Lecture and Seminar Topics
Christina Becker - Jungian Analyst
Lecture and Workshop Topics which Christina can speak on for your Jungian Society, conference or group:
The Homeric Hymn to Demeter and Persephone: The Psychological Experience of Death, Transformation and Rebirth
We experience the archetype of death in life as we move through the various stages of our lives. We experience it whenever we leave something behind and move onto new challenges on our spiritual journey. This is particularly relevant at midlife when a reorientation from the world of the ego to some spiritual life can happen.
The Heart as the Symbol of Conscience
This lecture/workshop looks at the Heart as a symbol of the Self and Individuation. Using stories from fairy tales including "The Giant who had no heart in his body" and other stories from mythology, there will be a discussion around the ideas of conscience, integrity and inner morality.
The Heart of the Matter: Individuation as an Ethical Process Individuation is the psychological process which Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung saw as the natural process of manifesting our psychological potential in the world. It is a process through which we become more ourselves, more authentic and distinct from other people and from societal values and norms.
If we choose to live this path consciously, then we find the process is full of moral challenges. It is a lonely and introverted journey through the forest of the unconscious where it is necessary to contend with all of the negative, destructive and unpleasant elements contained there, and where ego ideals, perceptions and conceptions are challenged. The strength and the ethical response of the ego are needed to meet and accept the shadow. It is only through this journey that we develop the right ethical relationship to our inner and outer worlds and find our inner morality. This presentation will explore the psychological experiences of integrity, conscience and the ethics of suffering, and then will extrapolate these ideas with regard to their implication for the practice of psychotherapy. T
his talk is based on Christina's book, The Heart of the Matter: Individuation as an Ethical Process, which was published by Chiron Publications in September 2004.
The Shadow and The Third Man
Jung said "everything casts a substantial shadow, and the Ego stands to shadow as light to shade, that it is the shadow which makes us human" Using a combination of the 1949 Carol Reed Film The Third Man with Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles and selected readings, we will explore the various ways the shadow reveals itself in individuals and society. Discussions will focus in the detail the basic aspects of shadow including the manifestations, the effects, the role of projection and how we need to be adept at integrating the shadow for our psychological growth. One of the early sessions might be a little longer to accommodate the viewing the film which runs just over an hour and a half.
Coming out of the Organizational Shadow
Increasingly, team leaders, consultants, executives and academics recognize that organizational effectiveness is as much influenced by the unconscious, that is, largely hidden factors operating within the organizational system, as the consciously stated goals, strategies and policies of the organization. Indeed, organizational crisis is often the result of these factors materializing and conflicting with each other in unexpected ways. The consequences can be significant; lost productivity and profitability, lower staff morale, and ineffective organizational change processes. Much of the organizational assessment process involves identifying and addressing these elements as they arise, contrary to conscious intent. This lecture has been adapted from 6-week on line seminar that Christina facilitated in April 2005.
Jung and Astrology
At various points in the collected works, Jung discusses astrology and its ability to enhance our understanding of the psyche and large collective movements. This lecture discusses Jung’s exploration of astrology throughout his life, and then examines how the analysis of the natal chart can deepen our psychological understanding.
Jungian Dreamwork
Jung described dreams as the psyche's spontaneous self-portrayal of our inner psychic reality. They have a lot to tell us about our life, our relationships and our future. This workshop will explore various ideas about dreams, how to record them, their power and what they can show us about our inner life. Dream material will be presented for discussion. A good introduction for people wanting to exploring their dreams. See Christina's article on how to get the most out of your dreams in Jungian Dreamwork
The Archetypal Nature of Music
Sound and music have the ability to touch the deepest recesses of the human psyche. This workshop will explore the how the elements of music – rhythm, melody and harmony - have their origins in biology, cosmology and astronomy. Topics to be touched on include the receptivity of listening and the ear as a feminine modality, consonance and dissonance, and entrainment. Participants will have an opportunity to explore experientially the effect of music on the psyche. No prior music knowledge is required.