Maria Giovanna Bianchi – THE TIME IS OUT OF JOINT: LIVING IN CATASTROPHIC TIMES
February 25, 2026 at 12:46AM
Abstract:
The pervasive fear of impending catastrophe and the absence of stable points of reference—at international, national, and personal levels—shape both public discourse and the narratives brought by clients into psychological practice. This widespread sense of disorientation echoes Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where the famous line “The time is out of joint” captures the experience of living in an age marked by rupture, instability, and moral confusion.
The appearance of the ghost in Hamlet represents a numinous and shocking event that fractures the continuity of time and reality, transforming the protagonist’s perception of the world and burdening him with the task of restoring order. Hamlet’s dilemma—being born into a disordered world and feeling compelled to “set it right”—mirrors a timeless psychological condition in which individuals are called to respond to collective breakdown while struggling to maintain inner coherence.
This lecture explores the enduring relevance of Hamlet’s predicament as a symbolic expression of psychological and cultural crisis. By reflecting on the persistence of this experience across centuries, the lecture considers why Hamlet remains an immortal figure and how his longing for truth, justice, and renewed order continues to resonate with contemporary experiences of chaos and uncertainty.

Bio:
Maria Giovanna Bianchi, Ph.D., is an Italian Jungian Analyst and psychotherapist, trained at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich. She worked for nearly three decades as a United Nations Human Rights Officer. Her long-standing interest in philosophy and psychology has remained constant throughout her life, guiding both her reading and informal education. After obtaining her diploma as a Jungian psychoanalyst and psychotherapist for adults, adolescents, and children, she established a private practice conceived not only as a place to address specific psychological issues, but also as a space to support personal growth and the search for meaning, starting from wherever individuals find themselves in their lives. Her practice includes traditional talk therapy, sand-play therapy, and a dedicated playroom for work with children. Her professional experience in the fields of human rights and analytical psychology continues to converge in her academic writing and public speaking engagements.
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