Madison Jungian Studies Program
This is a program of courses and workshops to be presented
by Dennis Merritt, Ph.D., Jungian analyst (Zurich). Most of the material has been presented in Milwaukee or the
Chicago Jung Institute but never within the contest of a comprehensive
Jungian Studies Program in Madison. Any or all of the program
can be arranged to be taught anywhere in the country.
If you live in or around Madison, leave your e-mail address
and the title(s) of course(s) or workshop(s) you are interested
in so I can arrange the program accordingly.
Please indicate whether you are interested in a professional
or a lay course and whether an ongoing class or a weekend intensive
is preferable.
The program will provide
a solid foundation in the basics of Jungian psychology. It is designed for the serious psychologically minded student
of Jung, be they a layperson, psychotherapist, member of the artistic
community or those interested in ecopsychology. Continuing education units for teachers and psychotherapists
will be applied for. Completion
of the program will prepare one for the intermediate to advanced
courses at Jung institutes in Chicago and other cities.
The focus will be on the classic elements of Jungian psychology,
including dream interpretation, synchronicity and Jung's theory
of archetypes. Elements of other theoretical systems
will be incorporated, including psychodynamic theory, Self psychology,
Winnicott's theories, and James Gustafson (University of Wisconsin-Madison
Psychiatry Department).
James Hillman's contributions to Jungian psychology will
be noted.
After establishing the basic elements of Jungian psychology,
the more subtle task of developing an archetypal perspective will
be engaged. This will be accomplished primarily by a study and practice
at interpreting fairy tales, mythology and that classic archetypal
text and compendium of Chinese wisdomÑthe I Ching. With this foundation, the focus will shift
to the theory and practice of dream interpretation. The ecopsychological dimensions of Jungian
psychology will be emphasized and the spirit in nature as it appears
in film will be studied.
It will be important to examine the relation of Jungian
theory to scientific discoveries about the unconscious, inheritance
of psychological traits, brain functioning and psychoneuroimmunology.
Participants will be encouraged to write out their dreams,
keep a journal, participate in a spiritual practice and engage
in some form of body therapy.
Further courses may be developed to respond to the interests
of the group. Additional courses and/or a case discussion
colloquium with a focus on dream interpretation could be developed
for the mental health professionals.
Courses and Workshops
Course:
Introduction to Jungian Psychology
The true history of the spirit is not preserved in learned
volumes
but in the living psychic organism of every individual.
C. G. Jung
This
eight week course provides an overview of Jungian psychology as
it applies to everyday life, relationships, psychotherapy, the
arts and ecopsychology. Topics include:
archetypes and the collective unconscious
dreams
a psychological perspective on religion
psychological types (extravert, introvert, thinking, feeling,
etc.)
structure of the personality (persona, shadow, anima and animus,
and the Self)
the stages of life
synchronicity
Topics will be illustrated
with examples from case material, sandplay therapy, dreams, music,
film, mythology, fairytales, alchemy, ethnology, the I Ching,
astrology and Native American spirituality.
Videotapes include the BBC interview with Jung, a Native
American tale illustrating the archetype of initiation, ecopsychology
from a Jungian perspective, and transformational imagery and music
accompanying a terminal confrontation with cancer.
Hillman and Winnicott will be discussed.
Participants will be encouraged to keep a dream journal. Eight two-hour sessions. See syllabus at the end of this section.
Course:
Dream Interpretation
The dream is a little
hidden door in the innermost and most secret recesses of the soul,
opening into that cosmic night which was psyche long before there
was any ego-consciousness, and which will remain psyche no matter
how far our ego-consciousness extends.
C. G. Jung
Working with dreams remains a central element of the Jungian
analytic process. Dreams offer an unparalleled revelation
of the unconscious processes that govern our worldview, attitudes
and behavior. We
will discuss the nature and importance of dreams; archetypal,
numinous and "Big Dreams"; and techniques of dream interpretation.
We will examine how dreams can help connect one to the
land and find a path with heart in life.
Exploration of a series of dreams from a case will give
participants practice in dream interpretation, illustrate how
dreams guide the process of therapy, and reveal healing images
in dreams. Four two-hour sessions.
Workshop:
On Death and Life After Death:
Jung's Perspective
A man should be able
to say he has done his best to form a conception of life after
death, or to create some image of itÑeven if he must confess his
failure. Not to have done so is a vital loss.
C. G. Jung
Bill Moyer's ground
breaking series, On Our Own Terms, that aired in September, 2000 touched a nerve in
the American psyche. Issues
around dying, death and life after death are forcing their way
into the American consciousness.
