For thousands of years individuals have gone through different rites of passage to become warriors who fight and protect those whom they love. Individuals who choose to become warriors in the United States join one of five branches of military service, and may serve anywhere in the world, each experiencing a variety of environments and challenges. The United States has been consistently involved in overseas conflicts since 2001, making this the longest period of consistent warfare activity in the country’s history (Bandow, 2019). Though many people are familiar with the physical demands experienced by military personnel, as a global society we are only beginning to understand the long-term psychological impact of military training and service.
This course uses the alchemical metaphor to explore the psychological challenges United States military veterans face as they attempt to reintegrate into civilian society. The arc of the course tracks a military member’s progression from Basic Training to the transition back into civilian life, and pinpoints the psychological harm inflicted by the collective consciousness of the military on the individual psyche. We will examine the process of military training from the perspective of a Jungian understanding of the psychological stages of alchemy, illuminating the process that presents each military member with profound difficulties related to identity, the ability to engage in a vibrant relationship with the Self, and the ability to reenter civilian life.