The latest episode of Digital Jung is now available. Listen here:
In this episode I explore what the Jungian analyst Edward Edinger calls “the almost irresistible temptation to inflation.” I discuss how inflation is an ever-present danger in the practice of the symbolic life. It is a tendency to identify oneself — one’s ego — as the source of creativity, taking credit for the gifts bestowed, as it were, by the Muses.
This temptation, I note, can often be subtle, almost imperceptible. Frequently it is driven by the desire to cling to our experiences of meaning, to try to hold on to something that is inherently ephemeral. As I say in the episode:
Every little breakthrough of the creative depths into our daily lives is accompanied by an uprush of energy. Naturally, we would like to hold onto this good feeling forever. And sometimes, we might even imagine ourselves to be in possession of a new level of awareness that somehow sets us apart from everyone else. As Jung states, “One can scarcely help admiring oneself a little for having seen more deeply into things than others.”
This week’s episode is, in a sense, a sequel to Episode 1 of this season: Invoking the Imagination. In that earlier episode, I looked at the symbol of the swan as an image of the “living agency” of the creative imagination. In The Temptation to Inflation, I return to the swan symbol as it is expressed in the fairy tale The Swan Maidens. This story powerfully speaks to the pull of inflation and to how this is often expressed in a controlling attitude toward life. At the same time, The Swan Maidens offers us an image that suggests a surprising remedy for this psychological peril.
I hope you enjoy this latest episode of Digital Jung. You can find it by clicking this link : The Temptation of Inflation
Thanks for listening, and take good care!
Upcoming Events
Anatomy of the Psyche Reading Group: Starting on Monday, October 17th, I will be leading an exploration of Edward Edinger’s Anatomy of the Psyche with the Jung Archademy. This classic work delves deeply into alchemical symbolism and its relation to the personal individuation process. For more information visit: www.jungarchademy.com/anatomy
Circumambulating the Self: An in-depth exploration of Jung’s concept of the Self on Saturday, November 12th through the C.G. Jung Institute of New England. For more information visit: www.cgjungne.com/circumambulating-the-self-with-jason-e-smith/