Aging baby boomers are dealing with their parents' deaths
and their own aging process.
Jung has much to say to this generation as his psychology
largely addresses second half of life issues and the spiritual
depths of the human psyche. We will examine the association between dreams, the collective
unconscious, death and synchronicity. The archetypal domain represented by the god Hermes will help
elucidate these connections.
Jung formed his ideas about death based on his near death
experience, synchronicities and dreams about death and life after
death, and religious and cultural studies.
We will carefully analyze a video, Appointment
with the Wise Old Dog, that superbly illustrates how dreams, music in dreams,
active imagination and paintings based on these experiences helped
a cancer patient
undergo a profound psychic transformation that prepared him for
his death. The video illustrates the role of the
anima and the experience of the divine marriage, the mysterium
coniunctionis, in the transformative process. By facing
death do we come to live life more fully.
Recommended reading:
C. G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections,
Ch. 6-8, 10-11
Suggested readings: Marie Louise von Franz
On Dreams and Death
Suggested viewing: Bill Moyers,
On Our Own Terms
Course:
SPIRIT, NATURE AND FILM
How is the spirit in
nature portrayed in film? After a brief introduction to ecopsychology
and the psychology of Carl Jung, we will explore several films
that present different dimensions of the spirit in nature. Arrow to the Sun is a children's film of a Hopi myth
that illustrates the basic themes of our topic. Ulee's Gold ( which could be seen as a healing sequel to Platoon), A River Runs Through
It
and The Horse Whisperer
reveal the spirit in nature in contemporary American culture. The Emerald Forest offers an indigenous perspective
of the nature/human connection. The Secret of Roan
Inish explores the natural roots of our Western culture, particularly
through the Celtic tradition. Participants are encouraged to view the films before class.
Video clips and dream examples will be presented. Four one and a half hour sessions. See syllabus at the end of this section. .
Course:
Jung and Ecopsychology
Jungian psychology
at its core exemplifies an ecopsychological perspective on the
human-environment relationship. Jung was deeply connected to the
Swiss land and his concept of God was intimately associated with
the environment. This course, based on my book, The Dairy
Farmer's Guide to the Universe--Jung, Hermes and Ecopsychology
will explore Jung's life, psychological theories and psychoanalytic
practice from an ecopsychological perspective.The Greek god Hermes
will then be studied as an important mythological link to the
land in Western culture.Jung's concepts and the practice of Jungian
analysis will be compared and contrasted with Native American
spirituality, particularly as illustrated by the Oglala Sioux
holy man, Black Elk and current Lakota practices. A Jungian ecopsychological
approach will be applied in a heart-felt and imaginal look at
the Midwest environment. Dreams, myths, Native American stories,
the I Ching and Hillman's imaginal psychologywill
be used to explore Midwest weather, climate, seasons, land forms,
water resources, flora and fauna.The planet's most successful
multicellular life forms, the insects, will be examined in depth
to illustrate how a Jungian ecopsychological approach can be applied
in a comprehensive manner to one class of organisms.The implications
of a Jungian ecopsychology for individuals and the educational
system and theology will be discussed.Six two-hour sessions. Text:
The Dairy Farmer's Guide to the Universe--Jung, Hermes
and Ecopsychology (in preparation).
Course:
Winnicott and Jung--A Hermetic Link
D. W. Winnicott, a pediatrician
and seminal member of the British psychoanalytic school, has a
growing reputation as being one of the most important contributors
in the development of the modern psychoanalytic focus on narcissism,
object relations theory, self psychology and attachment theory.Jung
and Winnicott are archetypically linked by being exemplars of
the energy of the Greek god Hermes. Winnicott's theories will
be used to compliment and critique Jung and Jungian theory will
be used to put Winnicott into an archetypal framework. The ecopsychological
dimensions of Jungian psychology will then be applied to Winnicott's
theories to help move object relations theory and self psychology
into an ecopsychological framework. An archetypal framework for
Winnicott's theories and Winnicott's complementation of Jung's
concepts will then be used to develop a new psychoanalytic perspective
on Christianity and incorporate basic Christian concepts into
psychoanalytic practice. Three two-hour sessions.Texts:
A Jungian Bouquet (in preparation) and A Winnicott
Primer for Jungians (in preparation).
Workshops:
Fairytales
Fairytales are the
purest and simplest expression of the collective unconscious psychic
processes...they represent the archetypes in their...most concise
form.
Marie-Louise von Franz
Working with fairytales is one of the premier ways to develop
an archetypal perspective that is central to the application and
experiential dimensions of Jungian psychology.
