February 11, 2012

Ego, God, and Destiny

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by Andy Drymalski, EdD | “Why do these philosophers pretend that God is an idea, a kind of arbitrary assumption which they engender, when its perfectly plain that he exists, as plain as a brick that falls on your head? Suddenly I understood that God was, for me at least, one of the most certain and immediate experiences.” Carl Jung When asked by an interviewer if he believed in God, Carl Jung responded, “No, I don’t believe in God, I know God.” His response was not a claim to a … [Read more...]

Consciousness & The Problem of the Shadow (part I)

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JUNGIAN DREAMWORK SERIES: Consciousness & the Problem of the Shadow (part I) Written by Andy Drymalski, EdD In his early twenties Carl Jung had the following dream. “It was night in some unknown place, and I was making slow and painful headway against a mighty wind. Dense fog was flying along everywhere. I had my hands cupped around a tiny light which threatened to go out at any moment. Everything depended upon my keeping this little light alive. Suddenly I had the feeling that … [Read more...]

JUNGIAN DREAMWORK SERIES: Consciousness

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by Andy Drymalski, EdD | As the gatekeeper of consciousness, the ego has a profound effect upon the expression and health of the larger personality. Like the iris, which regulates the amount of light entering the eye, the ego regulates the sensory data that reaches the “retina” of your inner mind. For example, if you believe that a certain drug (e.g., Prozac) will elevate your mood, you are more likely to experience an elevated mood when you take it. In pharmaceutical research this is … [Read more...]

Jungian Dreamwork Series: Children’s Dreams (Part II)

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Children’s Dreams (Part II) By Andy Drymalski, EdD Last month’s article pointed out that a major psychological task of childhood is the development of a strong ego. A strong ego should not be confused with a “big ego,” egocentricity, willfulness, or arrogance. “Ego strength” is a psychological term that describes the resilience and structural integrity of the conscious mind/identity. A person with a healthy ego is able to tolerate frustration and negotiate life’s challenges with … [Read more...]

Jungian Dreamwork Series: Children’s Dreams (Part I)

By Andy Drymalski, EdD The previous articles of this series examined different aspects of the psyche and their representation in our dreams. This article and the next take a closer look at the dreams of children. Although the information shared in the earlier articles applies to children’s dreams, modifications must sometimes be made due to differences in the psychology of children and adults. Jungian psychology describes the ego as the gatekeeper of consciousness. When we say “I did … [Read more...]

Jungian Dreamwork Series: Animals (Part II)

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By Andy Drymalski, EdD In last month’s article we examined how the animals that appear in our dreams sometimes function as symbols of the Self, Carl Jung’s term for the core of the psyche. The animals listed were: snakes, owls, ducks, geese, swans, frogs, turtles, whales, dolphins, porpoises, fish, bugs and bees. To that list we could also add the following: lions, tigers, and bears (for they are the “rulers” of their animal communities like the Self is meant to be the “ruler” of … [Read more...]

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