Pandemic. War. Cost of living and Mental Health crises. It's no surprise that so many people are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and unable to see a way forward.
Sometimes it looks and seems as though every route is blocked. And always, when I'm faced with this, I ask myself, "What would Jung say?" After all, he lived through two world wars and was no stranger to chaos. And always, in my mind, I hear him advising me to trust the unconscious, learn to listen to your dreams, learn to follow faithfully the symbolic language that they speak.
Why? What good can that do when I can't pay the electricity bill, you may reasonably ask!
Well, think of the psyche as being rather like an iceberg. Much of it is hidden from consciousness. To my mind it is a little like a Tardis, infinitely vast on the inside, bounded by and housed in our bodies but ready to release immense power to our waking minds if we consult it. But we have to learn to listen. So if you're reading this and in despair, or perhaps confusion, write down your dreams. Don't take them literally. They speak a different language, the language of symbol, but they are full of wisdom. See how you react to them. Pay close attention to the stray thoughts and ideas that move through your waking mind. And remember to think in opposites! Jung always taught people to think about the opposite in order to find a place in the middle! So in a dark time remember what the brightest, lightest place is like for you. You are never trapped in the dark as long as your imagination can remember the light because nothing lasts for ever. Take heart.
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