The archetypal viewpoint is invaluable in analyzing dreams,
critiquing films, and interpreting cultural phenomena and artistic
productions. Three day-long workshops with small groups will be offered
over a two year period.
The four Grimm's tales to be discussed will illustrate
many of the basic dynamics of the psyche seen from
masculine and feminine perspectives.
Workshops open with an introduction to the Jungian method
of fairytale interpretation.
Ample time is allowed to thoroughly immerse oneself into
each tale. Examples will be used from dreams and case
material to illustrate the themes.
Workshop 1:
Cinderella
The theme in "Cinderella" is universally
known with over 700 variations worldwide.
Its undying popularity means it expresses the most common
(archetypal) human experiences; the feelings of abandonment, worthlessness
and being unloved. It is a crucial fairytale for understanding
the modern psychoanalytic focus on narcissistic wounds and its
lay version, the wounded child.
"Cinderella" is important in many women's psyches
and is an anima figure for many men.
Workshop 2:
Iron Hans
The Grimm's fairytale "Iron Hans," popularized
by Robert Bly's book Iron John,
tells a vital story for many men in a Christian dominated culture. It deals with a shadow energy of Christianity--aggression--and
how it can be transformed from its suppressed dysfunctional state
and integrated into the personality. It is a good tale for illustrating the
structure and processes of transformation in the psyche. Dreams and sandtray examples will be used
to put this fairytale into a modern context.
Workshop 3:
Rapunzel and The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs
The GrimmÕs fairytale Rapunzel, about the maiden with the long,
golden hair, deals with issues of beauty and enchantment, innocence
and pain. It is a
simple but powerful tale about love and idealism in the harsh
realities of the world.
The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs is a delightful Grimm's fairytale that complements Iron
Hans. It is concerned with issues of fate, luck,
the mother complex and the saying: Just because you're
paranoid doesn't mean that people aren't out to get you.
The
I Ching: A Modern Day Sage
The I Ching is considered the oldest of the Chinese classics,
and has throughout history commanded
unsurpassed prestige and popularity... It has been considered a book of fundamental principles by philosophers,
politicians, mystics, alchemists, yogins, diviners, sorcerers,
and more recently by scientists and mathematicians.
The Taoist I Ching
Jung used the I Ching extensively, personally and professionally, beginning
in 1919. Although
this 5000 year old book is pre-Taoist and pre-Confusionist in
its origins, it contains elements of both traditions.
In many ways it is a compendium of Chinese wisdom and philosophy. It is a book of archetypal images and
transformative processes.
The main intent of the book is to help one live wisely
like a sage. The Chinese ideogram for the sage, The
Ear Listening to the Inner King,
could be said to express the process and goal
of Jungian psychology. The
world view expressed in the I Ching
is in many ways inseparable from the basic elements of Jungian
psychology. Answers from the I Ching often make reference to seasonal and other natural
phenomena, thus helping us develop a symbolic connection to the
land.
Workshop:
Using the I Ching as a Life Guide
Through a process Jung called synchronicity one is
able to put a question to the I Ching and get sagely advice on important questions in one's life. The workshop will focus on how to intelligently
use the I Ching
for personal guidance and spiritual development. It is a particularly useful book for relationship questions.
Use of the I Ching
in conjunction with dreams and the therapeutic process will be
discussed. Participants will learn the ancient and
therapeutic yarrow stalk method for consulting the I
Ching and a group hexagram will be cast. A fifteen minute video I made, Seasons
of the Soul, will illustrate
four basic concepts in the I Ching
using examples from the climate and seasons of the Midwest.
Course:
The Wisdom of the I Ching
As a group we will study several hexagrams in the I
Ching that are particularly powerful from a depth psychological
perspective. These
include such hexagrams as 29--The Abysmal, 48--The Well, 51--The Arousing and 61--Inner Truth. Group discussions of hexagrams is an experience of how an archetype
manifests in many different forms while maintaining a theme. It
is a rewarding group to discuss hexagrams from such a profound
book of wisdom. (4
sessions, 2 hours each session)
Syllabuses
Introduction to Jungian Psychology
Session 1:
Introductions.
Overview of the course.
Jung's life, times and contributions. Relationship with Freud. Major differences between Jungian and Freudian theory and practice.
Significant Jungian reading materials.
Symbol dictionaries.
Depth psychology. Proofs for the existence of the unconscious.
Archetypes and the collective unconscious.
The collective unconscious and religions, indigenous rituals,
mythology, big dreams, fairytales and the I Ching. Active imagination and sandplay therapy.
Journal keeping and dream journals encouraged during the course.
Session 2:
Psyche. Consciousness.
Ego. Archetypes and complexes.
