Spring 2021
The Way of the Psychonaut
Film & Discussion facilitated by
Catherine Penn Williams, MA, LPC
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021
6:30-9:30 p.m. on Zoom
Members: $15; Non-Members: $20
NOTE: Registration closes at 12 noon on the day of the event;
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants by 1 p.m. on the day of the event
The Way of the Psychonaut explores the life and work of Stanislav Grof, MD, Czech-born psychiatrist and psychedelic psychotherapy pioneer. Stan’s quest for knowledge and insights into the healing power of non-ordinary states of consciousness, influenced the discipline of psychology and profoundly changed many individual lives.
Filmmaker Susan Hess Logeais and Grof begin with a series of interviews that reveal his journey from material scientist to a spiritually aware explorer of the deep psyche. Interviews combined with re-enactments of Grof’s most remarkable therapeutic sessions bring to life the development of his theories. Through his experiences, Grof gained a profound trust in the wisdom of the higher self and discovered the lasting impact of unconscious memories from the birth process to influence a person’s life. In the process, Grof unlocked a way for renegotiating these experiences and liberating people from their traumas.
As the film unfolds, interviews with luminaries create a conversation between Grof and those most pivotal in his life; Michael Murphy, who invited him to Esalen as Scholar in Residence; Fritjof Capra, who introduced Grof to Quantum Mechanics and recognizes him as the only one to offer an experiential approach to understanding those concepts; Richard Tarnas who co- founded archetypal astrology with Grof during his ten years at Esalen; and Rupert Sheldrake, who remembers how Grof introduced him to a world where he could freely explore ideas without fear of retribution.
When the focus turns to the present moment, Grof laments society’s desire to shun the shadow and embrace the positive. Only when we learn to work out our conflicts within, will we co-exist peacefully with each other and the planet.
Catherine Penn Williams, MA, LPC, is a Jungian-oriented psychotherapist who has been in private practice in Tucson for over 33 years. She was certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner by Stan and Christina Grof in 1989. She had a Holotropic Breathwork practice for several years in the Tucson area, and, and during that time, she worked as a senior trainer in a certification program for Integrative Breathwork practitioners offered by the Eupsychia Institute. Since the mid-1990s, she has devoted her professional focus to the work of C.G. Jung, whose model of the human psyche is the only one she found comprehensive enough to provide a roadmap for experiences that occur in all realms of consciousness.
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A Vigilant Attitude – Who Needs It?
A Presentation by
Kathryn Kuisle, Ph.D., Jungian Analyst
Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Zoom
Members: $40; Non-Members: $50
2.5 CEUs available for $20
NOTE: Registration closes at 6 p.m. the day before the event;
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants by 10 p.m. the day before the event
Waiting, Watching in the Wanderings of Life:
In this world of speed and rapid change, watching and waiting often get forgotten or ignored. In this presentation, I will address the concept of watching, keeping vigil and waiting in our lives, in the therapeutic experience and the individuation process. We will also look at the ritual of vigil and how it is something the collective appears to need. Considering “vigil” as an archetypal image, I will explore its ancient presence and meaning found in myth, Scriptures, various cultures, and rituals, as well as pondering how in 2021, we need the richness of this ancient ritual of waiting and watching. We will ponder the time we are living in with the Covid 19 virus, racial and societal tensions and how we are challenged in a particular way to be vigilant and keep vigil. There will be the opportunity to reflect on the unknown visitors in our lives, how we can be more attentive to them and develop a vigilant attitude. Throughout the morning there will be opportunities for interaction with the participants.
Learning Objectives:
- To develop an understanding of the importance of a vigilant attitude in therapeutic work and steps to its development.
- To consider the psychological need for being more attentive in life through waiting and watching especially in clinical work.
- To share methods and skills that help develop and strengthened awareness of waiting and watching in the challenges that life presents.
Presenter Biography:
Kathryn Kuisle, PhD, is a Jungian analyst with a private practice in Colorado Springs and Denver. She is a graduate of the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich and holds a PhD in analytical psychology from Union Institute and University in Cincinnati. She is president of the Board of the C. G. Jung Institute of Colorado in Denver where she teaches as a senior analyst. Kathryn enjoys time with family and friends, teaching, gardening and films to name a few of life’s gifts. Her website is www.kkuisle.com.
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The God Complex
A Presentation by
Glen Slater, Ph.D.
