Eyes
of the Heart
“The
thing that is important usually is the thing that is not seen.”
Antoine
de Saint-Exupery (The Little Prince)
I attended a Zoom lecture last night by
Jungian Analyst Lucie Magnus. Her topic: What is Jungian Analysis? A lot of
folks don’t know how this type of analysis differs from counseling or even
Freudian Analysis. Lucie did a magnificent job of explaining that analysis is
not about pathology, and it is not about problem solving per se. It is about
helping the analysand find him- or herself sorted out from all the roles they
play, all the expectations they have for themselves and that others have for
them and separate from the cultural norms and demands. It asks the questions,
who am I as an individual, and what is my authentic voice. It is putting one’s
life into a spiritual context because analysis is soul work. It aims to
strengthen the individual ego enough for it to stand on its own, listen to its
own wisdom, and make its own decisions.
Jungian Analysis is not
something that happens in three sessions, and it is not something that can be
taught by way of the cerebral cortex. It is a process of listening to the
unconscious mind as it manifests itself in speech, behavior, emotions, and
dreams. We humans operate about 75% of the time from our unconscious mind—we say
and do things without thinking about the underlying reasons. We may
occasionally think, why did I say that, or what is going on that I am so
irritable or so emotional, but rarely do we take the time and energy to track
it back to its source. And sometimes, that source is embedded in childhood
trauma that we don’t even remember.
Jung defined neurosis as “the
suffering of the soul when it has lost its meaning.” And he called the process
of analysis “individuation” because it pares the human being down to its
individual self, free from the add-ons and trappings of family, tribe, and culture.
One sheds the persona and strengthens the ego by working with the Self, or the
soul. One learns the meaning of the symbolic language of dreams and images. And
one does all this in service to oneself so that one can be of benefit to the
world at large. When we approach life from an Individuated point of view, we
see the bigger picture, and our place in it—we are neither grandiose nor
humiliated.
One of the terms I
learned last night was “temenos” which means “temple precinct,” or sacred
space. When we designate a sacred space, we automatically set the intention to
be in relationship with the holy. When we enter temenos, we know we are there
to communicate with our sacred soul which is one with the world soul. We can
learn much there. We can ask questions and listen for answers. And answers will
come both from within and from without. It feels like waking up and realizing
you have always walked in the holy mystery, but you did not see it. Just like
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is all around you and you do not see it.” When we
begin to see with our hearts, we will know what he meant.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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