Full Description
Winner of the Internationl Association for Jungian Studies (IAJS) Book Award for Best Clinical Book 2024
FDerived from Ruth Williams' more than 40-year immersion in spiritual practice, as well as her clinical experience as a Jungian analyst, this thought-provoking volume explores the nature of spiritual paths and trajectories in practical ways, incorporating personal anecdote and ground-breaking academic research and providing a window into how Jungian practitioners work with soul and spirit.
Williams explores the nature of being a human using the Yiddish idea of a person being a 'mensch', which means being a decent human being, having humanity and living ethically with integrity. The idea of 'grace' is the thread that runs through the book—the mystery that binds things together and makes life meaningful, purposeful, potentially joyful and spiritually fulfilling. Williams sees 'grace' as being that which underpins and lies behind synchronicity and divinatory practices and as a force by which we can learn to be guided.
Rooted in clinical work, Exploring Spirituality from a Post-Jungian Perspective is fascinating reading for Jungian analysts, therapists and academics, as well as for general readers interested in a spiritual journey, both personally and for clinical purposes.
Contents
Introduction; Part One: Spiritual Perspective; 1: Overview; 2: Spiritual Attitude; 3: Gaia, Ecology and Animals; Part Two: Dilemmas; 4: How the Heart Knows; 5: Suicide; 6: Ethics and Integrity; 7: Peace, Clarity, Joy, Kindness, and a Clear Conscience; 8: What is the Goal of Life?; Part Three: Puzzles; 9: Pre-destination: Why Do Things Go Wrong? Destiny or Fate?; 10: Mantic Practices and Synchronicity: Tarot, I Ching, Astrology; Part Four: The Ineffable; 11: Soul and Spirit in Analysis; 12: Spiritualism, Ghosts, and the Paranormal; 13: Grace; Appendix 1: Transcript of Meeting with Dr Terence Palmer
