Depth Psychology

Carl Jung, founder of the field of analytical psychology, is best known for developing the concepts of introversion and extroversion, archetypes, and the collective unconscious. He wrote extensively about the connection between psychology and spirituality.

“The main interest of my work is not concerned with the treatment of neuroses but rather with the approach to the numinous. The fact is that the approach to the numinous is the real therapy and inasmuch as you attain to the numinous experiences you are released from the curse of pathology.” (C.G. Jung. Letters)

Numinous is defined as that which is spiritual or supernatural.

According to Jung, ascending  to the spiritual levels of our mind enables us to be released from pathology and neuroses.

“Among all my patients in the second half of life—that is to say, over thirty-five—there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of them fell ill because he had lost what the living religions of every age have given their followers, and none of them has been really healed who did not regain his religious outlook. This of course has nothing whatever to do with a particular creed or membership of a church.” (Jung)

Note that Jung does not advocate any particular religion. What aspects of a ‘religious outlook’ aid in psychological healing? And why is it more effective in the second half of life? Perhaps a certain amount of life experience is necessary before one can attain a spiritual perspective.

“The decisive question for man is: Is he related to something infinite or not? That is the telling question of his life. Only if we know that the thing which truly matters is the infinite can we avoid fixing our interest upon futilities, and upon all kinds of goals which are not of real importance… The more a man lays stress on false possessions, and the less sensitivity he has for what is essential, the less satisfying is his life. … If we understand and feel that here in this life we already have a link with the infinite, desires and attitudes change. In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential we embody, and if we do not embody that, life is wasted…. (Jung)

Many of us make the mistake of ‘fixing our interest upon futilities’ and then leaping to the conclusion that everything is futile. However, if and when our spiritual senses are awakened, we seek out the infinite and incorporate the essential into our lives.

When asked about his faith at the age of 80, Jung responded:

“All that I have learned has led me step by step to an unshakable conviction of the existence of God. I only believe in what I know. And that eliminates believing. Therefore I do not take his existence on belief – I know that he exists” (Sands 1955, p. 6)

May we all know God rather than merely believe in His existence. May we develop spiritual sensitivity. May we recognize God’s essence in everything.  

Thanksgiving

Top ten things I'm thankful for this year:

10. Books/Online resources
9.   Home
8.   Security
7.   Peace
6.   Time
5.   Discernment 
4.   Health
3.   Authentic Friends
2.   Family
1.   Grace

Searching for Understanding

"Human walking is a unique activity during which the body, step by step, teeters on the edge of catastrophe." (paleoanthropologist John Napier)

The human ability to walk on two legs is remarkable considering that we are top-heavy and our base is narrow compared to our vertical height. Yet, most of us take walking for granted. We have all fallen down while walking or running. Most of the time, this is due to inattention, exhaustion, sickness, or inebriation. We realize that our power to stand up and move forward requires coordination, balance, and strength; one factor, that we often forget about, is gravity. This is because most of us have experienced a loss of physical equilibrium or endurance, but not the absence of gravity.

People who don’t know about gravity can still walk, while those of us who understand gravity still fall occasionally. Belief in gravity does not prevent one from stumbling. Similarly, belief in God does not preclude catastrophe.

Faith is not insurance against suffering. Some may ask: then, why bother believing in God? In fact, why do we seek to know about anything which we are not able to control or fully comprehend? There seems to be something in our makeup that seeks understanding and meaning beyond earthly pleasures and distractions--a craving that remains unsatiated--which keeps drawing us toward the Omniscient.

“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” (St. Augustine)

Hope Unswervingly

Whether you are riding a bike, walking a tightrope, or merely standing on one foot, it is easier to keep your balance when you are focusing on an unmoving object. Most of us use this same principle to find balance in our lives. We try to keep our eyes on some fixed goal in the future. However, when our plans go awry, we stumble.

