I am surprised and delighted that I find myself thinking about what to write regarding Depth Psychology. I first learned of Depth Psychology twenty five years ago, when I was introduced to a dream workshop and the teachings of Carl Jung. I found myself wondering how and when I would ever be among a group of people again who’s Soul also yearned for these experiences. Then in 2009, I learned about the Jung Society of Utah; and I knew at that moment, without any doubt, that the unconscious is always seeking expression. I knew I wasn’t the only person in the area who desired an ongoing local experience of Jung’s teachings. And now, five years later, we continue to enjoy the reverberation of its impact.

What is it that is so appealing about Depth Psychology? Dr. Stephen Aizenstat, Founding President of Pacifica Graduate Institute states that there are three components. First of all, it is what lives and lies deep below the surface of things, it is the unconscious. Second, it is “Active Imagination”, which is the exploration and encouragement of the imagination. This is expressed with inspiration, art, culture and myth. Then there is the third aspect which is “a way of seeing the world” a mode of being that lies beyond our structures, governments, and businesses. It asks, what lives behind our motivations, actions and behaviors.

When I think of these three aspects, so many things about today’s world speak to me on a very deep level. Starting with a very simplistic way of looking at the synchronicity of events; it has only been about the past five years, give or take a couple of years that there has been a revival and a reawakening regarding Jung’s wisdom. Through the diligence of Sonu Shamdasani, Jung’s personal diary, The Red Book was published. The Red Book is Depth Psychology. A deep cross cultural, symbolic, imaginative, artistic and soulful journey into the unconscious realms to bring back the gift to the village, as in a Hero’s Journey, a prescription for healing.

Between 1995 and 1997, a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in California conducted a study using a questionnaire regarding a patient’s childhood experiences of abuse, neglect and family dysfunction. They ended up interviewing 17,000 people. This is known as the ACE study, (Adverse Childhood Experiences). The ACE Study findings suggest that certain experiences are major risk factors for the leading causes of illness and death as well as poor quality of life in the United States. It concludes that some of the worst health and social problems in our nation can arise as a consequence of adverse childhood experiences. This information is now being managed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That is why across the United States all government agencies are being trained in “trauma informed care.” Discoveries through brain imaging technology show that changes to the brain and to the genes occur when trauma is experienced. This is passed on to the next generation, known as epigenetics. Whether the traumas are big traumas such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, the big “T’s” or the little “t’s” of everyday life stressors, our sympathetic nervous system is on high alert. Executive functioning (logic and intellect) is greatly diminished or non-existent during these times. Try counting backwards from a hundred by sevens. This is a very good way to find out if you have use of your prefrontal cortex.

What does the ACE study and Depth Psychology have in common? Where there is a deep wounding, there needs to be a deep healing. The renaissance of soul work is before us. Myth and culture have been drained from American society until the youth look to zombies and vampires for their inspiration. A bridge needs to be built back to the place of soul tending. A revival of inspiration, art, exploration, imagination and encouragement needs to begin in every town and city. The tools for healing the earth and ourselves exist. We need to see with “new eyes” to see beyond the structures that are in place to understand what motivates our actions and behaviors. As the Hopi elders so eloquently stated, “we are the ones we have been waiting for.” Bring a friend to a Jung event and let the healing begin.

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Lanette R. Best
Clinical Mental Health Counselor
EMDR and Trauma Therapist