth. I never felt such deep change before. I lost my partner three months ago, then my job a week later, and in the middle of these difficult events, someone introduced me to Jung’s work, which has changed everything.
But as I try to keep a positive mindset each day, connect with my energy, and do my best to stay grounded, my mind seems to fight me. I feel angrier, struggle to focus at work, and find my body tiring by midday.
I work out three days a week, follow a diet plan, and am in great shape physically. But in terms of spirituality, mental clarity, and anything connected to them, things keep getting harder.
Hello everyone 🤗🤗
I want to know more about the nature of unconscious mind both positive and negative.
So far I have read "Inner work" by Robert A. Johnson and "The invisible partners" by John A. Sanford.
They do write on unconscious mind but I feel I need to know more.
So can you all suggest some?
Thanks 🙂🙂
I used actual audio from Jung in between the verses and thought this was sooo cool 🔥
If you enjoyed this I post most of my demos here. Jungian psychology is a huge influence on my lyrics:
Jung's work looked through today's lens holds up mostly in its philosophical and historical/anthropological contexts. I have literally no idea why most of the posts and discussions are related to mental health.
There are billion times more efficient ways of dealing with mental health issues than delving head deep into heavy reading and then forcing changes through intense experiences. It might work for some, but for others it can be contraproductive or inefficient. What I find the most disturbing, is some users encouraging people to do this. What is wrong with you?
Nothing can bring about the same level of success such as cbt/integrated therapy and medication. Certainly not pushing already unstable minds to the brink with semi schizo trip like deep delves into the unconciousnes.
The dreams usually aren't the EXACT event replaying in full realism, and are typically unique each time. Sometimes the location will be different. Sometimes certain people will be different or randomized. Sometimes the order of events will be different and so on. The sentiment is always the same and the key parts of the memory are usually consistent. It feels like some sort of extended, drawn out flashback. It feels almost like being trapped and stuck in a loop, and suffocating, too. I'm almost always sobbing in the dream, like usually right out of the gate, and it's always a depressing and distressing feeling. I sometimes wake up already crying, but other times I'll start crying after I wake up. It happens often enough but more so recently, at least twice this week.
How do I stop this? Do I need to process the actual traumatic events that happened to move on? I'm not ready for that yet though, it's still too much and too painful, otherwise I'd already have done it. Am I stuck with this until I do process it/feel ready? The dreams don't hurt as much as they used to, but the real memories do.
I don't know which flair to use so sorry if it's wrong or this isn't the right subreddit for this kinda stuff. Thanks for reading 🙏🏻❤️
It's been forever since I've posted a dream here, but I feel like I could use some help picking apart this one. I'll try to keep it simple but I feel like it's lengthy to explain 😵💫
This took place in a residential neighborhood that seems based on the one where my mom lives. I was there with my young teenage son. He'd been playing basketball and- this was a little unclear - it had somehow rolled into the yard of this one house. Or something that interfered with the property, and it made the people living there angry. The people living in this house were a group of older folks, men and women maybe 50's, 60's. 3 or 4 of them maybe, it wasn't clear.
I decided that the best thing to do would be to confront the situation directly by explaining and apologizing to them, instead of ignoring it and letting it fester. I also thought it would be a good thing to teach my kid.
However this felt extremely uncomfortable to me as my natural inclination was to ignore it. I also thought their annoyance was trivial, but still thought apologizing was the best course of action.
So my son and I knocked on the door and they let us in. The house was larger than I expected with many different rooms. They listened to me as I introduced us, explained and apologized that the ball went into their yard. But they seemed skeptical and stand-offish.
Things kept happening that distracted me and cut me off, which added to my own annoyance. Then a door opened and a small dog came running. They were alarmed and didn't want it to get out, and I managed to catch it. Then one of them said something rude and I abruptly decided I was done trying to do this. I ended the conversation and as I was leaving, one of the women admitted she appreciated our coming to talk to them. She seemed more warm and genuine than the others had.
Outside there was a group of ravens in a tree, cawing in a specific pattern. I knew they were ravens and not crows because of the sound.
The main theme of this seems to be the feeling of obligation to soothe a social blunder that I actually think is dumb (it was a kid's ball going into someone's yard, not such a big deal), but also trying to "do the right thing" anyway because I realize simultaneously that my own irritation isn't accounting for their feelings. I also experience a great deal of discomfort by confronting them- I'm naturally introverted and like to avoid uncomfortable interactions. But I'm also capable of it. Irl I run my own business that often has me in the position of doing such things, but I usually feel like I'm playing a character. So there is an element here of feeling both like I'm faking it, but also not.