Goals are based on what we think we can do under our own power. Hopes require participation with God. Often, our prayers are centered on asking God to implement our vision or desires. We would like God to join us in our plans instead of participating in His Vision.

“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.” (Proverbs 29:18 MSG)

When we focus on the unchanging God, our movements are steady. A good way to start each day is by asking: “God, what are you up to today? Can I join You?”  This way, we can partake in God’s sphere of influence--which is surely a more stable plan than whatever goals we can come up with.

“Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. (1 Cor. 13:13 MSG)

Intercessors

Like most moms, I have a built-in radar for children who look lost. I will be walking through some public place and see a kid who looks alone and lost. I will go up to them and ask: “Do you need help finding your Mom or Dad?” Most of the time the kids nod their heads in assent. Sometimes they look at me suspiciously. Some of the really young ones may have not yet realized that they are lost.  I usually just wait with them. I try to keep them from wandering any further into danger. Since I am taller than most children, I can usually spot the frantic parent before the kid. I wave and smile, and the parent rushes in with relief.

Actually, I am drawn to people of all ages who are lost.  I have personally experienced the pain of separation from our Father. This has instilled an empathy for others in the same situation. I feel compelled to wait with them, to protect them from straying any further, and to pray for them. Intercessory prayer is similar. In a way, it’s like waving at the Father as He frantically rushes toward His lost child.

“An intercessor means one who is in such vital contact with God and with his fellow men that he is like a live wire closing the gap between the saving power of God and the sinful men who have been cut off from that power. An intercessor is the contacting link between the source of power (the life of the Lord Jesus Christ) and the objects needing that power and life.” (God’s Transmitters, Hannah Hurnard)

Sin is defined as anything that separates us from God. We all have attitudes and behaviors that cause us to wander away from our Father at some time or another. No one is immune from this, but our unworthiness need not keep us from being intercessors. In fact, our experience of pain and separation helps us recognize others who are lost. It cultivates empathy, alertness, and patience. It allows us to be the link that connects those in need with God’s power and grace.

Inspirited

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed by life’s struggles?

Some of us choose to ruminate over each tiny detail of our problems. We brood over it; we stew on it; we get worked up over how little control we have over it. Others prefer distraction--we find something else to occupy our minds so we can put off thinking about our problems. Numbing ourselves with addictive behaviors is a common distraction technique. Neither rumination nor distraction seems therapeutic. There must be a better way!

We could try to equip ourselves with the tools to handle life’s stresses. We could learn coping mechanisms. Yet, these techniques are equivalent to having a few hand tools after a natural disaster. It’s better than nothing, but its value is limited. What we need are power tools and a generator.

What if we were inspirited and animated by a higher power that is better than anything we could produce on our own? What if we had access to this power but we were unaware of it? What if we continued to use our manual, (human-powered) tools--striving, struggling, exerting--but with very little progress?  

Lord, help me to stop this stupid striving. Please take over. Empower me with your Spirit, fill me, guide me, and use me.

God-confidence

“You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence, it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence.” (1 Corinthians. 11-12 MSG)

Self-confidence is based on our individual capabilities. Beauty fades, bodies weaken, relationships dwindle, finances falter, health declines, and minds deteriorate. Relying on self-confidence is equivalent to building a house on shifting sands. The view is great...until the storm hits, the soil erodes, and the house falls apart.

We have to base our confidence on something/someone that is more reliable than ourselves--a higher power that is changeless. It might seem easier to manage our lives when we operate within our own capabilities, but this is merely an illusion. We may be able to control things temporarily when all is well. Yet, our self-confidence crumbles as soon as disaster strikes.  Fear takes control, and we can no longer function.

“When we trust in Him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.” (Ephesians 3:11-13 MSG)

God-confidence allows us to be free and bold. It is based on something beyond our own powers and circumstances.

“The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.” (Hebrews 11:1-2 MSG)

God-confidence is the backbone that supports everything that makes life worth living.