Nature and Soul: Musings of a Jungian Psychologist
Pelicans and Animal Dreams
Earlier this year I wrote about the Common Loon, an occasional visitor to Santa Cruz and the Central Coast. A much more abundant seabird in the area is the Brown Pelican. Visitors and locals alike marvel at the beauty of the colorful pelican as it glides along the...
When the Interpreter Weeps and Other Numinous Tales
Several years ago, I was conducting a psychological evaluation on a client while working for an agency. Some of the clients that I interviewed at this agency spoke no English, and therefore the agency utilized interpreters by speaker phone. In one particular case,...
Quiet Places, Sacred Spaces
We all need them . . . quiet places, sacred spaces. Places for reflection, meditation, and inspiration. Whether your place is in nature, or tucked away in the city, it is essential to your soul to find your own quiet place. The power of a place is palpable. Trust...
Living by the Tides: Ed Ricketts, John Steinbeck, Joseph Campbell and Jungian Psychology
I write alot about the natural world. I seem to be drawn back again and again to using examples from nature to help people cope with the various sufferings brought to the psychotherapy hour. As a psychologist and psychotherapist, I've found that examples from nature...
Expect the Unexpected: From a Jungian Psychological Perspective
Not long ago I was walking on a cliff trail in Santa Cruz overlooking the Monterey Bay. It was a quiet Monday morning and I heard a strangely familiar sound from long ago. I looked out over the bay and saw four Tundra swans flying over the bay heading west to an...
Dreams, Synchronicities, and a Pair of Bull Elk
Dreams sometimes use images twice when they are especially important. This also occurs with synchronicities. Similarly, sometimes dreams use the image of twins to represent important topics for the dreamer. Not long ago, I had a male client discussing the unique...
Rainbows, Thunderstorms, and Jung
The soul is drawn to nature’s beauty for a many reasons; to learn, to pray, to find inspiration, and to reflect. Upon reflection of nature’s displays, we can learn great lessons. Nature seems to have important symbolic messages for our soul. Carl Jung viewed the...
Jungian Psychology and Sports
It has always been intriguing to me that there is not much in the Jungian literature relating Jungian psychology and sports. This is interesting because dreams fairly commonly use the theme and images of sports for important symbolic messages about our lives. I have...
Life as a Battle: Sometimes You Need to Pick up a Sword or Die.
Life can be extremely difficult at times. Sooner or later, everyone learns this. What is sometimes missing from this life lesson, however, is that we have a choice of accepting this phase of our life, and fighting, or giving in to despair. People with a serious and...
Your Destiny and the Imagery that First Opened Your Heart
Part of a psychologist’s job is often to assist clients in finding deeper meaning in their lives. Oftentimes, a lack of meaning can be related to unsatisfying work or career, and a correlated depression. This common task of the psychologist is similar for...
The Loon
Earlier this spring, I was watching a periodic visitor to the Monterey Bay with great interest. A single Common Loon, bobbing up and down in the surf, was a frequent visitor to a small cove by my home. I have always been fascinated and moved by the song of the...
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