This lecture will contrast Jung’s notion of the Self with traditional theistic approaches to the divine. Describing the range of ways in which the Self may appear within the psyche, we will explore the ways in which Jung’s approach avoids the philosophical problems associated with the idea of God found in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and will show how Jung’s approach allows the development of a personal spirituality rather than one based on doctrine and dogma. We will also examine Jung’s notion of the dark side of the Self in his Answer to Job, and the arguments with theologians this book produced.

Dr. Lionel Corbett trained in medicine and psychiatry in England and as a Jungian Analyst at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. He is a professor of depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of six books: Psyche and the Sacred: The Religious Function of the Psyche; The Sacred Cauldron: Psychotherapy as a Spiritual Practice; The Soul in Anguish: Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Suffering; Understanding Evil: A Guide for Psychotherapists; and The God-Image: From Antiquity to Jung. He is the co-editor of four volumes of collected papers: Psyche’s Stories; Depth Psychology, Meditations in the Field; Psychology at the Threshold; and Jung and Aging.

Learning objectives:

• Compare Jung’s notion of the Self to the traditional theistic approaches to the divine.
• List three ways in which the Self may appear within the psyche.
• Explain how the influence of early family dynamics influences a person’s image of God and how it can be transformed.