Depth Psychology In 1909 Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss analytical psychologist, traveled with Freud to America to lecture and accept honorary degrees. The two men had a tremendous influence on each other for a total of six years, but shortly after Jung published his Psychology of the Unconscious in 1912, he broke away from Freud. The book revealed the areas where he disagreed with Freud. Jung said that there was much more to the unconscious than sex. Modern Freudians (neo-Freudians) side with Jung on this issue. Jung expanded Freud's notion of the unconscious to include what he called the "collective unconscious," made up of universal elements of human experience, or archetypes. According to Jung, humankind shares a common and inborn unconscious life. He believed that we connect with the collective unconscious through dreams, fantasies, cultural stories and myths that contain archetypal themes and symbols. He believed that stories hold the keys to our own complexes and usher us into the future. Jung's formal break with Freud led to a long period of soul-searching, which he described in his autobiographical Memories, Dreams and Reflections. During this time, he developed the concept of the shadow as an unacknowledged part of the self that carries fears and guilt, which we project out on the world in the form of conflict with other individuals. He also developed the concept of the anima and animus, inner male and female parts of the psyche. Rather than just trying to unravel complexes, as Freud believed was necessary, Jung developed new methods of therapy, borrowing from alternative traditions such as Buddhism. Jung taught that therapy was a process of integrating the conscious and unconscious forces, which would result in a meaningful wholeness. Jung became an influential teacher, promoting the theory that personal symbols were powerful healing tools. He found that experiencing the higher (transpersonal) Self through symbols and stories could connect people with their own inner depths, and that within the darkness they would find their own answers. This is called "depth psychology." Some people regard Jung as a prophet and his depth psychology as a new religious experience. Myths Clarify Psychological States Freud tried to compartmentalize all human psychology into the Oedipus story and a few other Greek myths. Jung opened himself up to all myths, all traditions, and all kinds of symbols, because he theorized that the language of archetypal symbols is universal. Symbols transmit images from the soul, or the collective unconscious, and may arise from the Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, Judeo-Christian, Pagan, Shamanic or any tradition, even if the dreamer was not aware of these symbols before seeing them in a dream. In the same way, a story transcends cultural boundaries. Mythic stories speak in symbols, much like dreams. Symbols call forth images from our souls, from our connection to the collective unconscious. Symbols are a secret language we all use. Jung brought symbols to our attention in his mid-century book, Man and His Symbols (edited by Jung), telling us how symbols and archetypal themes reveal the unconscious. Through the alchemy of love and self-understanding we may integrate elements of the unconscious and become whole. Jung said that healing personal and social fragmentation is essential for humankind to achieve a better degree of civilization. Self-control is a rare and remarkable virtue, according to Jung, which comes from befriending ourselves. Our own dreams mean something to us, although it's difficult to understand the symbolic language or even to remember the symbols when we awaken. Like dreams, stories have a message for us. In our moments of deepest despair, when the world has ceased to make sense, we grasp at anything to explain what's happening. Our mechanistic culture has few comforting stories. Some scholars argue that our plots have died. After all, most movies these days seem just a series of explosions, car chases and gratuitous sex, loosely strung together with little or no plot. Should we grieve for the culture because it has lost its roots, lost its connection to story? Without a fulfilling narrative to comfort us, we feel doomed to live in a world that operates against us and beyond our comprehension. The Old Testament Book of Job addresses this dilemma. The Lord permits Satan to test Job's will. Satan wants to make Job repudiate God, so he takes away Job's wealth, then his children, and finally Job is smitten with boils. His wife advises him to "curse God and die," but Job remains steadfast and eventually his faith is rewarded. When Jung used the word "myth," he was referring to archetypal patterns manifested in stories. However, "myth" acquired a negative connotation in the third century A.D. when Christian fathers were trying to stamp out common people's faith in Greek and Pagan gods. In the twentieth century however, Carl Jung revived the word and attempted to restore its original meaning. Following in Jung's footsteps, Joseph Campbell has probably done more than anyone to elevate the place of myth in modern society. Rollo May, one of the first humanists and author of The Cry for Myth, says, "There can be no stronger proof of the impoverishment of our contemporary culture than the popular -- though profoundly mistaken -- definition of myth as falsehood." He explains that myths are "like the beams in a house: not exposed to outside view, they are the structure which holds the house together so people can live in it" (p. 23). A fictional story can be true, because its truth is expressed through symbols. On the other hand, true stories sometimes speak more profoundly through forms that resemble fiction. This is the case of most scriptures. Holy books are stories of truth that transcend the fiction or non-fiction categories. For example, the life of Lord Jesus is generally accepted as historical fact, but it has taken on the proportions of a cultural myth in the positive Jungian sense, because over the last two centuries Jesus remains a prominent religious symbol in several major world religions. The story of Lord Krishna is also true, in the sense that archaeologists have found the remains of Krishna's kingdom in the Arabian Sea. However, the stories of Krishna would still be true, even if there were no evidence whatsoever, because Krishna's truth transcends history. Scriptural stories may be taken literally and metaphorically. When we say something from the scriptures is true, it may be profoundly true. Therefore, to call it a myth seems to bring it down a notch, but when we get over the damage done by third century Christian fathers, the word myth will be restored. When we find a story that makes sense of our situation, it becomes a folder in which to file our doubts and fears. The lesson hidden in the story serves as a candle in the dark. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, stories say millions of things in a few simple paragraphs. We all know the myth of Sisyphus, who is cursed by Zeus to eternally push a rock up a hill, only to have it roll down again. The myth is still potent because we all have days or time frames like that. In stories about demigods, such as the Greek or Vedic (Hindu) gods, we read of characters that do some of the same thoughtless and cruel things humans do. They become arrogant, jealous and willful, and commit crimes like murder, rape and theft. Yet they are respected gods who live on a higher level and with more dignity than us, and their stories provide lessons for humankind. Perhaps the role of myth is to introduce us to the gods, to elevate our consciousness. Whether we were made in the gods' images, or the other way around, there is much to learn from them. Also, our relationship to the gods reflects our relationship to leaders of our society. Is it merely coincidence that our earthly gods (politicians, movie stars, etc.) become arrogant and do cruel things? With all their shortcomings, we often naively continue to support them. The pattern of submission to authority is repeated in religion, government, business and families. I personally disagree that modern movies lack plot. They must revolve around a plot that mirrors something in us, because just look at the large audiences. I believe these movies address the archetypal theme of the hero. Instead of fighting dragons or riding his horse across the Western terrain, the modern hero fights his way through futuristic urban jungles. He struggles bravely on, just as all heroes do, but his obstacles are alienation, pollution, political tyranny, moral corruption, over industrialization and global culture war. His mission is often to hunt down the source of the hypocrisy. They say that all science fiction is about the author's contemporary culture. Authors cleverly disguise their stories as futuristic, which helps readers get over denial and accept the concept that it "could" happen. The book 1984 was George Orwell's comment on the Big Brother of 1949, when he wrote it. The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Stanley Kubrick (and Arthur C. Clarke), struck a nerve in 1968, the year that it came out, because it dealt with the theme of technology. In the movie Bladerunner Harrison Ford was a cop searching for androids in a dark and depressing futuristic Los Angeles. When it came out, everyone agreed that it was a comment on current day Los Angeles. The Matrix is a recent variation of this plot with lots of gunfire and other loud noises. Often when it seems like there is "no plot" to a movie, that just indicates how close to home they are for us. We are these modern-day heroes. (The new hero films often have daring heroines who participate in the action too.) We have a blind spot, so we let the movie take us on an adventure of the imagination. Looking for a story to express our deep feelings is a way to find wholeness and identity. Usually we are attracted to stories that reflect our own story or touch us in some way. Stories are all around us, but we are not trained to recognize how they can heal us. For example, why did so many teenage girls love Titanic? Partly because it spoke of the different stages of being a woman. We first meet the heroine when she is one hundred years old, then we learn the love story of her early life. Researchers are interviewing her because they want information about the priceless diamond that may still be lost at sea, but at the end of the movie, we discover that she has had it all along. She drops it into the ocean, an act reeking of symbolism. These archetypal elements were expertly woven into the special effects. Despite its length, girls watched this movie countless times. Obviously they found something fascinating in it. It's healing to find your counterpart in a popular movie or any old story that is new to you. Stories restore faith and hope. Instead of taking a pill if you get depressed, read a work of fiction or watch a good movie. If you happen to pick something that resonates for you, it will bring wholeness and resolve to your area of concern. Myths are all around us, but if we ignore them and never learn to connect, it is our own loss. One goal of depth psychology is to recognize a symbol or story that will turn our own personal past into our most sacred treasure and resource for future growth. Learning to love stories and love our own story is a big step in the path of transformation from fragmentation to wholeness. Several other philosophies speak of of loving, accepting and reclaiming our whole self, including our past. Myth in Jungian Context Myths, movies, scriptural stories, news stories, music, art and poetry all carry profound messages for humankind. Symbols from any of these media may reach mythic proportions. The older the story, the more deeply it speaks to us at the unconscious level. Many old myths are retold in modern ways. Myths are eternal truths put into stories. If an old story ceases to have meaning, it will fade into oblivion. The myths we hear and choose to repeat are key to what is taking place in our psyche. Myths offer an interpretation of our inner selves in relation to the outside world. They express a society's beliefs in story form and define our culture. The study of Jungian psychology teaches us that myth is a tool in our search for identity. Lack of myth, or lack of connection to the myths that are already there, results in depression. Rollo May says the disconnection explains our culture's high levels of drug addiction, alienation and violence. Myths provide a vocabulary to communicate our stories to ourselves and to others. We are surrounded with myths, but being in their shadow, we fail to recognize them. Personal Spirituality Throughout history, religious organizations have told people how to believe, but Carl Jung, through his own soul-searching, concluded that the divine manifests to each individual in a different way. In his psychotherapy practice, he helped his patients recognize the personal symbols from their dreams, myths and other sources, to help them connect with the divine in a meaningful, personal way. Jung used the word "numinous" to describe the experience. Originally coined by Rudolf Otto, a writer who had a great influence on Jung, the word comes from the Latin root "numen," meaning "god," and verb "nuere," literally to nod or beckon. Thus, the word describes an experience in which God reaches out to tell us of His presence. According to Jung (and Otto), this religious experience is the essence of holiness, which is felt as inexpressible, irreducible and undeniable. The numinosum, the subject of the experience, feels like it comes from outside the self, an experience of the divine Other. An experience of the numinosum cannot be forced, only experienced. In his book, Religious Function of the Psyche, Lionel Corbett says that the numinosum may appear radiant, pure and glorious, or it may appear with grisly, overpowering, profane horror. Corbett explains, "According to Otto, another element of this experience is its quality of 'absolute overpoweringness' so that the creature in relation to it feels extremely small, or experiences religious humility" (p. 12). He explains that the experience of awe and dread evokes a transcendence, and a temporary loss of material ego, in which a person feels extremely humble and insignificant in the presence of God. Otto called this manifestation of the numinosum the mysterium tremendum and the feeling of humility it produces the "creature consciousness." Whether the numinosum occurs as a frightening form or loving, gentle form, the feeling is of wonder, due to being in contact with something outside of ordinary reality. Experience of the numinosum is key to Jung's theory of the healing process. This is where Jung crossed the line from the science of psychology to religion, because the numinosum cannot be measured or induced in an experiment. Locating the numinosum within the psyche is a spiritual process, rather than a psychological one. Corbett explains, Numinous experience is synonymous with religious experience. Translated into psychological parlance, this means the relatively