Abstract Analytical psychology and modern physics have opened windows to describe aspects (or even one single substance) of reality. The notions of archetypes and the collective unconscious suggest that dreams carry symbolic messages from the area of psychic potential, while quantum neuroscience posits that consciousness and brain activity may be influenced by quantum‐level phenomena beyond classical materialism. This article condenses an interdisciplinary exploration of quantum neuroscience and Jungian dream symbolism, preserving its philosophical tone and structure. We propose a dialogue between both areas without pre‐established judgements. We examine how Jungian concepts of the psyche parallel some notions from quantum theory, proposing a unified framework in which archetypal symbols in dreams could correspond to underlying neurophysiological processes that are fundamentally quantum in nature. Furthermore, we introduce an analysis of an anonymous dream to illustrate how archetypal interpretation and quantum correlations might converge in practice. Eventually, we aim to continue the debate regarding a possible connection between Jung's depth psychology and quantum brain science that can deepen our understanding of consciousness, meaning, and the relationship between mind and matter.
Abstract Jung's 1931 essay The Stages of Life stands as one of the few early twentieth century works to address the psychological potential of ageing. In this essay, Jung identifies two key developmental themes in later life. First, he emphasizes the importance of shifting one's orientation from outward expansion to inward exploration—a process often accompanied by the confrontation and integration of psychological opposites. Second, he underscores the need for further development of the spirituality which serves as a vital source of meaning and purpose in old age. This paper seeks to analyse these two core propositions, linking them with reflections and ongoing inquiries by post‐Jungian scholars, while also examining their validity through empirical studies—particularly through quantitative data derived from Tornstam's theory of gerotranscendence. In the final section, I present a psychotherapy case to illustrate the multifaceted role of spirituality in the therapeutic process within the Taiwanese Buddhist and Taoist cultural context. I further argue that inward exploration should not be equated with social withdrawal; rather, meaningful and balanced interpersonal connections can facilitate deeper inner work in elderly clients.
Abstract When music appears in the consulting room; whether it be implicit between analyst and patient or occurring in actual music‐making (as it does in music therapy), it can connect us with the self in an affective way that builds a bridge to the unconscious. This paper explores the therapeutic journey of a woman at the end of life who used music and symbols to explore her desire to ‘put her life in order’. The author explores an unusual request for therapy that combined music therapy and an analytic approach; considering the place of music within an analytic context and the ways in which this enabled the patient to make contact with aspects of self that had been buried in the unconscious. The author considers three songs that held particular meaning to the patient on her individuation journey, with a focus on the meaning of Gluck’s Che Farò Senza Euridice and the myth of Orpheus. She explores the meaning of a journey to the underworld to find Eurydice and, ultimately, to confront death.
The late Dr Coline Covington died on July 17, 2023, leaving a considerable, rich body of books and articles combining psychoanalytic ideas with historical, political, philosophical and social theory. She was a Training Analyst and Supervisor of the Society of Analytical Psychology (SAP) and the British Psychotherapy Foundation (BPF). With a background in political science and forensic criminology, she was a Fellow of International Dialogue Initiative (IDI), a group formed by Professor Dr Vamik Volkan, Lord Alderdice, and Dr Robi Friedman to apply psychoanalytic concepts in understanding political conflict and the effects of trauma on political behaviour. This paper is an attempt to introduce some of her ideas, psychoanalytic practice and innovative thinking to SAP colleagues who may not be so familiar with her oeuvre. I will acknowledge some of her earlier books/papers of interest briefly and then focus more intensively on her recent trilogy of publications presenting a psychoanalytic exploration of political psychology. Her first book, Everyday Evils: A Psychoanalytic View of Evil and Morality (2017), addresses atrocities arising from perverted belief systems but which are nevertheless based on a powerful need to belong. Her second book, For Goodness Sake: Bravery, Patriotism and Identity (2020), suggests that the same belief system also inspires acts of bravery and patriotism. Her third book, Who’s to Blame? Collective Guilt on Trial (2023), challenges the concept of collective guilt associated with the aftermath of large‐scale atrocities and examines the moral pressure placed on perpetrators to exhibit guilt as part of a realignment of political power and a process of restoring social morality.
The present paper examines images of the baby as monster, observed in an adolescent female patient, and proposed by Jung in the Visions Seminars , with reference to the archetypal figure of Abraxas, also quoted by Jung in the Red Book . Such images bring considerable amount of disruptive anxiety to the life of individuals and represent transpersonal and paradoxical coagulation of psychic fragments that—in a strenuous dialogue/conflict—can create substantial movement within the analytic relationship. My choice is to analyse these elements within the framework of the adolescent mind, adolescence being a configuration where monsters and re‐narrated babies are—in various ways—always present. Jung and Bion, particularly the trilogy Memoir of the Future, will give theoretical support to the clinical material.
