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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. Any or all of the program can be arranged to be taught
anywhere in the country.
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 wisdom—the 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 it—even 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 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 (that 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 psychology” will 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),
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 discuss four Grimm’s tales that
illustrate many of the basic dynamics of the psyche seen from
archetypal 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 as 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 this suppressed dysfunctional energy
can be transformed 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 Grimm’s 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. It is a compendium of Chinese wisdom and
philosophy and 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, 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 illustrates how an archetype manifests in many
different forms while maintaining a theme. It is a rewarding group
experience 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)—a Hopi
tale illustrating the archetypal in 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 archetypes 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 in Ulee’s Gold
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 Soul—video
illustrating the spiritual and psychological elements of weather,
climate and the seasons of the upper Midwest. The metaphoric
dimensions of weather in the film Magnolia.
The symbolism of “raining frogs.” 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: Madison: (608)
255-9330 ext. 5
Milwaukee:
(414) 332-7400
Fax:
(608)
255-7810
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