The numinous… is “mysterious,
tremendous and fascinating”
— Rudolf Otto
Sandplay Therapy is a non-verbal, expressive therapeutic method developed by Dora M. Kalff, drawing upon the works of Swiss psychiatrist C.G. Jung and the pioneering English pediatrician and play therapist Margaret Lowenfeld. At this national conference, we will explore the numinous and its healing qualities in the Sandplay process. Both Jung and Lowenfeld focused on the healing aspects of play. We know that Jung created structures on the shore of Lake Zurich as a way of working out inner conflict. In London, Margaret Lowenfeld observed the change that occurred in traumatized children as they played and told their stories. Jung’s life work centered on images of transformation in which “the psyche tells its own story.” Kalff incorporated these ideas in developing her approach, focused on the “free and protected space” within the therapeutic relationship, enriched by her personal connection with Tibetan and Zen Buddhism.
In Sacred Landscapes of the Psyche, keynote and plenary sessions will focus on psyche and the numinous in Kalffian Sandplay, Jungian therapy, and Play Therapy. We are pleased to include Lionel Corbett, Jungian Analyst, as our Keynote presenter, whose talk will be: “The Religious Function of the Psyche: A Depth Psychology Approach to Spirituality”. Carl Jung defined the “numinous” as “a dynamic agency or effect not caused by an arbitrary act. The numinosum is an experience of the subject independent of his will…that causes a peculiar alteration of consciousness…”
The psyche manifests the sacred and provides a transpersonal landscape within which the work of Sandplay Therapy is carried out. Creating the sacred temenos prepares the way for psyche to connect on a deep level with the unconscious and initiates a dialogue with the Self, unfolding with possibilities. In this process, the therapist often bears witness to landscapes which evoke a sense of awe.