For the modern individual, life is complex, and many people are not finding enough time to nurture their mental wellbeing. Embracing your spiritual side is an important part of this. In a survey, 37% of Americans described themselves as being “spiritual, but not religious.” How did Carl Jung feel that awakening human spirituality could improve our lives?

Dilemmas of the western world

In volume 10 of Carl Jung’s Collected Works, he observed than many people in the western world were suffering from feelings of hopelessness, insignificance and inadequacy. He had witnessed a society that was failing due to political and social unrest. This had driven the start of two major world wars and the unsettling rise of numerous totalitarian states. It is no wonder the Jung was concerned for the spiritual health of the population. His insights on the mental health of a nation were highly accurate, and he understood how organized religions were failing the spiritual needs of the people. By casting these aside, we can concentrate on a spiritual awakening, without the constraints that are dictated by religious factions. The journey through life can be made smoother.

Has anything changed?

These feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness are still noticeable today. How many times have you opened a magazine or seen a program on television that has give you these identical feelings? In everyday life companies are manipulating our feelings in order to sell us a product or an experience. It is not good for your mental health. We need to develop a spiritual awakening and use this for self exploration, to improve our wellbeing. This means to address the personal issues that we have, and bring them to the forefront. We can isolate these feelings of insignificance, and understand the place that we have within the world. Everything will happen as it should do.

How do we awaken our own spirituality?

Carl Jung observed how the individual in mass society was being undermined. There was an increase in uniformity which meant that people were feeling overshadowed and outcast. To have our own spiritual awakening we need to focus on ourselves. This is not a selfish act, but merely one that will enable us to have a feeling of well-being and security. Spending a little time everyday in quiet contemplation can help us to understand where we fit into the universe.

~Jane Sandwood
Freelance Writer

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