

This Jungian Life Podcast
Joseph Lee, Deborah Stewart, Lisa Marchiano
Join us—Lisa, Deb, and Joseph—for sometimes irreverent but potentially life-changing conversations. Every Thursday, we explore culture, relationships, and depth psychology through the lens of Carl Jung. We devote a segment of each episode to analyzing a listener’s dream.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 26, 2019 • 58min
INFERTILITY: When the Mother Archetype Fails to Constellate
DREAM WITH US, and we’ll teach you how to interpret them!Medical technology has given the problem of fertility a scientific veneer. Our Promethean ability to manipulate gestational mysteries has wrested power from what was once the domain of the gods. Fulfillment of the promise of pregnancy seems to lie within reach, although it may entail incurring financial debt and enduring intense emotional cycles of desire, hope and disappointment. Holding the tension between the fire of psychic activation and physical incarnation is an age-old theme. Many fairy tales begin with a couple going to great lengths to fulfill their longing for a child, only to then confront the shadow aspects of desire. Human fertility is not limited to the physical gestation of a baby. Its essence, creativity and futurity, also includes ideas, energy, and goals. New life does not come from the conscious side of the personality alone.LOOK & GROWJoin THIS JUNGIAN LIFE DREAM SCHOOLDo you have a topic you want us to cover?WE NEED YOUR HELP! Become a patron to keep TJL running.We've got totally NEW MERCH! We’d like to take a crack interpreting your dream.If you’ve been struggling in the dark, trying to find the keys to unlock your dreams, help has arrived. Order your copy of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams from the hosts of This Jungian Life podcast and open the secret door.

Sep 19, 2019 • 1h 7min
Chronic Complaining
Explore the intriguing world of chronic complaining and its deep psychological roots. Delve into how venting can connect us, yet trap individuals in negativity. Discover the balance between seeking support and processing emotional issues, like maternal deprivation. The discussion emphasizes transforming complaints into desires for healthier relationships. Through enchanting fairy tale analogies, learn about the importance of voicing grievances as a path to self-discovery and growth.

17 snips
Sep 12, 2019 • 1h 10min
Animus & Anima
Explore the fascinating Jungian concepts of anima and animus, and how they shape personal identities, especially in the context of gender and sexuality. The hosts delve into dream analysis, revealing intricate dynamics of love, desire, and emotional conflict. Discover the psychological interplay of masculine and feminine traits within one's psyche and the importance of integrating these archetypes for growth. Additionally, the discussion touches on virtual intimacy and the painful journey of unreciprocated feelings in modern relationships.

Sep 5, 2019 • 1h 4min
Negative Mother Complex: When Our Painful Childhood Owns Us
Unpack the complexities of the negative mother complex and its impact on our lives. Discover how neglect and emotional detachment in childhood influence adult relationships and attachment styles. Delve into the healing potential of confronting maternal criticism and how humor can serve as a therapeutic tool. Journey through fairy tales that illustrate the search for nurturing figures, and explore the rich symbolism of femininity in dreams. This exploration offers insights into personal growth and emotional resilience.

Aug 29, 2019 • 1h 4min
Borderline Personality Disorder
DREAM WITH US, and we’ll teach you how to interpret them! While psychiatric diagnostic labels often reify the complexities of psychological dynamics, they can also orient us to the essential qualities of a particular emotional and behavioral field. BPD is characterized by difficulty with affect regulation, intense and unstable interpersonal relationships, impulsive behavior, and a tendency toward highly polarized emotions: idealization/elation versus devaluation/despair. BPD is associated with early relational deficits, especially in caretakers’ capacity to maintain connection when their child is angry or aggressive. If intense early emotional states have not been well moderated, they can take on the force of emotional tsunamis, overwhelm the ego, and lead to impetuous and self-harming behaviors. A deep therapeutic and human process can re-inspire the possibility that one can find one’s center in a human relationship.LOOK & GROWJoin THIS JUNGIAN LIFE DREAM SCHOOLDo you have a topic you want us to cover?WE NEED YOUR HELP! Become a patron to keep TJL running.We've got totally NEW MERCH! We’d like to take a crack interpreting your dream.If you’ve been struggling in the dark, trying to find the keys to unlock your dreams, help has arrived. Order your copy of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams from the hosts of This Jungian Life podcast and open the secret door.

