This Jungian Life Podcast
376 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★★ - 674 ratingsEavesdrop on three Jungian analysts as they engage in lively, sometimes irreverent conversations about a wide range of topics as they share what it’s like to see the world through the depth psychological lens provided by Carl Jung. Half of each episode is spent discussing a dream submitted by a listener.
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Episodes
Ronnie Landau: Unpacking Allegations, Was Jung Antisemitic?
March 21, 2024 03:56 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBHow do we interpret and evaluate C.G. Jung's complex legacy in light of his interactions with Jewish individuals and the allegations of antisemitism, considering the nuanced historical context in which he lived and worked?" Assessing Jung's possible antisemitism is complex and requires a nuanced understanding of his historical context and personal relationships. His involvement in psychoanalytic societies during the Nazi era has led to accusations of antisemitism, yet his actions and w...
THREE LITTLE PIGS SYNDROME: Is it better to flee or be the big bad wolf?
March 14, 2024 16:59 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBCan we grow by facing and integrating our ferocious instincts? The Three Little Pigs isn't just a children's tale; it's a sharp commentary on resilience, preparation, and the strategic mindset required to navigate life's challenges. This story strips back the layers of our decision-making processes, questioning whether we opt for quick fixes or invest in durable solutions. Prepare to discover…who embodies the stages of ego development, from initial vulnerability to mature resilience; whe...
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF STRIFE: What Lies Beneath Our Conflicts?
March 07, 2024 14:20 - 1 hour - 80.3 MBHow does resolving inner conflicts enhance external relations? Conflict, both inner and outer, is a fundamental part of the human experience. We engage in conflicts externally with others and internally within ourselves, reflecting the complex nature of human relationships and the psyche. Our external conflicts often mirror internal struggles, serving as manifestations of unresolved or unacknowledged inner turmoil. Recognizing the projection of our inner conflicts onto external situations...
ROBERT HOPCKE: Did Jung understand gay identity?
February 29, 2024 05:00 - 1 hour - 103 MBCan Jungian psychology shed light on the archetypal forces shaping gay identity?" Our guest, Robert Hopcke, examines how Jung and Jungians have regarded homosexuality both clinically and theoretically, demonstrating that within a great diversity of opinion, there exist many ways to deepen an understanding of the lives and loves of gay men and lesbians. Hopcke proposes a view of homosexuality that is archetypally based, empirically supportable, psychologically profound, and spiritually ev...
THE VITAL SPARK: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire.
February 22, 2024 09:01 - 1 hour - 100 MBDeep in each of us, a Vital Spark fights to free us and set us back on the path. Lisa, Joe, and Deb were joined by more than 300 audience members for their first-ever live podcast to celebrate the launch of Lisa's new book, The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire. The "Vital Spark" is the core essence of our innermost fiery qualities—creative aggression, fiery sexuality, emboldened disagreeableness, sharp-witted trickery, burning desire, clearsighted...
UNREQUITED LOVE: Can Eros be revived?
February 15, 2024 06:38 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBWhen we offer our heart and it is refused, even the gods become angry. One day long, long ago, Aphrodite was a new mother. Her son, Eros, was the living symbol of her endless passion for his father, Aries. Despite her divine gifts, Eros failed to thrive. Desperate, she brought the goblet to the ancient mother, Themis, who knew the boy was dying at once. Aphrodite was instructed to bear a second child who, when presented to Eros, would cure him. Dutifully, she lay with Aries and begot a se...
THE LAST AWAKENING: Death Anxiety and Its Role in Psychological Transformation
February 08, 2024 06:30 - 1 hour - 77.9 MBHow do the varied human experiences, beliefs, and practices related to death and dying illuminate our understanding of life's meaning and help us face the end of life with peace and a spirit of adventure? The death instinct (Thanatos) and the life instinct (Eros) symbolize the internal conflict between self-destructive urges and desires for creation, reflecting the psychological struggle with mortality. Religious traditions across the globe, from Buddhism's focus on impermanence to Christi...
SPEAKING TRUTH: Is it Venom or a Cure?
February 01, 2024 07:31 - 1 hour - 80.4 MBHow do we navigate the complex interplay between personal truths, societal norms, and psychological well-being to foster individual growth and societal progress? We examine the multifaceted nature of Truth and its impact on individuals and communities. We touch on the challenges of speaking Truth to power, the psychological dynamics of scapegoating and being disbelieved, the role of psychotherapy in uncovering and dealing with personal truths, and the significance of narrative and percepti...
