The Ghosts That Haunt Us: Can They Also Heal Us?

Jungian Analyst, James Hollis’ book, Hauntings: Dispelling the Ghosts Who Run Our Lives (2025), has inspired much interest in the ghosts that haunt us. These ghosts are embedded in the stories we tell ourselves, stories told to us that we accept without question, and form, in part, the myth we live by. We can be haunted as much by what we failed to do, what we were called to or destined to live out, but pushed away, saying, “Not now: I’m busy.”

We carry these hauntings through a significant portion of our lives, especially when we remain unconscious of their forceful presence. When we say no to essential callings, we freeze a part of who we are meant to be. We get stuck, and those stuck places act like knots in the fabric of our lives.

So, how do we untie these knots? First, we must identify them and ask: What has brought these knots into our lives? Then we can wonder about ways to befriend them rather than try to rid ourselves of them. In such a spirit of self-compassion, we may be able to untie these knots, experience a freer flow of our creative self and allow it to have its place in our evolving identity. This will be the starting point of our quest.