direct experience of those deep intrapsychic structures known as archetypes. The archetype is a fundamental organizing principle which originates from the objective psyche, beyond the level of the empirical personality. In the religious literature, what the depth psychologist calls an archetype would be referred to as spirit; operationally they are synonymous. But crucially for the depth psychologist, the archetypes are not only numinous manifestations of the divine, they also play a part in the organization of the personality (p. 15). Jung's theory holds that the numinous experience is always felt as an intensely personal revelation, which is unique to each individual, that may cross cultural or religious boundaries. Jung thus taught a blending of psychology and mystical tradition, in which individuals may find God in their own way. The experience of God proscribed in a particular church, by particular religious authority figures, is irrelevant once people contact their own personal symbol, or story, of God. A numinous archetypal symbol may manifest in a dream, a fantasy, a synchronicity, a waking vision or a feeling in the body. For example, the numinosum manifests in the story of Droupadi when her enemies, the Kauravas, attack her. They try to strip off her sari, but Krishna supplied an unending cloth. Hindu women over the centuries have found strength from Droupadi when they felt humiliated. But a woman who has never read the Mahabharata may dream of an unending length of cloth (or similar theme) and feel God's presence and protection. Jung said that even without recognizing the origin of the story, simply contacting the numinosum is the healing element. The numinosum may also manifest through nature or through one's own creativity, for example an artist may manifest a personal spiritual image that affects many people. The numinosum often appears in an unorthodox or nontraditional form, and therefore may be difficult to recognize or interpret without help. In the process of depth psychology, the therapist's job is to recognize the numinosum when it appears and guide the patient to accept, appreciate and integrate the symbol into their consciousness. Usually the numinosum addresses itself to the area of greatest vulnerability, where the person has the most urgent psychological needs and problems. Upon waking from a numinous dream, the individual may feel that the experience was at once frightening, but also sacred. Contact with the numinosum is an awakening that speaks directly to the individual. The numinosum can appear in ordinary events of daily life. For example, someone might find consolation in their own name, the presence of a beloved pet, some aspect of their dwelling place, or any other daily circumstance. Abuse victims may find the numinosum within a negative complex, such as a fascination with guns, Nazi rhetoric, drugs or death. For others the symbolism of the numinosum may appear in psychotic episodes and disturbing memories. For example, a former victim of a religious cult may temporarily think that they are Jesus (or another divinity) who must cope with the whole world's suffering. For me, walking near a river or lake is a numinous experience. I also felt a strong connection whenever I saw the Krishna deity at my old temple. Another curious numinosum I have is a tilak birthmark on my forehead (tilak is the u-shaped clay forehead marking that devotees wear). I first noticed the birthmark on one of my baby pictures when I was about half way through my odyssey in ISKCON. Now, whenever I get a little sun, the birthmark shows. It touches something deep in me when I see it. It's a feeling like, "Maybe this was all meant to be." Overall, Corbett explains, "It is typical for the numinosum to present itself in a manner that is directly relevant to the developmental history of the experiencer" (p. 6). The numinosum manifests for the healing of the individual. It may be difficult to look at the symbol, because it usually addresses deep fears and inadequacies. Strong people can integrate these experiences without help, but if the personality is fragmented, intense numinous experiences can cause further fragmentation, or even devastating episodes of psychosis. In my former group, a deranged disciple murdered one of the eleven gurus in 1988 and cut his head off because he believed that his guru was the anti-Christ. Professional psychotherapy with a qualified counselor is essential for individuals who have trouble integrating intense archetypal experiences. In this regard, Carl Jung said, "Sometimes the divine asks too much." A qualified psychotherapist can amplify the symbols, help the patient realize the deeper meaning they may hold, and teach them how to apply the realizations in a positive way. Jung believed that our emotional suffering always contains an element of the divine. To Jung, the work of psychotherapy lies in uniting the opposing elements of the psyche, reconciling and transcending them through the divine (or higher Self within the psyche). Recognizing the shadow side, which includes