As Jung reminds us, life isn’t about solving our problems or challenges. It is about outgrowing them. So instead of fixing challenges, we are invited to adopt a new, more resilient attitude to life. Healing is about opening ourselves to new possibilities and ways of being. In other words, we are asked to re-imagine our lives.
How do we reimagine our lives? Through storytelling. Whether in fiction, therapy, coaching, or daily life, storytelling is a powerful way to learn about ourselves. Our lives are shaped and understood through narrative. Stories can help us hold and transform the complexity of our experiences.
We sometimes dismiss fiction as fantasy. In doing so, we overlook its capacity to inspire our individuation process. Carl Jung engaged deeply with different forms of fiction. Less known is that he read and met with science fiction author H.G. Wells. He also wrote a book on flying saucers and a preface to From India to the Planet Mars. This reflects his respect for the symbolic power of all kinds of storytelling.
In this course, Craig Chalquist, will guide us in the exploration of fiction. He views fiction as extended active imagination, much like Jung’s Red Book and Black Books. Craig also draws on Joseph Campbell’s insight that modern mythology often arises through personal creativity. Fictional characters will guide us. Through their voices and struggles, we can glimpse archetypal forces—the gods—speaking to us.
The exploration of this course points to a broader vision. By engaging with these stories and symbols, we can shape a new personal and planetary mythology. This mythology resonates with the challenges and possibilities of our time. Fiction, then, becomes much more than entertainment. It offers a mirror, a map, and a compass for navigating the mystery of life.
This course invites us to reflect on the fictional dimensions of our life. Through lecture and discussion, we will learn to see fiction as a way to connect to wisdom and healing.