Jung began the writings, diagrams and drawings contained in The Red Book shortly after his professional break with Sigmund Freud. Although the rift between these two psychoanalytical geniuses has been explained along theoretical lines by both of them, and by later apologists, the personal effect of the event on Jung during the ensuing years was devastating on many levels. Jungians call this his period of “creative illness” and critics of Jung call it his “psychotic break”. Regardless of how this period is characterized, it gave rise to a text that bears witness to the integrity of an ego suffering beyond measure as it confronts the powers of the unconscious which are threatening the very existence of space, time and personhood that the ego strives to maintain moment by moment.
In this workshop, we will examine The Red Book in terms of structure, development and purpose. The role of the book in Jung’s psychic life will be discussed, and ways to emulate Jung’s dedication to the contents of the unconscious will be explored. The intent of this workshop is to consider The Red Book not simply as a Jungian artifact, but as an example of the means by which the unconscious may be encountered and progressively integrated for the enrichment and relativization of ego-consciousness. Participants are encouraged to bring a notebook or journal for use during the workshop.
The series Jung’s Red Book includes the following lectures:
1) An Introduction to Jung’s Psychology: The Historical Context of the Red Book – Robert Moretti, PhD
2) Jung’s Interior Castle: The Red Book as Spiritual Document – Stephen Martz, DMin & George Didier, PsyD
3) Reading the Images in Jung’s Red Book – Mary Dougherty, MFA, ATR, NCPsyA & Barbara Friedman, PhD
4) Exploring Jung’s Red Book: Artifacts and Methodology of the Individuation Process – Ken James, PhD
5) The Archetypal and Scientific Significance of the Red Book – George Hogenson, PhD