In Service to the Inexplicable and Paradoxical

“The spirit of the depths took my understanding and all my knowledge and placed them at the service of the inexplicable and the paradoxical.” – C.G. Jung (The Red Book p. 229)

Jung’s view of psyche is rooted in an appreciation of opposites and their role in our individuation process. He found that creatively embracing life’s ‘inexplicable and paradoxical’ occurrences leads one to experiencing the sacredness in our everyday world. In this presentation, I explore Jung’s work on the nature of opposites, including my own experiences of the inexplicable and paradoxical. Entering the paradoxical realm requires us to engage with trans-rational ways of knowing. I consider various ‘extraordinary’ ways of knowing that influenced Jung’s views on the relationship between psyche and matter and which extend our understanding of consciousness beyond a purely rational perspective.