This post is largely drawn for a recent conference by OPUS (an organisation for promoting understanding in society) appropriately named: Man to Superman, Humans, Robots and Communities. The conference was held at the University of London, 9 October 2010, and included two presentations. The first by Dr. Simon Western was entitled:
Frequently in life and in the pursuit of meaning we find ourselves frustrated. Despite the best of intentions and the most carefully laid plans we sometimes find our efforts thwarted. An annoying situation to be sure, but one which we no doubt all encounter at some point or another. Even, I suspect, the most spectacular achievers. The difference with these high achievers is that they are able to successfully overcome adversity. Or so we are given to believe. This post is an...
In my last post The Story of Truth I made reference to the: Christian Myth, and my belief that, Meaning is not always Truthful, nor Truth always Meaningful. This post is an attempt to amplify and illuminate these two thoughts.
The more time I spend thinking about the significance of stories in our lives the more amazed I am at how significant these stories are. The first peak behind the curtain I got into this, was on a warm summers evening whilst I was walking through downtown Tucson. Under an azure sky splashed with broad strokes of pink and fine highlights of red from the setting sun. A comforting warm breeze blew as I walked along side a philosopher I had...
Part 2 of 2 Read Part 1 first The question is whether our experience of 'meaningful' coincidences, such as Jung's synchronicity, is actually meaningful or is it merely a meaningless symptom of the laws of probability. And if conclude that it is meaningful what do we mean by that? Meaning is not rational it is irrational. Let's look at how the Oxford English Dictionary defines the word meaning: 1) What is meant by a word or idea (isn't that a tautology?) 2) a sense...
This is part 1 of a 2 part post. The question is whether our experience of 'meaningful' coincidences, such as Jung's synchronicity, is actually meaningful or is it merely a meaningless symptom of the laws of probability. And if conclude that it is meaningful what do we mean by that? I have long been fascinated by Jung's concept of synchronicity , a term which has been almost wholly absorbed into the New Age Movement and is an expression in common...
I'm not sure when I first realised that the old Greeks had it right, daemons (or 'demons'?) do exist, but it was a while back. It came to me the way knowledge comes to us sometimes, slowly and quietly like a lover in the dead of night. Even before the idea was fully formed though, I realised on some level that oftentimes the daemon and the splinter of light that shone in someone's soul were one and the same. I...
Jung, like the ancient Greek mathematicians believed that number was sacred. Specifically that number was the first and most fundamental archetype. It is in that spirit that I list the 12 most important things I have learnt about life. Things which have made my life richer, more meaningful and have helped me in the quest to understand the meaning of life. Socrates said that we cannot teach anyone anything; all we can do is help them remember. Do you remember...
Many, many moons ago, when my wife and I were still young and the seeds of potential lay as yet unsheathed in our loins, we were teetotallers. Not teetotallers exactly, not in the strict definition of the word. God knows we painted the ceiling of Time Square Cafe' pink with the spray of several bottle's of J. C. Le Roux. Prior to lifting David Duev, the proprietor, over the bar counter in a single move to urgently embrace him and demonstrate...
I was fortunate through the good graces of a friend to spend 7 days in Tofu Mozambique recently. It truly is an unspoilt paradise and I found myself deeply moved by the awesome beauty of the untamed, natural coast. Tofu is unmediated and naturally quite different to the virtual island experience of a 5 Star Resort. Anyway suffice to say it was breathtaking and for the week that we were there we existed in a sublime almost surreal state...
© Copyright Applied Jung 2023. All Rights Reserved. Notifications
