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November 20th, 2021

The ever-flowing fountain expresses a continual flow of interest toward the unconscious, a kind of constant attention or “religio,” which might also be called devotion. The crossing of unconscious contents into consciousness is thus made considerably easier, and this is bound to benefit the psychic balance in the long run…. If attention is directed to the unconscious, the unconscious will yield up its contents, and these in turn will fructify the conscious like a fountain of loving water. For consciousness is just as arid as the unconscious if the two halves of our psychic life are separated. (Jung, 1970, pp. 162-163 para 193)

Fountains activate my visual, auditory, olfactory, feeling, and imaginative centers. I often feel cleansed as I watch and listen to the sounds of water bubbling up and cascading out of the bowl and into the pool. I encounter the here and now in a way that settles my mind. The outside world and all its issues disappear as I internalize the image. It happens in an instant as the fountain’s flow creates stillness in me.

I imagine I am the fallen blossom on the edge of the bowl. I feel two worlds. I am in the flow of the water as it shifts from the bowl and falls into the bigger pool below. I feel the air above me. I relax in the union of above and below.

I stay here until the flow moves me into the pool below. Life is a dance of the flow of the psychic energy between the conscious and the unconscious, between the individual and the universe, between the soul and the Spirit, between the Atman and the Brahman. Each one of us orchestrates this dance […]

March 14th, 2021
It is therefore of the utmost importance in practical treatment to keep the integrity of the personality constantly in mind. For, if the collective psyche is taken to be the personal possession of the individual, it will result in a distortion or an overloading of the personality which is very difficult to deal with. Hence it is imperative to make a clear distinction between personal contents and those of the collective psyche. (Jung, 1953, p. 154 para 241)

This image helps me see how many world views a person can take and how many different views of us are possible as any given moment. The important factor is having perspective objectively and subjectively.

In midst of the pandemic and global racial fairness movement among other contemporary challenges that face us, we are all in our individual bubble of safety and viewpoints. We tend to look at ourselves, others, world and the future from inside our bubble. However, our bubble is still part of the collective. While it is our personal responsibility to establish a safe and secure bubble for ourselves and our families, we must never forget that we are part of the whole. Our destiny is intertwined with the rest of humanity. If we forget that continuity with the collective, we are merely rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. We swim or sink together. That the spiritual message of the pandemic and the other global crises. It reminds us of our interdependence, attachments and importance of neighborliness. Most importantly, to attend to the least fortunate amongst us. As Christ succinctly put it,

Matthew 25:40- King James Version (KJV)

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, […]

Honey – The Elixir and a Poison
In the Eye of the Storm
An individual response to the Global Crisis
ISSN 1939-3407
 
April 5, 2020
Ashok Bedi, M.D., Jungian Psychoanalyst
www.pathtotheosoul.com
www.tulawellnessllc.com
Robert BJ Jakala PH.D., Jungian Psychotherapist
In a storm, the safest place is in the eye of the storm. My colleague BJ and I will share our daily reflections on this centering process from an Analytical perspective, sharing from the repertoire of our personal and professional experience. BJ is a psychologist and a photographer and will pick and image of the day that catches him in this collective crisis. I will amplify it from a Jungian Analytical perspective. We hope that this may offer you a baby step on the path to your own unique response to this chaos.

With the honey the pleasure of the senses and the joy of life went into the mixture, as well as the secret fear of the “poison,” the deadly danger of worldly entanglements.(Jung, 1970, p. 493)

The drop of honey is about to return to the jar, but in this moment, it is noticeably separate. The unusual design of the spoon is functional for just such an occasion. It is used like a regular spoon to scoop things our of a jar, but then rests in a way that facilitates conservation. The spoon is placed in position so there is little or no waste of honey.
The image reminds me how important the right tool at the right moment is in life. We have been asked to follow medical guidelines, based on research, to protect our health. One of those guidelines is to wear a mask to help prevent the spray of droplets during conversation. We are not used to seeing people wearing masks in public. […]