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 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮.
I thought I would give you a brief taster of the first module – Individuation.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
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 “The psychology of individuation. "
In Psychological Types, Jung describes the process of individuation in the following terms: “In 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 “The Way of Individuation” Jolande Jacobi describes two kinds of individuation: The ‘Natural’ or ‘biological’ kind, this happens without the need for our conscious effort or attention – our bodies grow and mature automatically and without our having to ‘decide’ for this to happen –this is one very obvious example of the natural kind of individuation. Then there is the ‘artificial’ – later called ‘conscious’ - kind of individuation – this only happens through our conscious decision and “aided for instance by analysis, developed by definite methods, and consciously experienced.”
Jacobi says that the difference between these two types of individuation is “as 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.”
The ‘technique, 'or rather ‘techniques’ being referred to are depth psychotherapy/analysis, dream work and Active Imagination.
Later in the same book, Jacobi writes “Generally speaking, there is a polar relationship between the two forms of life [i.e. ‘natural’ and 'conscious’ 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 – “Like 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. 𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙛 [𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮] 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 [𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨] 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙝𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙣𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 [𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮] 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 [𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧]𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 [𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣] 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙. "
Jungian theory, and the work of Marie-Louise von Franz in particular, has looked at the way in which most of the world’s myths, and in European culture, Fairy Tales, are symbolic representations of the path of conscious individuation. So, for instance, in the story of “Sleeping Beauty "the sleeping princess represents that aspect which Jung described as being our “original character” and which, in other places he describes as the ‘soul’ and ultimately the Self, whilst the prince represents that part which is “alienated very largely or even entirely from our original character,” 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 – 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 “Where is this decision coming from?” and “Is this really what I have decided to put into my body?” and if so “On what am I basing my decision?” For many people, this practice can be very challenging, and indeed consciousness transforming.
𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙣 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙪𝙥 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙!