Promethean Inflation: Will our creations destroy us?
January 25, 2024 08:51 - 1 hour - 84 MBAre we inadvertently summoning forces beyond our control in our relentless pursuit of innovation and progress? Can we harness the power of our creations without unleashing terrible consequences upon ourselves and our world? Prometheus and his brother, Epimetheus, were tasked by Zeus with fashioning all living creatures. They granted animals remarkable abilities - feathers for flight, claws, fangs for hunting, tails for balance, and gills to breath underwater. When it came to humans, the...
Kelly Bulkeley: Is Dreaming the Source of Spirituality?
January 18, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 105 MBHow do dreams influence and reflect our spiritual beliefs and experiences across different cultures and historical periods, and what does scientific research reveal about this relationship? Kelly Bulkeley, PhD, is a global expert on dreaming and the psychology of religion. We explore his latest book "The Spirituality of Dreaming: Unlocking the Wisdom of Our Sleeping Selves." Dreams universally function as essential gateways to spiritual understanding, a truth echoed across cultures and ...
DIVORCE: How can heartbreak lead to transformation?
January 11, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBHow does the experience of divorce lead to personal transformation and self-discovery? The journey of divorce is emblematic of a profound personal transformation, often unveiling the paradoxical nature of human relationships where deep trust and love coexist with the potential for betrayal and disillusionment, reflecting the intrinsic human struggle between connection and individuality. This individuation process during and after divorce constellates a metamorphosis, where confronting the ...
Three Jungians on Psychedelics: Is Tripping a Valid Path of Self-Discovery?
January 04, 2024 05:02 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBHow can combining psychedelics and Jungian psychology enhance our understanding of psyche? Psychedelics may help us access deep layers of the unconscious, revealing aspects of psyche that are often inaccessible through traditional psychoanalytic methods alone. Jungian analysis, with its focus on archetypes and the collective unconscious, provides a framework for interpreting and integrating the complex, symbolic experiences often encountered in psychedelic states. The combination of psyche...
FANNY BREWSTER: How can dreams bridge us to ancestors?
December 28, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 71 MBJung's concept of the collective unconscious emphasized the universal psychological substrate common to all humans. While he acknowledged the effects of the cultural unconscious, his work, at times, fell into the trap of perpetuating oversimplified and racially prejudiced stereotypes. Jung's writings that refer to Africanist peoples, in particular, suffer from offensive assumptions. Dr. Fanny Brewster, Jungian analyst and author, searches for the healing cultural elements in the dreams of th...
SOLSTICE: Why is the longest night so magickal?
December 21, 2023 06:34 - 1 hour - 105 MBWinter Solstice, the longest night of the year, calls us to brood and turn within. Retreating to the unconscious is a psychic wintering, calling our life force down into our archaic patterns. It can trigger a sorrowing that helps us adjust to inevitable losses, just like the forest that silently drops its foliage without lament. At the nadir of darkness, light is reborn, and each successive day grows longer. Ancient and modern rituals celebrate the light’s triumph over darkness. No matter ou...
Yascha Mounk: Why Society Crumbles When We Obsess Over Identity
December 14, 2023 05:47 - 1 hour - 70 MBYascha Mounk is a political scientist and author focused on the challenges facing liberal democracies and the rise of populism. As a Johns Hopkins University professor and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, he critically examines identity politics in modern society. His influential works include "The People vs. Democracy" and "The Identity Trap." In an era where identity politics reshapes global narratives, the urgent need to balance diversity with universal human values be...
SURVIVING MASS TRAUMA: How did Jung process catastrophic events?
December 07, 2023 09:23 - 1 hour - 82.4 MBThe great catastrophe of Jung's generation was the rise of Nazi Germany and WWII. His insights into the collective psyche of nations remain relevant today as we grapple with war and violence worldwide. Prepare to discover how collective hysteria and moral downfall lead to loss of individual responsibility and susceptibility to authoritarian control, whether collective guilt and the psychological impact of evil affects not just perpetrators but entire societies leading to collective moral c...
NIGHTMARES: How do I stop awful dreams?
