Have you ever noticed that in the scariest movies only part of what’s happening is revealed? The more that’s left to your imagination, the scarier it becomes. The same idea is true with what we hide from ourselves. That can make the process of self-discovery seem scarier than it needs to be. When we expend energy hiding from ourselves, we miss out on the richness of the Unconscious.
And why is that important? Because most of what motivates us is unconscious. And to paraphrase the great psychoanalyst Carl Jung, if we don’t come to know this large part of ourselves, it will drive us, and we will feel as if we have no say in how things turn out.
This episode is near and dear to my heart. Many years ago, I was reading a book by today’s guest and thought, “I feel like I’m listening to Yoda. I’m hearing the words of one of the wisest people I’ve ever come across…it would be a huge gift to have a cup of tea with him.”
And that is exactly what you’ll be getting today, a gift from one of psychology’s deepest thinkers and I recommend you pour yourself a nice cup of tea as you listen in.
Dr. James Hollis received his training at the Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, and he has been a licensed Jungian analyst for almost forty years. He is in private practice in Washington, D.C. and is the author of sixteen truly fantastic books. I like to think of Jim as being an expert detective of the unconscious and this episode reflects his ease at navigating this mysterious area of our lives.
I invite you to view the teaser for his film at: https://www.documentary.org/project/soulheal and to consider making a tax-deductible donation to this important non-profit project. Book Link: https://amzn.to/3NpRetX This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).
