Six Jungian analysts and academics at the cutting edge of this exciting and crucial area of research and practice share their diverse modes of professional engagement.

This is the second set of talks in a new ‘Beyond Jung’ series hosted by the Pari Center, honouring the seminal work and inspiration of the Swiss psychiatrist C. G. Jung. Our title, ‘Jung and Ecology’, refers to the contribution of Jung’s prescient insights, and of his Analytical Psychology in general, to the emerging discipline of ecopsychology. This can be summed up in his famous and alarming assertion that “The world hangs by a thin thread… and that thread is the psyche of man.” Despite his old-fashioned language, four of our six presenters are women!

Synergies between Jungian psychology, systems dynamics, Gaia theory, dual-aspect monism and deep ecology can prepare and guide us to counter the existential threat of the Anthropocene. Moreover, Jung’s Stages of Life “cradle-to-grave” developmental theory can be scaled up to show that our entire civilisation is in mid-life crisis, and responding to it with a toxic mix of inertia, nostalgia and hubris… Read more

As those working in outdoor settings will testify, profound experiences can emerge from the dynamic interaction between an individual and the phenomena of the natural environment. These moments of meaning, where psyche experiences itself reflected in the other-than-human world, can hold profound personal significance, might lead to important therapeutic insight and may even inspire a sense of interconnectedness with the containing ecosystem… Read more

Human caused climate change has placed life on the planet in a precarious state. It is imperative we address this situation as soon as possible for the longer we wait, the more we commit future generations to catastrophic disruption. Jungian psychology provides a unique means to understand the problem of climate change for it recognizes the importance of the unconscious in our lives… Read more

In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “A Descent into the Maelström” (1841), three fishermen are trapped in a gigantic ocean whirlpool threatening to destroy them. This strikes me as an image of the abyss humankind is facing today, threatened by a multi-dimensional ecological crisis in a world dominated by a one-sidedly materialistic collective consciousness that has lost its spiritual foundation, as Carl Gustav Jung characterized it. Symbolically, Poe’s story tells us that psychic transformation of the collective can be achieved by letting go of the old and embracing the new and unknown… Read more

The phenomena of climate change and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence reveal a defining feature of humanity: the aspiration to control, reshape, and surpass the natural world. At the heart of both lies a mode of creativity and god-like ambition that seeks mastery over nature and the power to create new, autonomous entities. Originating as a human-made being shaped from earth and animated through sacred knowledge, the image of the Golem serves as a powerful metaphor for this impulse. It is interpreted here as a symbolic expression of the desire not only to dominate the natural world, but also to transcend it through technological means… Read more

Carl Jung and Native people share profound perspectives on the interconnectedness of nature and spirit. Both view the world imbued with spiritual significance, but their interpretations come from different epistemologies. Jung was a man deeply connected to nature and saw the important role our relationship to nature and animals played in the individuation process. He introduced the concept of “anima mundi” or world soul representing spirit within matter. For Jung, nature was not something external to us, but rather an expression of the unconscious, a guide to help us… Read more