November 30, 2023 09:20 - 1 hour - 69 MB"The monsters that chase you in dreams are not trying to hurt you. They just want to reunite with their creator………...… that's you, dummy." (Quoted from an unnamed Jungian analyst overheard at a cocktail party.) Today, we analyze four nightmares submitted by listeners: BBQ Cats, Blood Red Sky, Tsunami, and Malevolent Presence. Our dreams are always trying to correct our waking personality. They are a kind of psychospiritual medicine tailored just for us. When we avoid healing ad...
DO WE INHERIT OUR PARENT’S FEARS?
November 23, 2023 18:10 - 1 hour - 73.9 MBWhat wisdom do fairy tales hold about childrearing in our modern world? Briar Rose is the foundation for the familiar fairytale Sleeping Beauty. It addresses the complicated consequences of unconscious parenting. While it is understandable we wish to protect our children from harsh realities, too much shielding can hobble them later in life. We may hide our shadow from ourselves and our children, but it will irrupt uninvited one day, casting the family into chaos. Instinctive reactions...
DUMBO'S FEATHER: Are there hidden messages in Disney cartoons?
November 16, 2023 07:25 - 1 hour - 76.9 MBWhat hidden messages make Disney cartoons so impactful and enduring? Disney cartoons were groundbreaking. They introduced synchronized soundtracks in 1928, and today, they create extravaganzas that sweep audiences into tears and laughter, offering role models of virtue. Archetypal themes, often drawn from fairytales, thrum through the storylines appealing to the archaic levels of our psyche. Prepare to discover where Hermes is hidden in one of the characters, how childhood trauma activat...
Aaron Balick – Why does social media weaponize our reactions?
November 09, 2023 08:22 - 2 hours - 117 MBAaron Balick is a psychotherapist, speaker, consultant, educator, and author of The Psychodynamics of Social Networking. Social media invites snap emotional reactions, muddling clear thinking and escalating global tensions. It feeds on our anger, oversimplifying complex problems which blocks our ability to empathize. Nuanced explanations are demonized as if seeking to understand was an affront. If we learn to pause and reflect, we can overcome social media's divisive influence and discover...
FAME: Why Do We Create Icons Then Destroy Them?
November 02, 2023 16:49 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBToday's technology allows us to be seduced by the possibility of fame and celebrity tempting the ego to claim what does not belong to it. In earlier times, fame was garnered slowly through work in the arts, scholarship, religion, and the military. Today, unprecedented, almost instantaneous communication has made fame a commodity in itself. Novelty performers, entertainers, influencers, and sports stars—especially if young and glamorous—can become the victim of "audience capture." Fame...
JUNG'S PARANORMAL ENCOUNTERS: Why did strange events follow him?
October 26, 2023 04:33 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBIf we lean into strange experiences with gentle curiosity, we may discover a level of psyche that acts directly on objects. Many of us have uncanny coincidences like thinking of a friend at the exact moment they ring us on the phone, but what about physical things breaking apart for no reason or luminous apparitions at our bedside? We often explain them away to reduce our anxiety, but Jung found them fascinating. He maintained a scientific attitude while accepting strange phenomena he coul...
LOW ENERGY: Where can we source the drive to take action?
October 19, 2023 03:07 - 1 hour - 92.1 MBLisa, Deb, and Joe, Jungian analysts and co-creators of This Jungian Life podcast, have introduced thousands of clients to an inner world with unexpected resources. Many people just can’t rally to do what’s necessary and improve their lives. Is it possible they just don’t carry much vitality, or is some inner conflict blocking their access? We share personal stories of ‘energy loss’ and offer insights into purposelessness. Jung tells us inner energy flows according to its own laws, but if...
REUNIONS: Is there value in remembering our younger selves?
October 12, 2023 06:57 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBDeb and Joe are Jungian Analysts, authors, training analysts, and co-creators of This Jungian Life Podcast. [Lisa was away lecturing this week.] Most of us feel anxious at the thought of reliving the complicated and often painful experiences of our youth. When we receive a school reunion notice, we might be tempted to ignore it. Yet, on an archetypal level, we are drawn to re-unifying our current and past identities. If we accept the invitation, we may find unexpected joy and forgotten mem...
Donald Kalsched – Can running our minds like a democracy save us?
October 05, 2023 05:19 - 1 hour - 82.1 MBDon Kalsched is a Jungian Analyst, an expert on treating trauma, author of two books, The Inner World of Trauma and Trauma and the Soul. Jung discovered our inner world is populated by various imaginal figures representing powerful psychological forces. If we treat our minds as democratic spaces, it can safeguard us from internal and external authoritarian influences. Prepare to discover the parallels between a balanced mind and a healthy society, whether viewing internal conflicts throu...
