pixel

< Return to All Episodes

Seeking Certainty: The Seduction of Conspiracy Theories

Sep 3, 2020

An image of Neil Armstrong on the moon illustrates a popular site of conspiracy theory.

In times of uncertainty truth is hard to discern, collective cohesion frays, and social factions become embattled. Unmediated shadow then seeks expression through the archetypal realm and takes on extra-ordinary attributes. Persecutory mythologies arise, for big psychic situations need big stories to compensate for big feelings of anxiety, powerlessness, and marginalization.

Insecurities are projected onto the outer-world as clandestine enemies of mythic proportions: alien rulers, government cabals, and other images of secret domination. Understanding conspiracy theories as symbolic expressions of unconscious contents can allow us to take them seriously without taking them literally. We may then respond with consciousness and empathy instead of judgment–and begin to shift the collective psychic field toward wholeness. 

Dream

“I am with my housemate, L, and we are in a city. The dream begins with us trying to get an answer to a question about the psychology of animals (I do not remember specifics of the question). We have gone to see a psychologist whose last name is Green. He is writing something on his laptop and when we ask to speak with him he asks for 30 minutes. There are churros in the waiting area, and for some reason I am taking some in a bag. Somehow I know there is a party that I am supposed to be bringing these back for. There isn’t even a churro machine, a stack of them just continues to appear in the same spot on a desk. Once I have entered the conference room with Dr. Green, I am in the middle of eating a bite of churro and cannot respond to what he is saying, though he is laughing at the fact that my mouth is full of churro. Suddenly, the entire world has changed, I am entering what looks like a room from the back of a club, or maybe an abandoned house? The dreamscape room has a deep purple color and though there is no light in the room, I can still see. At this point in the dream I become lucid and think “I should make something appear here”, however, a man appears in the room and he begins to wrestle me to the ground. We begin fighting and the face of the man seems to be changing as we roll. I do not recognize him. I have an intuition that I am dancing, however, I decide to fight back against the attacker. I punch the man and the dreamscape changes again. I am in the middle of a living room at the bottom of a tower and realize that I have just punched Dr. Green. I apologize profusely, and end up saying, “sorry, Dad… I mean… Doc”. I put my hands on my head after this slip up and am feeling very confused. Dr. Green says it’s ok and that we should begin making our way up the tower. I look up and see L climbing the stairs and her face is covered in sweat. Dr. Green begins up the stairs but I realize I can float. I allow myself to float just to see what it is like and then I wake up.”

References

C.G. Jung. The Undiscovered Self: The Dilemma of the Individual in Modern Society (Amazon). 

Iain McGilchrist. The Master and His Emissary: The divided Brain and the Making of the Western World (Amazon). 

Jonathan Haidt. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion (Amazon).

Learn to work with your own dreams

If This Jungian Life podcast or Dream Wise have spoken to you on a deep level, and you’re feeling ready to learn more about dreamwork and the world of Carl Jung, then our 12-month online program, This Jungian Life Dream School, is for you. Dream School is your opportunity to take the wisdom of Dream Wise even deeper – through a lively community, monthly meetings with Joe, Lisa, and Deb, and optional virtual dream groups. Join us in Dream School for a year-long adventure into the luminous world of your dreams.

Learn More

Want more?

Support Dreams and Depth: Join our Patreon community today
Don’t Miss Out: Submit Your Dream now for a chance to be featured on our podcast
Help Shape Our Show: Your suggestions inspire new discussions. Share your ideas for our next podcast.
Stay inspired every day: Connect and grow with our vibrant community. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube for exclusive updates and engaging discussions on soul growth, empowerment, insight, and creativity.

We’ve published our first book together

In Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams, we present a systematic and comprehensive method for understanding the messages of our dreams, translating C. G. Jung’s brilliant insights into a practical, self-guided method for excavating the hidden wisdom of your dreams.

ORDER NOW