Dear Friends and Members of the C.G. Jung Society,
Jung, to me, brings twenty-first century relevance to many spiritual ideas and concepts that have been around for eons.
Two of the concepts you run across while attempting to swim in the deeper waters are transcendence and creativity. These are two, of many, that peaked my interest early in the journey. While exploring the waters of the unconscious, you can hold your breath for just so long. You find understandings for words and concepts that resonate, then, running out of breath, you surface for the air in the familiar, the conscious world. You tread water here awhile and then are drawn again for reasons unknown back down, grasping at other definitions, other perspectives, another chance at deeper meaning.
When I found Jung’s definition of transcendence, I felt I had laid my hands on sunken treasure. The idea of holding dualities in equal tension while a creative, transcendent third appears was a wonderful find! It suggested a way to pass through, or beyond, current perspectives. This might be the door you always hear about. The open mind, the new perspective, is something easy to forget or to ignore, and something we see less and less in an increasingly divided and dualistic culture. Yet it is essential to living a life of creativity and depth. The creative transcendent seems like something that very well could hold the key to happiness in our daily lives. When it is not recognized, hanging onto one dualistic pole or the other can lead to a rigid world view, a non-creative view. Such is often the case with many aspects of religious practice and with other daily activities and endeavors as well.
This spring a common thread connecting the speakers will be spirituality. In February James Hollis will talk about the sources of guidance for a thoughtful person. In March, Ruben Habito will speak about Buddhism and the True Self. In April Chief Phil Lane will examine how Jungian concepts align with indigenous beliefs, and in May integral thinker Bert Parlee will suggest how we can move toward a more balanced and authentic sense of hopefulness. Looking over the lineup of speakers reveals a very nice sense of balance among the program perspectives.
So join us this spring as we seek gold in the deeper waters. Bring with you an open mind for new beginnings, further understandings, and a wee bit of creative happiness.
Sincerely,
Doug Guiling
President
C.G. Jung Society of North Texas
