Posts which reflect on social events/trends from a Jungian perspective.
The crowning moment of the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is the setting afire of a huge wooden sculpture shaped as a man. What many “Burners” may not realize is that the image of a man (or woman) being burned by fire has a long spiritual history. For instance, it is…
Some people choose not to participate in the game of life. They find it easier to sit in the stands–or not go to the stadium at all–than to risk losing, or winning. What they don’t understand is that even the “losers” win on life’s playing field. To put yourself out there, perchance to win, may…
Processed American cheese. Who knows what it’s made of, but it comes in convenient, individually-wrapped slices. It passes for cheese and it’s edible. What more could you want? I watched 10 minutes of a presidential debate, but I probably didn’t even need to watch that. No sooner had it ended than I was “assaulted” by…
We have a 17 year-old cat by the name of Mitzi. In the past couple of years she has developed the annoying behavior of meowing very loudly. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so annoying if we knew what it is she is trying to communicate. We explore the probable causes: she is hungry; she wants to…
Bizarre skid marks on morning pavement, greet me on my way to work. Bent guard rail and black scuffed curbs, all the shadow’s handiwork. Night time can be a dangerous time. “Nothing good happens after 10:00 p.m.,” say those who would know. The sun goes down and consciousness wanes. The shadow comes out to…
Are you afraid of snakes? If you are, you are not alone. Snakes are strange creatures—no arms, legs, or other appendages, just a scale-covered spine with a mouth at one end. Snakes slither along the ground in a mysterious and stealthy way. They are cold-blooded and the bite of some can be deadly. It is…
Got your Oprah glasses on, and your Eckhart Tolle reader, your immersed within the present, and you’re feeling all that oneness, and everybody’s groovy, and all beliefs are valid, and everything’s respected, and empathy flows freely, except to those who disagree. All groups have a shadow, just as all people have a shadow. The danger…
Tom didn’t think he would be able to get a job. At age 58, with graying hair and a noticeable limp from an old back injury, he figured most employers would see him as a liability rather than an asset to their organization. But when he walked into the lobby of a small company looking…
Just as the first dream we remember from childhood can be very significant, often hinting at our destiny and the key forces that will shape our life, so the last dream we have before death may summarize how we have lived our life. An example of this is this dream of an 82 year-old man…
For many people at midlife, perhaps especially those who are retired, gambling can be an extremely seductive—and destructive—activity. The ending of a career, the death of a spouse, or a change of roles within the family are life events that can lead to feelings of loss, sadness, loneliness or anger. Many older people turn to…
