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Don Kalsched is a Jungian Analyst, an expert on treating trauma, and the author of two books, The Inner World of Trauma and Trauma and the Soul.
Jung discovered our inner world is populated by various imaginal figures representing powerful psychological forces. If we treat our minds as democratic spaces, it can safeguard us from internal and external authoritarian influences.
The ancient Greek philosophers envisioned a society of dēmos (the common people) invested with the strength to kratos (rule); as such, democracies inherently oppose and dismantle absolutist perspectives. When functioning optimally, these systems shift societal views from dogmatic and entrenched stances to more human-centered, relative ones. Just as a healthy family structure supports the development of balanced, well-adjusted children, democracies facilitate the transformation of extreme emotions and biased perceptions. Through democratic processes, these strong negative sentiments are refined and evolve into civil disagreements. This mechanism not only aids in reducing extreme polarization but also serves as a linchpin in preserving stability and harmony within diverse societies.
When a society or an individual psyche becomes one-sided, fascism and fanaticism constellate. Archetypal cosmologies like the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, reflect the need for a conscious tension of opposing views. The tale describes a cosmic ocean being churned by gods and demons in tandem. Although seemingly paradoxical, this collaboration results in the emergence of cosmic order from what was once chaos. The rhythmic back-and-forth of this roiling yields gifts and treasures beneficial to humanity. The myth underscores primordial wisdom: when opposing forces engage, their combined efforts can beget remarkable outcomes.
Jung understood that consciousness itself arises from the dynamic tension of opposites. Like a taught violin string held at two points, its vibration creates music. In the context of inner and outer democratic frameworks, divergent forces can potentially cultivate creative outcomes when engaged productively and not antagonistically.
The recent mid-term elections in the U.S., despite looming concerns of extreme polarization and potential disruptions, stood as a testament to the robustness of democratic processes. Parallel with psychotherapy, the balancing of conscious and unconscious forces within an individual’s psyche can facilitate therapeutic progress. Similarly, a society that acknowledges and integrates opposing forces can also experience collective healing. Returning to the Mahabharata’s images, Vishnu sits on a pillar above the primordial swirl as the embodiment of preserving transcendence achievable when balance is maintained between oppositions. Democracies, particularly the American model, echo this concept, demonstrating that societies can indeed transcend base oppositions, paving the way for greater societal achievements.
Can we celebrate the ‘Transcendent Third’ in Democracy? History reveres individuals who, against the odds, reconciled opposing factions without collapsing into extremes. These peacemakers exemplify the core tenets of Demos-Kratos. Their ability to mediate, integrate conflict, and confront contradictions within their own beliefs mirrors the strength and resilience of the Self that acts to restore balance. While integration is celebrated by many, there are those who view it with hostility and perceive it as a direct threat. This fear has, tragically, manifested in violent retaliations against iconic figures who championed unity. Their assassinations by extremists highlight the ongoing tension between the forces of unity and division.
Attuned leaders have sought refuge in faith, ethics, and creativity in times of remarkable collective tension. Images, music, songs, prose, and inspired metaphors can comfort a nation as it shifts from rage to grief. Holding to central unifying archetypes and their numerous artistic expressions during times of upheaval constellates strength, resilience, and cohesion–this is true in the individual psyche and the cultural collective.
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Where can I find the paper referenced that was presented at the Ukraine webinar discussing holding the tension of opposites?
Here you go: https://aras.org/wujwebinars
Initially we are introduced to the bright angel in a very moving story: the little girl crying “Mummy, Mummy, the angel won’t let me in” (to pass on mother’s message to her father who has just died from a massive heat attack). Joseph summarises at 44.28 that the bright angel uses hatred and violence to cohere a psyche which is in a state of overwhelming fear and again at 57.22 “That the bright angel dreams up enough fantasies that they have been violated, that their innocence has been violated….. and (this) entitles them to hatred”.
There seems to me to be a serious mismatch between this little girl’s sixth sense or intuition (personified by an angel), which entirely legitimately protects her from entering her father’s room and experiencing a shock that would likely have scarred her for life, and the fantasies and hatred used by the proposed ‘Self-Care’ system to block out reality through dissociation.
That said, there is a grain of truth to many conspiracy theories. Some actually come true such as UFO’s. And corporations and governments nearly always abuse power and engage in profiteering such as big pharma and weapons manufactures. I am a Jungian practitioner as well as an environmental activist who absolutely know the societal and ecological damage that has been caused by governments and corporations, as well as media organizations ranging from MSNBC to Fox News. Is it any wonder that many people dissociate and lash out. Capitalism creates violence, trauma, addiction, mental illness which all lead to the mindset of many americans. Many Jungians dissociate from the socio-economic realities of living with friendly fascism aka democrats or flat out fascism aka republicans.