“He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
Forgiveness cannot happen without the other (intrapsychic and/or interpersonal), and by its very nature and expression is an intimate phenomenon created by the forgiver and forgiven. However, forgiveness is also an illusive, alchemical, archetypal experience, testing one’s capacity to love, have empathy and compassion, and have humility in the relationship. Therefore, the emotional acuity to forgive is a developmental process that unfolds over one’s life. This talk will explore the following: Is forgiveness possible, and if so, to what extent? Is forgiveness itself a developmental process of the soul? With soul being central to one’s capacity to forgive, what is soul?
This presentation will begin with a summary of different psychological, spiritual, and philosophical theories on forgiveness, emphasizing the Jungian approach. Utilizing alchemy, fairytales, and myth, the presenter, will circumambulate the phenomenon of forgiveness and the role of soul, spirit, and shadow. Accordingly, the presenter will explore psychodynamic approaches to different aspects of the forgiveness process, such as the early development of compassion and empathy through the works of Bion, Klein, Winnicott, Sidoli, and Fordham as well as the archetypal phenomenon of forgiveness through the works of Jung and Hillman.
This presentation will begin with a summary of different psychological, spiritual, and philosophical theories on forgiveness, emphasizing the Jungian approach. Utilizing alchemy, fairytales, and myth, the presenter, will circumambulate the phenomenon of forgiveness and the role of soul, spirit, and shadow. Accordingly, the presenter will explore psychodynamic approaches to different aspects of the forgiveness process, such as the early development of compassion and empathy through the works of Bion, Klein, Winnicott, Sidoli, and Fordham as well as the archetypal phenomenon of forgiveness through the works of Jung and Hillman.
Learning Objectives:
–Learn the definition of forgiveness from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Christian traditions.
–Learn the definition of forgiveness from a Jungian (phenomenological) point of view.
–Understand the definition of soul and the soul’s role in the process of forgiveness.
–Learn the definition of forgiveness from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Christian traditions.
–Learn the definition of forgiveness from a Jungian (phenomenological) point of view.
–Understand the definition of soul and the soul’s role in the process of forgiveness.