Levels of the unconscious:
the personal unconscious, collective consciousness, the
collective unconscious. The psychoid dimension of archetypes.
Synchronicity. Psyche and soma. Basic elements of the personality: (1)
the persona.
Session 3:
Basic elements of the personality: (2) the shadow,
(3) the male contra-sexual archetype (archetype of the soul)--the
anima.
Session 4:
Basic elements of the personality: (4) the female contra-sexual
archetype (archetype of the soul)--the animus. (5) the Self. Comparisons of the Jungian Self to the self of Self psychological
theory and Winnicott's True and False Self. The Self and religion, spirituality, spirit
animals and Native American spirituality.
Session 5:
( 3 hours) Videotapes
"Face to Face"--John
Freeman's BBC interview with Carl Jung (1959).
"Arrow to
the Sun"--Hopi
tale illustrating archetypes of transformation of psychic energies
and the transcendent function.
"Seasons
of the Soul"--Archetypal
motifs in the weather and climate of the Upper Midwest, illustrating
the ecopsychological dimensions of the psyche.
"Appointment
with the Wise Old Dog"--Archetypal
motifs and transformational imagery presented by dreams and active
imagination in dealing with a terminal illness (cancer). The theriomorphic form of God (God as a Dachshund).
Session 6:
The stages of life. Fantasy, play and the child. The mid-life crisis. Psychological types: introvert, extravert, thinking, feeling,
intuition and sensation types.
Typology in marriage, careers and relationships and way
of being in the world. The
Grey-Wheelwright Psychological Type Survey.
Begin dreams and dream interpretation.
Session 7:
Interpretation of the psychological type survey.
Conclude dream interpretation.
Big dreams and numinous dreams.
Use of dreams in therapy and analysis, finding a path with
heart for one's life, discovering one's spirit animals and connecting
one to the land.
Session 8:
Jungian theory and practice in relation to ecopsychology
and Native American spirituality. The concept of a spirit animal and a sacred environment.
Sacred topography as illustrated by recent discoveries
in Wisconsin's prehistoric past (2000 to 5000 years ago).
The nature of religion from the perspective of Jungian
psychology. Jung and Eastern religion. The symbolic experience of religion. The spiritual dimension of psychotherapy
illustrated by the alchemical process.
FILM,
NATURE AND SPIRIT
SYLLABUS
Session 1:
Eco-psychology. Deep ecology. Spirit
and soul. The ancient
Greek concept of the gods.
C. G. Jung's connection to the land and its affect on his
theories. Alchemy and eco-psychology. Spirit animals. James Hillman and the Anima Mundi. Dreams and the land. Arrow to the Sun (video-- Hopi tale illustrating the archetypal of elements
initiation, messenger animals and other Native American concepts. Appointment with the Wise Old
Dog (video)--sacred animals,
music and transformative processes in the dreams and active imagination
of a man dying of cancer.
Session 2:
The Emerald Forest--the
indigenous connection to the land.
Drug-induced altered states and spirit animals. The plight of indigenous peoples and the
land.
The Secret of Roan Inish--a Celtic tale from our Western tradition of the connection to the land
and sea. The
divine child and the connection to nature.
Session 3:
Ulee's Gold--a
healing sequel to the movie Platoon.
Archetypal energies represented by bees, Demeter and Hermes.
The archetype of the father and redemption. The positive
and negative elements of bees in Ulee's Gold
and Arrow to the Sun.
The younger granddaughter Penny as the divine child
and healing element. Healing
energy of the feminine and the anima.
A River Runs Through It--archetypes
of the two brothers, rivers and fishing.
Taoism, water and the I Ching. Christianity, Hermes, the
frontier and boundaries.
The archetype of wilderness, structure and non-structure
in nature and human life.
Session 4:
The Horse Whisperer--the
girl and her horse; a metaphor for what gets crushed in a fast
paced, technological society.
The anima and animus.
The archetype of the city mouse and the country mouse.
The horse in Lakota Sioux spirituality and the I
Ching. Alchemical
motifs and metaphors for our relationship with nature in the "new
approach to training horses.
Seasons of the SoulÑvideo
illustrating the spiritual and psychological elements of weathers,
climate and seasons of the upper Midwest.
The metaphoric dimensions of weather in the film Magnolia. The
symbolism of Òraining frogs.Ó
Analysis of The Governess to
illustrate how color, landscape, natural sounds, weather and other
aspects of nature help develop the film theme.
e-mail: DLMerritt@cal.berkeley.edu
Telephone:
(608) 255-9330 ext. 5
Fax: (608) 255-7810
Website: www.DennisMerrittJungianAnalyst.com
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