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Getting Lost In Jung - Why Do We Tend to Reject What We Do Not Understand? Part 2

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  Why do we tend to reject what we do not understand? Here is a psychological question about how human beings deal with uncertainty, and Jung gives us an unusually provocative case through which to examine it In Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle, Jung argues that we tend to reject experiences that we cannot understand. What we cannot explain can easily become what we refuse to acknowledge. Perhaps this is why we are often more comfortable with what can be measured than with what can only be experienced . Measurement gives us a sense of control. It allows us to classify, compare, reproduce, and communicate what we observe. But not everything meaningful in human experience can be captured so easily. Jung describes synchronicity as an acausal event that is not reproducible yet somehow connected to reality. Since we cannot understand synchronicity, we tend to ignore it when it happens. The same applies to dreams. Dreams can be chaotic, and since they are not easy to con...
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Getting Lost in Jung - My Slow Read of Chapter One – Part 1

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I’ve been studying Chapter 1 "Approaching the Unconscious” in Man and His Symbols for a while, and I confess that I got stuck because I felt that I wasn’t absorbing it. A way to address this issue was to put it all together and share it. However, I am breaking this down into two parts. Here I bring Part 1 of the discussion. Jung, C. G. (1964). Man and his symbols .  The title, Man and His Symbols , sounds quite intriguing. Just by analysing the title, I am guessing that Jung will talk about a relationship between mankind and symbols. The question I’d immediately raise is: “What are the symbols that he is talking about? Why do symbols matter?” Simply by reading the title, I can feel the urge to understand these points and am glad that Jung covered them almost immediately in Chapter 1. Approaching the Unconscious, Chapter 1 – A Brief Overview Jung opens by distinguishing a sign from a symbol and showing how symbols arise from dreams. He then builds a case for taking the unconsciou...
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The Language of the Unconscious: Jung, Symbols, and Dream Interpretation

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In our lives, we are surrounded by signs and symbols as a form of language that communicates with us every day.  We may ask Jung why symbols are so important and how they impact our lives.  To answer this question, we need to define symbols, differentiate them from what is not and understand the role of the unconscious. by Ina RH Symbolic language is a way in which the unconscious communicates with the conscious mind. However, although this indirect language shapes our personality, the effort to translate it loses out to the competition with the pressing demands of everyday life. In ordinary communication, there is no distinction between symbols and signs, but for Jung, it is of extreme importance. A sign is a non-symbolic language that we can easily understand. Signs appear on streets to coordinate traffic, in mathematics to express reasoning, and in designs that represent a brand so they can be promptly recognised in association with a product. On the other hand, a symbol...
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When Symptoms Become Questions

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When we talk about illness, it is important to recognise that it is not just about the body. Historically, the relationship between mind (or soul) and body has been debated since ancient Greek philosophy . Plato distinguished between the soul and the body, while Aristotle viewed them as inseparable aspects of a living organism. Later, René Descartes famously distinguished the mind from the body while still recognising that they interact. Contemporary approaches move beyond a simple mind–body framework by recognising that health and illness are influenced by biological, psychological and social factors, which interact with one another. by  Mikuláš   Galanda From a psychoanalytic view, illness can mean losing the sense of meaning that holds life together. What is unwell can be our very sense of self. Illness can begin when our desires are silenced, when we forget who we are, and when the unspoken starts to speak through symptoms. Picture someone who has spent years holdin...
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