Why Do We Push People Away? Understanding our Defenses
September 28, 2023 20:13 - 1 hour - 90.5 MBDefense mechanisms function as unconscious psychological strategies we deploy to navigate reality and sustain a consistent self-image. They act as a shield, guarding against feelings of anxiety, shame, and vulnerability. They are feeling states that prompt us to avoid contact and trick us into thinking they protect us against emotional harm. Ancient philosophers recognized the human tendency to evade uncomfortable truths. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, he vividly depicts individuals shac...
SELKIE FOLKLORE: Should we force soul to serve us?
September 21, 2023 06:25 - 1 hour - 75.1 MBThe Selkie swims ashore at night, sheds her seal skin, hides it, and delights in her human form. In Celtic lore, she is the wild feminine soul, a creature of land and sea, innocent and beautiful, who cannot thrive in domesticity. In folklore, the seal-folk are discovered by humans. Their natural, joyous spirit, grace, and affection invite contact. Humans are drawn to them, but if they touch, parting is unbearable. Many a young man, desperate to maintain the life-giving embrace of nature,...
INITIATIONS: universal processes that spark transformation
September 14, 2023 05:48 - 1 hour - 69.4 MBThe archetype of Initiation is primordial, and its force guides our transformative transitions. For Jung, this change reshapes spiritual, emotional, intellectual, behavioral, and social dynamics. Rooted in his anthropological studies, Jung emphasized the vital role of formal ceremonies in fostering separation from parental influences and facilitating integration into adult communities. These ceremonies marked a clear transition from childhood and established an essential connection with the ...
The Barbie Movie: Can it Dismantle an American Myth?
September 07, 2023 08:13 - 1 hour - 73.4 MB[Spoiler Alert.] In the opening scene of the Barbie movie, listless little girls dressed as drab Dust Bowl mothers play at ironing as they tend plastic babies until a gigantic cosmic Barbie appears on the landscape in a vogue pose. Her presence inspires the girls to smash their dolls and cast off their pretend chores in a whirl of rageful frustration. While this scene spoofs 2001: A Space Odyssey, it unknowingly dramatizes an archetypal event in the collective American psyche. In 1959, t...
From SHAMANISM to JUNG: Understanding 'Loss of Soul'
August 31, 2023 05:10 - 1 hour - 81.3 MBAs Jung’s anthropological studies expanded and his international travel exposed him to new cultures and ideas, he was taken by the concept of ‘loss of soul.’ A collapse of energy, a strange sudden alteration of personality, or episodes of blinding rage could signify a loss of soul from a shamanic perspective. The soul carries the animating and regulating forces as well as memory. In most traditions, it was expected to fly away upon death, much like the Egyptian Ba, depicted as a bird with...
HAGITUDE: Sharon Blackie on the power of aging
August 24, 2023 04:35 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBSharon Blackie calls us to the ancient archetype of the Hag as a figure of unapologetic emergence from cultural pressures that lock us into outworn roles and limiting beliefs. Drawing upon her transformative experiences in menopause Blackie grounds the mythic figure of the old woman who fashioned the world in her fierce determination to dissolve and reconfigure her professional and personal life. Identifying and rejecting cultural pressures to look and act a certain way as she ages, she c...
THREE VOICES, ONE SONG: Lessons in Friendship
August 17, 2023 05:09 - 1 hour - 85.7 MBThe essence of friendship is visible in its linguistic root: ‘to love.’ Cicero wrote, “Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief." In modern times the art of friending seems lost. We have replaced shared experiences with Facebook posts and quell our loneliness by scrolling. With high spirits, we three revisit our first meeting and reflect on the discovery of kinship between us. Our experiences of trust, reciprocity, and share...
You're Not A Fraud: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
August 10, 2023 05:06 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBImposter syndrome constellates the gut-wrenching fear of being exposed as a fraud no matter how much we have learned or the successes we have demonstrated. In 1978 two researchers identified and explored a painful phenomenon among some high-achieving women. Despite their high levels of success, they were convinced they were not as competent, intelligent, or skilled as others might think. Instead of identifying with their capabilities, they often attributed their success to luck, personal per...