our own suffering, evil, aggression and abuse, is key to the process of uniting opposites. According to Jung, redemption is attained when the shadow material is processed and consciously integrated into the psyche, where it comes under the individual's control. Numinous experiences therefore often spring from the shadow material, bringing us face to face with things we wish to forget. Corbett explains, The testimony of successful mystics and that of the consulting room suggests that contact with the numinosum may have an integrating effect which improves the overall cohesion of the self and consolidates and deepens one's sense of identity. But the problem with such contact is that it often challenges the very ideas about ourselves and the world which we have used to ward off anxiety and enhance self-esteem. Hence, numinous experiences may generate fear, which in the presence of a fragile self can be massive enough to require defensive maneuvers or precipitate psychosis. This is so because numinous experience is precisely relevant to our pathology, our self-object [developmental] needs and our areas of woundedness. These are just the places that the numinosum tries to enter the personality for the purposes of restructuring and healing (p. 30). The conclusion is that the divine manifests through our pathology. While most people try their best to ignore their own shadow elements, seeing them clearly is essential to arrive at a realistic view of what is in our depths. As Corbett points out, "These and similarly painful areas are the effects of negative complexes, and they, too, have their archetypal, or spiritual, cores. To attend to them is no less a spiritual practice than to attend to the positive aspects of the numinosum" (p. 37). The places that are most vulnerable, the most covered in shadows, are where pressure from the unconscious is strongest. The numinosum arises in a natural attempt to provide balance, filling in what is missing (or denied) in the emotional mix. Therefore, Corbett explains, "True religious experience is potentially frightening, and may be related to areas of great difficulty" (p. 33). He calls fear of the numinosum a "core anxiety" that we naturally defend ourselves against. He concludes, "The numinosum does not necessarily respect our view of the world, but rather tends to present us with the need for radical re-evaluation of our beliefs" (p. 33). Numinous experiences break all the rules and the ego puts up its resistance. If the numinosum calls and the ego resists, an individual may retreat into an overly rigid spiritual life to try to cope. The revelation that numinous symbols arise naturally within the psyche, so that an aspect of the divine personally shows itself to an individual, may appear as blasphemy to those who believe God will only reveal himself through approved scriptures, or through particular saviors or symbols of their own religion. In some cases, religions are built around fending off unwanted symbols. That is why they say that whatever you criticize, on some level you are attracted to it. Some religions are fascinated with the battle between God and the devil. Other religions see the duality as the struggle between the light and dark within oneself. Some people may rely on dogmatic ideas to fend off the new symbolic experience. Usually the numinous calls to us in a gradual and progressive way, which can be frightening as long as we resist. Corbett explains, "If dogmatic ideas are used to hold the self together, the only symbol which feels safe is one which is frozen into literalism and hence rendered manageable" (p. 34). Thus, dogmatic rituals seem empty and rigidly defined religious symbols ultimately lose their meaning. Ignoring the call of the numinosum, a dogmatic religious practitioner may feel that the only "safe" symbols are those that have been officially approved by their church. They consider any new manifestation "demonic," and may go to great lengths to stop others from venturing into unfamiliar ground. Hence they war against marijuana, a popular drug that tends to open new avenues of awareness. Most people are accustomed to accepting prescribed religious imagery and may be unaware that a deep religious experience could arise within their own personal experiences. However, people who are ready to face whatever is within their unconscious, are ready to begin a genuine spiritual quest. One's own dreams and peak experiences may provide a personal vision of God that is more useful than any dogma. Recognizing the numinous that arise within the unconscious, no matter how painful these may be, point the way to salvation. Corbett explains that when people are honest with themselves, they will recognize the numinosum at the core of their suffering. He says, "If the divine is never further away than our suffering, then our suffering becomes the beginning of our spirituality. Any attempt to develop spiritual techniques that do not penetrate and understand suffering, run the risk of avoiding the sacred itself" (p. 51). The stronger a person becomes by