individuation Archives - Page 3 of 4

The Master: sex, love and scientology

I recently watched the film The Master, a the second time with Anja (the love of my life). [1] It is an exceptional movie, well worth a second viewing. The first time I saw it what captured me were the outstanding performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The film and the acting have been received with widespread critical acclaim and the biggest opening day ticket sale revenue of an art house film in the States. I would say the performance...

January 3, 2013

By Stephen FarahBook and Movie Reviews, Individuation, Jungian Themesfilm, individuation, love, relationships2 Comments

This Meaning Making Business

Anja is currently reading Les Lancaster’s Approaches to Consciousness[1] and she told me that, according to Les, we have all been “Jewish-ified” :-)[2]. This idea is based on a claim that in bringing psychoanalysis to the world, Freud was really re-imagining the Jewish tradition of the spoken Torah. As I understand it, the Rabbi’s business was (is) not only the transmission of teaching contained in the Torah, but also an ongoing exposition of his dialectical...

November 23, 2012

By Stephen FarahConsciousness, Jungian ThemesFreud, individuation, meaning2 Comments

Man on Wire: Living without a Safety Net

I had the opportunity recently of watching the documentary Man on Wire[1]. This was actually the second time I got to watch this, the first time I saw it was a couple of years ago, when it first came out. To the best of my knowledge, this is the same team that gave us Searching for Sugarman. In Man on Wire, as with Sugarman, what emerges is the story of an extraordinary life; a life which inspires...

October 15, 2012

By Stephen FarahBook and Movie Reviews, Individuation, Jungian Themesindividuation, meaning4 Comments

Searching for Sugarman: a study of the Individuation Process

Sugar man met a false friend On a lonely dusty road Lost my heart when I found it It had turned to dead black coal Silver magic ships you carry Jumpers, coke, sweet Mary Jane Sugar man you're the answer That makes my questions disappear Sugar man 'cos I'm weary Of those double games I hear Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man, Sugar man Sugar man, won't you hurry 'Cos I'm tired of these scenes For the blue coin won't you bring back All those colors to...

September 27, 2012

By Stephen FarahBook and Movie Reviews, Individuation, Jungian Themesindividuation, Jung, meaning18 Comments

Of Butterflies and other Symbols of Transformation

I have a butterfly in a bottle on my desk. It is not a real butterfly, it is fake. There is a wire attached to it and it is battery operated. When you tap the top of the bottle, the butterfly flutters and flies and flaps its wings. It is absolutely convincingly real. I LOVE it! I am fascinated by it and it is a symbol for me. Perhaps it is the ingenuity of the design, or the fact that it...

September 18, 2012

By Anja van KralingenJungian Themes, Symbolscomplex, consciousness, ego, individuation, meaning, movie10 Comments

A Roadmap of the Soul

Although not our natural state, I believe in the possibility of a truly meaningful and fulfilled life. A life lived with a sense of profound excitement and awe; a life where the depth, complexity and beauty of the cosmos live in us. I don’t suggest that suffering is not a reality, or that I have personally reached such an elevated state of consciousness. I suggest rather, that much suffering we do endure is illegitimate and that: a meaningless existence, boredom, lack of purpose, a...

September 4, 2012

By Stephen FarahJungian Themes, Symbolscomplex, consciousness, Freud, individuation, Jung, meaning1 Comment

Let’s talk about Sex baby, let’s talk about You and Me.

This is a topic I have given some thought to; more than most probably, not as much as some. I have wanted to write about it for some time, but some vague sense of respectability and Puritanism has stayed my hand. Anyway after Anja hit the ball out the ballpark with her last post, I thought what the hell- I’ll up the ante (no pun intended). The Tension of Opposites Sex is possibly the perfect metaphor for the opposites we carry...

June 27, 2012

By Stephen FarahIndividuation, Practicallyindividuation, sex12 Comments

The Great Lie

Do you believe a man can escape his destiny? I believe a man does everything he can until his destiny is revealed to him. Nathan Algren, The Last Samurai. As long as I live I will never forget the line or the sentiment. I believe it expresses something profoundly important about living authentically and with courage. I want to share with you a small part of what it takes to 'do everything you can until your destiny is revealed to you,' and why it...

October 2, 2011

By Stephen FarahIndividuation, Practicallydestiny, individuation0 Comments

How do you recognize your destiny?

I don't know about you, but when I hear the word 'Destiny', it completely intimidates me. What? Am I supposed to save the world or sacrifice myself? I remember as a small child in Sunday school being totally freaked out by the minister. He said 'God has already ordained your destiny and when he calls you, you must answer, because not answering will render your life useless! You will never succeed at anything else but God's will.' Hectic! This had a profound impact...

September 11, 2011

By Anja van KralingenIndividuation, Practicallydestiny, individuation2 Comments

The 3rd Critical Step to Becoming a Human Being

In one sense, at least, life is quite simple. At any point in time you are either busy being born or you are busy dying. In the world today this is usually understood in a physical sense- our identification with our bodies is absolute. This is the reason for the obsession with youth and youthful appearance that frequently endures long past when such a 'youthful appearance' is appropriate or attractive. The inescapable truth though is that nature is a bitch. That beauty...

September 5, 2011

By Stephen FarahIndividuation, Jungian Themesindividuation, spiritual0 Comments