So this seems to be my ego trying to meditate between a younger/more immature part of me and an older, more rigid set of beliefs? I'm not sure what to make of the group of old people. My ego seems to try to do the right thing but it also doesn't quite feel genuine. It's simultaneously true that I'm faking it somewhat, but also think that going up to them is what I should do.
And I have no clue what to make of the group of ravens. I know they have all kinds of mythological implications. I've had some real life run-ins with them and often hear them when hiking.
I'm female, 39 for reference. This is probably too long but if anyone has input I'd appreciate it. I feel like the answer is right under my nose but I can't quite put it together.
This dream was significant to me and it reflects the ideas of Jung so thought I'd share it
There was a pyramid. I believe I stood before it with a man and a woman either side of me, the man was more prominent. There was a single golden eye associated with this pyramid, it had a sunlight ray power that could produce a powerful blast.
At the top of the pyramid was a throne that had a stack of these eyes leading to a single eye on the top, this chair would produce an almighty blast. Inside the pyramid was a downward spiral, a pathway lined the edge of a hole and doors lined the path. Each door contained a fear which could kill you.
As you went down the place became darker and bloodied (I suspect from previous times people were killed). I watched a man go downwards, eventually he was dropping from balcony to balcony to reach the bottom. He eventually made it. The bottom of thr spiral path lead to a central spot, the end of the labyrinth, and in the centre was the awareness "I am God". You'd then be able to climb out with this newfound awareness.
It's the spooky season, so I thought it'd be fun to look at what these horror movies say in a Jungian way and ask if they have any meaning for the people who enjoy them or the times we're in?
The newest horror icon is Art the Clown who commits acts of mayhem in over the top gore sequences. These movies are less about horror and more about the gross out. But there are also the classic icons of modern horror like Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, Jason Voohrees. I assume these are our collective Shadow. Am I correct? From a Jungian pov, what does it say, if anything, about the people (like myself) who enjoy them?
About a week ago, I had a very intriguing dream. Not only because it really moved me, but also because it contained two archetypal images which are quite "by the book" according to Jungian theory. And in addition because it's actually the first dream of which I'm quite sure what it means. I'm not very good in dream interpretation and usually cant' make head or tails of my dreams. But this one was different.
It's quite short:I was sitting before a plate with four(!!) bread rolls, which were spreaded with a local specialty kind of cheese. I wanted to eat them.
I knew in the dream that these bread rolls were not just bread rolls but at the same time inseminated egg cells of my wife and me.I had the thought that if I would give in to my appetite and would eat them, our children would never be born (side note: actually, in real life, we have two children), which made me really sad - so I didn't eat them.
That's it.
When I woke up I knew instantly that the four bread rolls on the plate formed a mandala, which is according to Jung a symbol of the Self. The number four alone is already significant. The second archetypal motive is the devouring of one's children. It's the first time I dreamt something from Greek / Roman mythology. The Roman god Saturn / the Greek Kronos devoured their children according to the myth.
I thought for several hours what it could mean, until it "clicked" (according to Robert Johnsons's "Inner Work" a sign that the interpretation is valid). According to Marie-Louise von Franz archetypal dreams tell more about the general human condition than about the individual psyche - after all they come from the collective unconscious. This would make sense, since we already have children.
Now...I think it means that you give in to hedonism and just enjoy your life without children (like many in the western world nowadays do), you literally are devouring your children. At the same time you - so to say - "destroy" the Self, which never gets the chance to "incarnate" itself into those never born humans.
My intuition says this intepretation is correct so far, however it may be incomplete. There's the possibility that the dream says something about myself after all. And there's the Saturn / Kronos thing which wasn't really taken into account.
I have this weird thing, where everytime I meet someone. I’m scared to have a close relationship with them because I’m scared I’ll disappoint them.
Mostly with older figures, I’m scared I’ll disappointed them. I hate people trusting me with things. Like even if someone plans something with me I absolutely hate it because I’m scared of forgetting , or not showing up on time etc.
Also in life if things are going good I always find a way to self destruct. If I’m making a lot of money in my business, in a happy relationship etc I’ll need to go on a self destructive trip of trying to fuck up and literally burn everything to the ground.
It’s like I find comfortable in having no one rely on me, and being dead broke at rock bottom. It almost makes me happy when I’m alone with no expectations with a bottle of alcohol. Why?
Maybe the way I grew up, or a self image thing.