Listening to the Soul of Your Research

September 22 & 29, 2026 | Two Online sessions with Dr. Jennifer Degnan Smith

Sometimes our research draws us in before we fully understand why we are pursuing a particular topic or how our degree will ultimately shape our lives beyond academia. These sessions begin from the premise that research is not merely a technical or intellectual task, but a living process with a soul of its own—one that calls us into a journey that eventually pushes us back into the world in new and transformed ways. The sessions outline how we can recognize how research both shapes and is shaped by our inner life.

The sessions explore how we can learn to listen to the soul of the research and discern the guidance it offers, both during the research process, in the often-uncertain transitional period after completing a degree, and in the longer term. Rather than simply approaching research as a problem to be solved or a product to be completed, we can also consider how the soul of our research communicates through shifts in energy, unexpected obstacles, or moments of synchronicity that suggest a deeper direction seeking recognition.

Participants will consider how unconscious material, symbolic images, and lived experiences influence the questions we ask, the methods we choose, and the directions our work ultimately takes after earning the degree. Special focus will be placed on how research topics often reflect personal themes, long-standing fascinations, and formative life experiences that seek expression and integration into our vocational calling.

Key practices explored in the sessions include working with dreams, engaging imaginal material, attending to synchronicities along the scholarly path, and honoring the places and contexts in which research unfolds. Through guided reflective exercises, participants will be invited to revisit moments of curiosity and pivotal life events that may illuminate the deeper motivations behind their academic pursuits and their life after their degree, including their personal development, professional direction, and meaningful contribution to the wider world.