assisi - Blogs - Depth Psychology Alliance2024-03-29T13:41:31Zhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/assisiEnter the World of Soul and You are Like a Madman: Learnings from Carl Jung's Red Bookhttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/profiles/blogs/enter-the-world-of-soul-and2010-11-30T03:00:00.000Z2010-11-30T03:00:00.000ZBonnie Brighthttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/members/BonnieBright<div><i>“If you enter into the world of soul, you are like a madman</i>” – Carl Jung, The Red Book, p. 238.<p></p><br />In his recently released Red Book, a body of work Carl Jung immersed himself in for nearly 17 years, Jung <br />reveals the deep introspective nature of what he ultimately considered an<br />archetypal “descent.” He documented this journey to the Underworld in<br />tremendous detail and accompanied many of the entries and topics with<br />beautifully detailed drawings. If you haven’t had a chance to view the Red<br />Book, I highly recommend you find a way. It truly has the feel of a sacred<br />book, not unlike many of the ancient alchemical tomes and other holy books that<br />have endured for centuries.<p></p><br />Last week I had the distinct pleasure of attending a teleseminar on the Red Book facilitated by Dr. Michael<br />Conforti of the Assisi Institute. Dr. Conforti, a Jungian analyst who offers<br />ongoing sessions on the Red Book, has a wealth and depth of knowledge about<br />Jung, archetypes, dreams, and the Red Book especially.<p></p><br />>During the session, the group focused on Jung’s metaphor of the desert and how the soul seeks to survive the<br />journey, often encountering divine madness. The madman, as Dr. Conforti pointed<br />out, can often say whatever he wants and no one pays attention, but what is<br />madness? What we label madness in our culture is often based on visions and<br />ideas that arise from a certain kind of truth. Madness introduces chaos, but it<br />also removes the barriers that traditionally limit us, allowing something new<br />to emerge. When the floodgates of the psyche let loose and one is taken over by<br />something bigger than the ego self, by the unconscious, or what Jung called in<br />the Red Book “the spirit of the deep,” the levies do not hold.<p></p><br />Sometimes madness is just what we need; it is the moment when we access the energy that allows us superhuman<br />strength, or the capacity to ride a wave and write passionately all through the<br />night. It is the power that drives our dreams, fuels lovemaking, and powers<br />deep meaningful ritual. When we are in the grips of the complex of the madman, the<br />otherworld has broken through and transported us “somewhere else”. And though<br />Jung would never condone not taking responsibility for one’s actions during<br />such a state, he makes it clear how important to embrace madness when it comes,<br />for it is “divine” and it comes of its own accord.<p></p><br />In the end, recognizing and embracing divine madness is part of life. We must be open to engage what is<br />frightening, what is dark, what makes us anxious in order to be balanced and<br />whole. When the rational world no longer makes sense, when images and thoughts<br />are coming from somewhere “else” (from soul), it is then that patterns begin to<br />appear and synchronicity happens. It is then that truth emerges and the way is<br />opened for individuation and growth of the self to occur.<p></p><br />Big thanks on my part to Dr. Michael Conforti, a gifted teacher whose compassion and depth of feeling is <br />conveyed in stories and everyday situations he uses to illustrate material that<br />might be otherwise hard to grasp. Dr. Conforti has offered an amazing weeklong<br />conference in Italy every summer for that past 20+ years. I attended last year<br />and can’t say enough about how how much value I took away from the event—not to<br />mention the wonderful setting! The theme in 2011 is “Transcendent Wonder”. See<br />the Events section on Depth Psychology Alliance to attend a virtual open house<br />and to get information, or email Assisi@together.net. Dr. Conforti also teaches<br />courses on Dreams and on Archetypal Pattern Recognition based on his book,<br />Field, Form and Fate.<p></p><br /></div>Threshold Experienceshttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/profiles/blogs/threshold-experiences2011-01-11T01:30:00.000Z2011-01-11T01:30:00.000ZFisher King Presshttps://depthpsychologyalliance.com/members/FisherKingPress<div>Now available from Fisher King Press<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Threshold-Experiences-Beginnings-Michael-Conforti/dp/0944187994?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwmalcolmclc-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear:left;float:left;margin-bottom:1em;margin-right:1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Threshold Experiences: The Archetype of Beginnings" height="200" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0944187994&tag=wwwmalcolmclc-20" width="133" /></a><i>Threshold Experiences<img border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwmalcolmclc-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0944187994" style="border:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;" width="1" alt="ir?t=wwwmalcolmclc-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0944187994" /></i><br /><i>The Archetype of Beginnings</i><br />by Michael Conforti, PhD<br /><br />This seminal volume represents the foundation of Michael Conforti's 25 year pioneering exploration of the confluence of psyche and matter.<br /><br />"<b>In the beginning</b>", so goes many a great story. These familiar words beckon us across a threshold, often transporting us into unknown worlds and novel experiences. So too our lives are filled with many such "beginnings" -- new jobs, relationships, adventures, and even the inception of life itself. Each of these "threshold experiences" not only introduces us to new domains, but also draws us into the realities of archetypal fields. Learning to creatively interact with these prefigured, a priori fields can allow us rich access to sources of eternal wisdom.<br /><br />Jungian analyst Michael Conforti's examination of the initial clinical interview as a "threshold experience" shows that the same archetypal processes responsible for the generation of life itself also shape patient-therapist relationships, creating fascinating, highly patterned dynamics. These powerful fields structure events so that core issues in clients', and often even therapists', lives are re-enacted in the therapeutic setting with remarkable fidelity to the archetypal field within which each is embedded. Conforti's deft weaving together of psychological and scientific theory, dream analysis, and clinical vignettes elucidates the ways that the psyche entrains both client and therapist into a synchronized pattern. An understanding of the role of the Self in this process reveals the profound meaning and purpose that can be gleaned from careful attention to the communications occurring during the early phase of the therapeutic dialogue.<br /><br />Drawing from the fields of jungian psychology, biology, quantum physics, and the new sciences, the author provides a unique lens for viewing the central archetypal dynamics operating within an individual life. His findings demonstrate how past experiences not only shape the initial stages of therapy, but also allow us to understand the future trajectory of treatment. This important study confirms C.G. Jung's assertion of the need for an interdisciplinary perspective if we are to truly comprehend the workings of the psyche.<br /><br />Michael Conforti, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of matterpsyche studies, is a practicing Jungian Analyst. An international consultant and lecturer. He has taught at the C.G. Jung Institute Zurich, as well as in Canada, Venezuela, the Caribbean, Denmark, and Italy. He works with individuals, organizations, and businesses, including the film industry, to identify and understand the role of the archetypal patterns underlying human behavior. Dr. Conforti is the Founder and President of the Assisi Institute for the Study of Archetypal Pattern Analysis, and the author of Field, Form, and Fate: Patterns in Mind, Nature and Psyche<br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.fisherkingreview.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_66tG-ibjAoU/StmAZLTraMI/AAAAAAAAASs/kmBy84VNLJ8/s200/fkplogo110x100.jpg?width=110" width="110" class="align-left" alt="fkplogo110x100.jpg?width=110" /></a>Fisher King Press publishes an eclectic mix of worthy books including Jungian Psychological Perspectives, Cutting Edge Fiction, and a growing list of alternative titles. Learn more at <a href="http://www.fisherkingpress.com" target="_blank">www.fisherkingpress.com</a></blockquote><ul><li>We Ship Worldwide.</li><li>Credit Cards Accepted.</li><li>Phone Orders Welcomed. Toll free in the US & Canada: 1-800-228-9316 International +1-831-238-7799 skype: fisher_king_press</li></ul></div>