Saturday, March 6, 2021
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Zoom
Members: $40; Non-Members: $50
2.5 CEUs available for $20
NOTE: Registration closes at 6 p.m. the day before the event;
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants by 10 p.m. the day before the event
The role of religion in today’s secular world is distressing to some and comforting to others. Whether one is a believer, an atheist, an agnostic or a spiritual seeker, notions of divinity are psychoactive.
In this presentation I will explore both conscious and unconscious expressions of what Jung termed the “religious instinct” and discuss contemporary responses to the God theme. I will describe how Jung’s archetypal basis of mind and his understanding of the “God-image” in the psyche provides a perspective that may help us negotiate the conundrums and controversies. From the “death of God,” to the dynamics of fundamentalism, to the widespread penchant to be “spiritual but not religious,” we will contemplate how personal and cultural complexes derive from these themes and where the divine and the sacred can be rediscovered in our time.
The first half of this presentation will focus on the lived experience and theory relating to a Jungian understanding of this God complex. The second half will utilize film clips and personal reflection to discuss the shifting God image and benefits of Jung’s symbolic-imagistic approach. Our goal will be to generate insights into how a sense of the sacred may even be essential for the spirit of the times.
Learning Objectives:
- Convey by means of theoretical and experiential description a basic understanding of the Jungian approach to religion, focusing on what Jung meant by the “God-image” in the psyche.
- Through images and cultural portraits, apply this understanding to contemporary religious phenomena.
- Set out a series of attitudinal stances and psychological insights that aid both personal and collective engagement of the human-divine relationship.
Presenter Biography:
Glen Slater, PhD, is trained in both religious studies and clinical psychology. He has been member of the core faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute for over two decades, where he is currently the co-chair of the Jungian and Archetypal Studies program. He edited and introduced the third volume of James Hillman’s Uniform Edition, Senex and Puer, as well as a volume of essays by Pacifica faculty, Varieties of Mythic Experience, and has contributed to various depth psychological journals and essay collections.
CE Sponsor: Summit BHC | 912-678-4480 | jellington@summitbhc.com |
www.summitbhc.com | 389 Nichol Mill Rd. Franklin, TN 37067
Speaker Sponsor: Southern Arizona Friends of Jung | safojannouncements@gmail.com | PO Box 64267 Tucson, AZ 85728
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Facing Climate Change: A Jungian Perspective
A Presentation by
Jeffrey Kiehl, PhD, Jungian Analyst
Saturday, April 10, 2021
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Zoom
Members $40; Non-Members $50
2.5 CEUs available for $20
Registration deadline is 6:00 pm on the day before the event
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants by 10:00 pm the day before the event
Nobody can afford to look around and to wait for somebody else to do what he is loath to do himself. But since nobody seems to know what to do, it might be worthwhile for each of us to ask himself whether by any chance his or her unconscious may know something that will help us. — C.G. Jung (CW 18, par. 599)
Human caused climate change has placed life on the planet in a precarious state. It is imperative we address this situation as soon as possible for the longer we wait, the more we commit future generations to great disruption. Yet there is great resistance to addressing this issue, especially within the United States. Jungian psychology provides a unique means to understand the problem of climate change for it recognizes the importance of the unconscious in our lives. In this presentation, I explore how the dynamics of unconscious processes relate to climate change and how these processes provide pathways to addressing the problem. I consider further the current myths that lie at the root of our collective dissociation from nature and how these myths are intertwined with cultural complexes active in the US. The presentation concludes with a discussion of how to reconnect to the sacredness of Earth, which is essential to address the issue of climate change.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the current state of environmental disruption
- Understand what a cultural complex is
- Understand the self-regulation of psyche and its relation to climate change
- Explore methods to reconnect to the sacredness of nature
Presenter Biography:
Jeffrey Kiehl, PhD, is a Diplomate Jungian Analyst and senior training analyst for the C.G. Jung Institute of Colorado and the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz and an adjunct faculty member of Pacifica Graduate Institute, where he teaches a course on Ecopsychology. He is the author of Facing Climate Change: An Integrated Path to the Future, which provides a Jungian perspective on climate change. His most recent articles include: “A Tale of Two Cultures: Climate Change & American Complexes” in Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America: Myth, Psyche and Politics and “Mandala as Portal to Healing” in ARAS Connections. Jeffrey has presented on various Jungian topics at national and international conferences. He lives in Santa Cruz, CA.
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