FRIEND or FOE: The AI Debate with Michael L. Littman, PhD
August 03, 2023 03:56 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBThe uses and abuses of ChatGPT artificial intelligence language model have taken the collective imagination by storm. Apocalyptic predictions of the singularity, when technology becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, frighten us as we imagine a future where human intelligence is irrelevant. Prof. Michael Littman joins us to contextualize the advancement of artificial intelligence and debunk the paranoid rhetoric littering the public discourse. Michael has made groundbreaking research con...
The Conjunction of Art and Life with Peter Kramer
July 27, 2023 19:12 - 1 hour - 81.3 MB"Death of the Great Man" by Dr. Peter D. Kramer offers a glimpse into the character disordered alpha narcissist. It is more than a satirical political commentary on Donald Trump. It points us to a broader discourse on power dynamics in the collective psyche, the potential for authority to corrupt our humanity and the dangerous ways we escape from freedom by surrendering self-responsibility. The unique blend of psychiatric insight and literary narrative brings an unusual depth to the work...
Meeting Shadow on the Spiritual Path with Connie Zweig
July 20, 2023 11:53 - 1 hour - 78.8 MBAward-winning author, depth psychotherapist, and guide Connie Zweig shows us encountering darkness is a necessary part of our spiritual journey. In the first half of life, we disown aspects of ourselves to fit in and navigate our world more smoothly. Over time we realize all aspects of ourselves must be recalled and befriended. Integration of these shadow aspects lays the foundation for spiritual awakening. Through careful introspection, dreamwork, and self-confrontation, we can see beyon...
REVIVING TOLERANCE in Cancel Culture
July 13, 2023 05:15 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBIn a world reduced to digital exchanges and swift judgments, reviving tolerance has become vital. Toleration comes from the ancient Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to carry,” a capacity collapsing in current culture. We stumble into extremes when we lose the strength to carry the tension of opposite ideas and feelings. Exaggerations of discomfort and hyperbolic comparisons pepper media messages and inflame the underinformed public--the collective psyche lists from topic to topic. In the ve...
HEALING the RIFT: Anima Mundi in a Disenchanted World
July 06, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBIs every object alive? Are wind, oceans, and mountains sentient? Jung, inspired by Anima Mundi or world soul, believed so. This concept, rooted in ancient philosophy, originates with Thales of Miletus, who envisioned the universe as interconnected and alive. Plato furthered this, proposing the World Soul as a bridge between ideal and physical realms. Born into a religious family in 1875, Jung strived for a fusion of science, psychology, and esotericism. He lamented that excessive intellect h...
Hypochondria’s Havoc and the Quest for Reassurance
June 29, 2023 04:25 - 1 hour - 81 MBIllness anxiety disorder (IAD), formerly hypochondriasis, is characterized by excessive worry about a severe illness, persisting despite medical evaluations and reassurances. Individuals with this challenge tend to misinterpret normal bodily sensations as serious symptoms, magnifying minor sensations like a cough into signs of lung disease. The key distinction between IAD and cautious health concerns lies in the intensity of worry and its debilitating impact on daily life. The Greek physicia...
OUR MORAL COMPASS: Understanding Guilt, Remorse, & Atonement
June 22, 2023 04:56 - 1 hour - 79.1 MBA sudden pang in the chest, a quiet voice persistently whispering at the back of our mind, we experience guilt when our actions, or deliberate lack thereof, infringe upon our personal ethical code or societal norms. Our shared experience of guilt, intertwined with personal and societal expectations, stands out among the wide spectrum of human emotions. As we cross the lines of standards crafted by inherited beliefs, imparted values, and personal experiences, guilt sounds a vigorous warning....
BEAUTY, her BEAST, and the BLOSSOMING SELF
June 15, 2023 06:22 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBThe tale of Beauty and the Beast is at least 4,000 years old, perhaps second in popularity only to Cinderella. It has generated many print versions, animated films, a Broadway show, and a Disney film. What about this tale continues to ensure its popularity? And what is this tale really about? Beauty and the Beast is a metaphor for the development of the feminine, symbolized by an animal bridegroom—who, of course, is an enchanted prince. It’s tempting to see this tale as an example of wome...
EMBRACING THE OUTCAST: Understanding Homelessness
June 08, 2023 05:56 - 1 hour - 82.3 MBHomelessness, as a stark and multifaceted symbol of disconnection, extends beyond the mere absence of physical shelter, embodying a complex interlacing of unconscious conflict, socio-political forces, and rapidly shifting societal values. The shift from small interdependent nomadic communities to the social stratification of nation-states like Ancient Rome fractured the expectation of mutual care. Over centuries alienation was normalized alongside urban development, socio-economic upheavals,...