4 snips
Aug 22, 2019 • 1h 7min
Procrastination
DREAM WITH US, and we’ll teach you how to interpret them! We all procrastinate. Tasks from making a doctor’s appointment to preparing taxes to doing the laundry invite us to put off until tomorrow what we can postpone today. We may distract ourselves by going online, doing errands, or minimizing the time a job will take. Although procrastination signals that a given task is hard and emotionally charged, it buys only temporary escape from anxiety. Furthermore, procrastination can lead to disappointment in oneself that can undermine the self-confidence needed to face subsequent challenges. We are called to the hero’s journey in confronting the dragon of deficiency that inhabits our inner world as procrastination. If we dare to begin, we can find the help we need, and may discover that the task itself is not as onerous as we imagined--and that we are more.LOOK & GROWJoin THIS JUNGIAN LIFE DREAM SCHOOLDo you have a topic you want us to cover?WE NEED YOUR HELP! Become a patron to keep TJL running.We've got totally NEW MERCH! We’d like to take a crack interpreting your dream.If you’ve been struggling in the dark, trying to find the keys to unlock your dreams, help has arrived. Order your copy of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams from the hosts of This Jungian Life podcast and open the secret door.

18 snips
Aug 15, 2019 • 1h 8min
Puer – Puella: Trapped in the Inner Child
DREAM WITH US, and we’ll teach you how to interpret them! If the passage into fullsome adulthood is avoided, a person can be trapped in the world of childhood. This protected realm is a nexus of potential, defined by avoiding the rigors of the real for the pleasures of possibility. Peter Pan, who chose to remain in never-never-land, is a well-known image for the flighty ingenuousness of the puer or puella. What stops libido from becoming more grounded in order to engage in more purposeful, ego-strengthening commitments? Charles Dickens’ Bleak House portrays a protagonist who felt that dedication and discipline were intolerably confining. Rapunzel, however, broke out of her elevated tower when a prince kindled her desire to bond in a more earthly way. If an initiatory experience does not activate libido, and the protected world of childhood is not sacrificed, entrapment in a marginal life may ensue.LOOK & GROWJoin THIS JUNGIAN LIFE DREAM SCHOOLDo you have a topic you want us to cover?WE NEED YOUR HELP! Become a patron to keep TJL running.We've got totally NEW MERCH! We’d like to take a crack interpreting your dream.If you’ve been struggling in the dark, trying to find the keys to unlock your dreams, help has arrived. Order your copy of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams from the hosts of This Jungian Life podcast and open the secret door.

Aug 8, 2019 • 1h 7min
Self-Talk
DREAM WITH US, and we’ll teach you how to interpret them! Although only some of us talk aloud to ourselves, all of us have inner voices, even if we are not aware of them. These autonomous parts of ourselves provide running commentary on how and what we are doing. Are our inner commentators friendly and supportive, or critical and attacking? We turn to fairy tales, stories that arise from the collective unconscious, for wisdom about our relationship with those parts of ourselves that tend to operate autonomously. The Ill-Fated Princess must climb a mountain to confront and befriend her “bad Fate,” after which her destructive unconscious complex befriends her. In Vasalisa the Beautiful, a loving mother gives her daughter a doll that provides good advice in difficult situations. The bad Fate and Vasalisa’s doll illustrate the process of noticing how we relate to other parts of ourselves—and by changing a negative inner dynamic we become more whole.LOOK & GROWJoin THIS JUNGIAN LIFE DREAM SCHOOLDo you have a topic you want us to cover?WE NEED YOUR HELP! Become a patron to keep TJL running.We've got totally NEW MERCH! We’d like to take a crack interpreting your dream.If you’ve been struggling in the dark, trying to find the keys to unlock your dreams, help has arrived. Order your copy of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams from the hosts of This Jungian Life podcast and open the secret door.

Aug 1, 2019 • 1h 13min
Dating
Exploring the complexities of modern dating, including the frustrations of dating apps and the need for self-awareness. Discussing the challenges faced by different groups, such as young women desiring a family and divorced or single older individuals. Highlighting the importance of authenticity in dating and the consequences of presenting oneself inauthentically. Exploring the concept of ghosting in dating and its connection to past unresolved wounds. Delving into the symbolism and emotions behind a dream of Catholic and Anglican cathedrals. Exploring the relationship between the Anglican and Catholic churches and the importance of archetypes in religious experiences. Delving into a dream involving a devilish trickster character and reflecting on the darker aspects of humanity.

Jul 25, 2019 • 1h 1min
Retirement
Retirement is a major life transition that reshapes our identity and social connections. The speakers explore the contrasting emotions people face, from joy to feelings of uselessness. They emphasize embracing personal growth and community engagement while navigating these changes. Stories of generativity highlight the importance of maintaining faith in oneself. The psychological journey in later life is framed through rich metaphors like King Lear, urging a soulful view beyond just finances. Additionally, dream analysis reveals deep connections between food, identity, and emotional well-being.