exploring her inner landscape, the more open (s)he becomes to numinous experience. What is happening is the psyche's attempt to initiate the person into a higher state of consciousness. Corbett explains, "Contact with the archetypal realm has the potential for reordering by induction. The archetype superimposes its own pattern of order, sometimes through soothing or calming effect and sometimes through the production of apparent chaos until reintegration occurs and the new pattern is recognized" (p. 22). The divine is thus inviting the soul to have a personal relationship; and, rather than producing a grandiose pathology, this usually produces a state of great humility. Rather than feeling further alienated from the self (and the higher Self), the person feels grounded, centered and whole. This happens because contact with an unfathomable superior consciousness invokes a feeling of enormous gratitude and inner strength. After a genuine experience, God is made real to the individual. Greek and Hebrew Symbols In The Cry for Myth, Rollo May explains the importance of these traditions: "These two sources of ancient myths, the Greek and the Hebrew, are the 'mother' and 'father' of Western civilization, and we will forever be indebted to them" (p. 42). The story Oedipus, spoken by Homer, written by Sophocles, and popularized by Freud, mirrors the Western viewpoint that Oedipus would spend the rest of his life in exile as punishment for what he did. Banishment is still a factor in our culture. Families and other groups still ostracize scapegoats and black sheep. Zeus cursed Sisyphus to eternally push a rock up a hill. Incest perpetrators curse their family members to wake up every morning with a burden of painful memories to push along all day. Another Greek myth the psychologists have adopted is Narcissus, who serves as a metaphor for those conspirators who knew of abuse yet did nothing to stop it or help the victims. While the abuse was happening, they sat by compulsively contemplating their reflections. Another relevant source of myth are the Vedas, the stories of the ancient Hindu religion. One common theme is that whenever there is a grave disturbance in the material world, a Vishnu avatar descends to restore balance. This is Vishnu's role as the maintainer. He is said to be present in every atom, omnipotent and omniscient, thus he is called the maintainer, the witness and the most dear friend. Belief in reincarnation and the law of karma assure that demons will reap what they have sewn, if not in this lifetime, then in the next. The stories of Vishnu are both comforting and revealing of how humans see God. Vishnu is a genuinely respectable god, whose only mischief is his sporting with Brahma and Shiva to see who is superior. Activities Take the time to identify the structure of your psychic house. First, make a list of stories you like. These can be from movies, books, or even stories you've made up or memorized from childhood. Write about the stories and write them out in your own words. Identify the themes of the stories and write about how these apply to your own life. Recall an important dream and write it down. Circle the words that are symbols. Write about what these symbols mean to you. Visit the Archeytpe Workshop for more information on this subject (at this site: click here). If you want to work with a Jungian therapist, contact the Pacifica Institute in Carpenteria, Calif., or another Jungian school, for referrals to psychologists. Also, look up "archetypal depth psychology" on the Internet. Cult Survivors Handbook Table of Contents Preface, Frontmatter This book is written for people who joined high control groups as adults, but people born or raised in such groups may also benefit from reading it. I have also included a note to non-cult family members to help them interpret their loved one's experience. Family Therapy Dangerous cults function like dysfunctional families, so good counseling in the field of family therapy may help an ex-cult member process the experience. If the root of the problems go back to family of origin issues, family therapy can help. Abuse Recovery Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse is common in cults. Read this chapter if you suffered abuse in a cult. Depth Psychology Carl Jung's philosophy can help ex-cult members find meaning in their experiences. The Twelve Steps If you practiced abuse in the cult, the Twelve Steps can offer you relief from the pain of guilt. Mind-Body Here are some tips to get out of depression without drugs and learn the messages of your symptoms of disease. Creative Art Therapy and Gestalt For people who were victimized in a cult, humanist psychology is the best route to recovery. Eastern Mind Eastern philosophy has benefits; learn to keep the parts you enjoy, while you throw away the garbage the cult may have served with it. Ten Reasons Not to Hit Your Kids by Jan Hunt, M.Sc., Director of The Natural Child Project Bibliography and Suggested Reading Read more books about the topics covered in Cult Survivors Handbook. next