Along with our guest podcaster Brazilian Jungian analyst Leticia Capriotti, we explore the psychological underpinnings of regret. We consider that sometimes regret can arise as a result of self-betrayal.  We link it to the unlived life that can haunt us and demand our attention. At times, this unlived life may reach into the ancestral past, as we struggle with inter-generational patterns. We discuss how sometimes this can lead to new creative endeavors, but at other times, there may need to be a painful sacrifice of fantasy before regret can be transformed. To avoid bitterness, we must come to love our fate, which involves sanctifying the ordinary.  

We discussed the work of genogram expert Monica McGoldrick.

Here’s the dream we discuss:

“It is the middle of the night & I am in the shadowy living area of what appears to be an English mansion house. The room is large and high ceilinged but is dark & shadowy. My attention is focused on a dimly lit table, where I am standing and packing to depart. I am packing my final suitcase with books – a companion is bringing the books to me but who that person it is unclear (perhaps my young adult son). The books are hard covered and old, thick & weighty. I don’t know the titles – but they are from a prolific 19th-century English male author who I have never felt the need to read, yet I’m taking the care to pack these. I’m sorting the books & packing with haste. While I’m in charge of the packing, I worry about what I am doing. The books are so thick and heavy & take up so much space – will I even be able to carry the suitcase? Is it a mistake packing these…will I read them?…why take these, why now, at this time? I seem to finish sorting, although I leave everything in the shadowy room. I open the heavy door made of dark wood to peer into the shadowy entryway where my other small suitcases are standing. I peak out into the darkness, keeping my eye out for danger but also for the unknown person who will come to take us away. ”

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash