In many myths, a dark destructive force, whether Zeus or the Devil, often appears in an ambush-like manner, thwarting the hero’s best intentions. This negating, often judging and disdainful force causes chaos, often stunning the hero into a disheartened place. Psychologically, this destructive force is called a complex. Complexes are deeply rooted in us and […]
The Healing Function of Psyche
As we watch television, we are bombarded with advertisements that claim to cure such ailments as anxiety, sleeplessness and depression. At times, we may opt for pain-relief medication to aid a headache. What are we really trying to cure? From a medical perspective, to cure means that a patient no longer has the ailment. On […]
Journeying through Life
Friedrich Nietzsche put forth a wonderful scenario: “What if a demon were to creep after you one night and say, ‘This life which you live must be lived by you once again and innumerable times more; and every pain and joy and thought and sigh must come again to you, all in the same sequence.” […]
The Reality of Happiness
The commonly asked question, “How are you feeling?” is often replied with the somewhat obligatory “Good, thanks, and you?” However, Jungian author James Hollis suggested that, “Feeling good may be a very poor measure of the worth of one’s life.” He furthered queried, “Think of the people you truly admire or inspire you. How much […]
Mid-life & Beyond: Senex & Crone
Since 1991, the United Nations has designated October 1 as International Day of Older Persons. Canada has named this date, National Seniors Day. The day honours the contributions of seniors and draws attention to the increasing greying or aging of the population. From a psychological perspective, being a senior marks a shift from mid-life, usually […]
How Do You Handle Adversity?
Have you heard the story about the carrot, egg and coffee bean? A mother placed a carrot, an egg and a coffee bean each in a pot of water. After twenty minutes of boiling she showed her young daughter the results. She explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity, boiling water, […]
