One of the benefits of depth psychological traditions is that they can be applied to understanding what it means to be a self or soul in this world, and to think about others who have led the way. “We stand on the shoulders of so many giants,” insists William James Jones, who completed his dissertation research on the process of…

"Though the ego is only one complex of associations in the psyche, it has evolved as a coordinator: what it is drawn to as an object of attention will be where and how its energy is applied. These motives are based on unconscious processes, and only by turning conscious attention to them can we find deeper meaning and purpose beyond the preconceptions of ego and its one-sided, paradoxical intentions." -- …

Defy the Authorities and Follow Your Heart

The problem of Nietzsche’s Antichrist

John Brusseau

Nietzsche’s error is in thinking that a morality derived from the herd instinct is the origin of…

"Handing him over to the authorities with a kiss, Judas initiates Jesus' individuation journey. Each individuation journey begins with what seems like a betrayal. A religion you once believed wholeheartedly crumbles beneath your feet. A heart attack, or cancer, or major illness falls upon you. A marriage you thought was forever suddenly dissolves. Your children leave the house, begin their own lives, and you are faced with your own isolation and existential aloneness. This can often…

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Spiritual Transformation

All great wisdom traditions have a story of spiritual transformation. We see that these stories are important psychological experiences and usually reflect a descent followed by emergence. The themes around Good Friday and the crucifixion are particularly relevant to the individuation process. that is, the life long journey towards psychological wholeness and to live the Self’s experiment in life.

Read more at …

http://www.dreamworkaustralia.com/2015/01/18/science-and-our-nature/

Dream images of having a child, a newborn, are familiar within depth psychotherapy. Also, symbols of haunting spirits, poltergeist, come at a certain point. We either do inner work and birth new developments and potential, or we suffer from haunting in the inner world and outer reality, archetypal energy turned dark and destructive.

When we hold back, don't permit ourselves to experience new things, we thwart our growth potential. It is best to live in the…

There is a certain kind of transformational process that demands the most and the best of us so that we can respond to traumatic situations, just as military, veterans, and first responders do on a daily basis. From a depth psychological perspective, this kind of transformation can be initiated through a psycho-mythic journey to warriorhood, believe Ed Tick and John Becknell, who offer archetypal and depth psychological frameworks for military, veterans, and first responders, including…

Erin O’Halloran grew up watching Peace Corps commercials on TV which featured footage of volunteers serving in Africa and young children in grass hut houses. Even though the images were somewhat romanticized, the pull toward a life of service was always strong for her, and she always knew it was something she wanted to do.

Even so, she didn’t throw caution to the wind until she was in her early 30s when, around the time…