UGLY DUCKLING COMPLEX: the painful path of transformation
June 01, 2023 08:10 - 1 hour - 89 MBWe all understand the Ugly Duckling complex because we lived it at one time or another. Hans Christian Anderson’s famous tale paints a poignant picture of a child’s experience of rejection only because he’s born in the wrong nest. People who seem different or have not yet matured into their natural beauty endure a kind of scorn that can bring them to despair. The ugly duckling’s capacity to endure and find refuge once he is recognized by fellow swans can hearten us during the long winters of...
SHADOWS & HIGH STAKES: understanding gambling
May 25, 2023 05:02 - 1 hour - 72 MBUnderstanding gambling illuminates the amalgam of desire, risk, and reward that defines our interactions with a capricious world. The lure of gambling, entwined within the fabric of human history, irresistibly draws us to its mesmerizing dance of fortune and chance. Exploring the gambler's psyche, we'll discover the psychospiritual elements that pull us towards Lady Luck. Gambling's allure is steeped in mythology. The concept of chance, the Moirai of Greek lore, the Roman Goddess Fortuna, an...
WHISKERS of WISDOM: A Jungian Analysis of ‘Puss in Boots’
May 18, 2023 04:58 - 1 hour - 67.5 MBSomething about a cat wearing clothes has captured our imagination for over 500 years, so it’s about time we tackle a Jungian analysis of Puss in Boots. Anthropomorphized felines have enthralled us for half a millennium, making Puss in Boots perfect for our discussion. From enchanting fairytales of yore to modern viral videos, our fascination with pets in human attire and mannerisms persists. Whether a parrot blurting expletives or a dog groaning human words, we’re captivated. Through Puss...
ARCHETYPAL IMAGES: the soul's language
May 11, 2023 04:04 - 1 hour - 108 MBThomas Singer, M.D., Jungian Analyst and president of The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism joins us to decipher Archetypal Images and explain the essential role of A.R.A.S. in collecting and curating them. Archetypes, as cosmic blueprints, dictate universal patterns of the collective unconscious, transcending personal experiences and cultural variations. They mold our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Archetypal images are their visible expressions, emerging in dreams, myths,...
MEDUSA’S MANY FACES: The Evolution of a Myth
May 04, 2023 04:03 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBThe symbolism of Medusa, one of three Gorgon sisters in Greek mythology, has fascinated artists, writers, and philosophers for centuries. Initially a monstrous creature with snake-writhing hair and a petrifying gaze, Medusa has undergone numerous transformations. The earliest known account of Medusa appears in Hesiod’s Theogony (c. 700 BCE), where she is portrayed as a mortal Gorgon sister with a deadly gaze. Ovid’s Metamorphoses (c. 8 CE) ascribes Medusa’s monstrous appearance to a curse ...
The DARK TRIAD: tracking wolves in our midst
April 27, 2023 06:28 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBUnderstanding the Dark Triad can help us navigate mysteriously troubled relationships in all spheres of life. Psychologists coined the term to describe a trifecta of malevolent personality traits: narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Although less sinister than any one full-blown personality disorder, it still affects the soul plagued by it and those in reach of its host. Narcissism has become a widely-discussed topic, often misused to describe anyone who is frustrating or disple...
SYMBOLIC MEANING of HAIR: what's your look saying?
April 20, 2023 06:39 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBThe symbolic meaning of hair is both personal and cultural. It serves as an expressive medium through which we silently communicate. Sporting bed-head might convey a carefree attitude, while a polished prom-night hairstyle expresses maturity. Hair carries various announcements to our community. Its historical significance reveals ancient values that continue to influence our self-presentation. It is a malleable medium. Unlike body parts such as fingers or feet, it constantly grows, allowing ...
THE WHALE: a film about trauma, obesity, and the undying hope to connect.
April 13, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 71.5 MBWe are born with a drive to connect meaningfully with our caregivers. When that is thwarted by fate, deprivation, or hostility, our psyche rallies, it redirects our instincts to the imaginal world where archetypal forces can care for us, and our intolerable feelings can be hidden in a cast of inner characters. We still long for compassionate connection, but the inner figures of our caregivers are intolerable, so sometimes the archetypal mother hides in food—and we follow. In the recent ...