C.G. Jung Society, Seattle C.G. Jung Society, SeattleLecture: Friday, November 19, 2004, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Good Shepherd Center, Room 202, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle
$10 members, $15 nonmembers
For Carl Jung, Individuation is a lifelong process through which
we seek to discern our individual destinies as the Self challenges
us to become who we were meant to be. In this lecture, we will
explore what Jung meant when he referred to his concept of
Individuation as a psychological equivalent to a spiritual journey.
We will consider the archetypal dimension of the psyche as manifested in some of
the major themes of the great world religions and how they occur in the
psychological experiences of modern-day men and women.
Special attention will be given to the second half of life, during which unresolved issues from the past press upon us with intensity, challenging us with opportunities for renewal. The mid-life experience-whether crisis, upheaval, or gradual intensification to get on with our lives-offers an opportunity for a creative response to what may be unpleasant or troubling symptoms. These symptoms, understood symbolically, take on the significance of the Call, and aspect of the Archetype of Vocation, bringing a new sense of meaning, purpose, and identity.
Included in our reflections will be a consideration of the ego-Self axis, the teleological function of the Self and the prospective/synthetic approach to symptomatology, including Jung’s unique “redemptive attitude” toward the shadow.
For a reading list provided by Joe Wagenseller, see the current edition of Inside Pages (.pdf).
The life of Christ,
understood
psychologically,
represents the
vicissitudes of the
Self as it undergoes
incarnation in an
individual ego.
—Edward Edinger, The Christian
Archetype
Joe Wagenseller, D.Min., N.C.Psy.A., is a Jungian Analyst, graduate of the C.G. Jung Institute of New York, practicing in New York City and Westport, Connecticut. Current president of the C. G. Jung Institute of New York and the Temenos Institute, Inc. of Westport, he is the author of “The Archetype of Vocation” in Protestantism and Jungian Analysis and “Spiritual Renewal at Midlife from a Jungian Perspective” in the Journal of Religion and Health (Vol. 37. No. 3). He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Board for Accreditation in Psychoanalysis and is an Associate Professor at the Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology Teachers College, Columbia University, NYC. He lives with his wife Virginia and their family in Westport, Connecticut.
Updated: 11 September 2004
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