Dreams, Eternal
Wisdom and the Objective Psyche
Michael Conforti, PhD, is
a Jungian psychoanalyst, and founder and Director of the Assisi
Conferences. He is actively investigating the workings of
archetypal fields and the relationship between Jungian psychology
and the New Sciences. He is currently working on a new book,
Hidden Presence: Archetypes, Spells, Possession and the Complex.
Abstract
Perhaps Jung’s greatest gift and
living legacy was his understanding of a non-personally derived
dimension of the human psyche: the Self and the Objective Psyche.
Within the Self, Jung observed the working of innate ordering
processes, which bring us into relationship with a transcendent
reality.
The
archetypes are our contemporary experience of wisdom. Through
dreams, we can directly experience and feel the power of innate
and eternal wisdom traditions that continue to guide our actions,
lives and perhaps even our destiny.
In
this address Dr. Conforti will discuss the presence and workings
of archetypes in dreams, and the importance of recognizing the
archetypal patterns established in the dream story. Jung once
commented that in working with dreams, we tend to make meaning of
the images. He added, however, that rather than imposing an
interpretation upon the dream, it is important to allow the image
to reveal its own inherent meaning. Through the presentation of a
number of dreams, Dr. Conforti will present a model for working
with these objective, archetypal images.
This presentation will include
discussion of the following topics:
–Jungian approach to dreams
–Jung’s concept of the archetype
–Relevancy and application of an
archetypal approach to dream interpretation
–Contributions from the new
science of complexity theory to our understanding of dreams
Through lecture, discussion,
and case presentation, participants will:
–Develop a more comprehensive
understanding of Jungian Psychology
–Explore dream interpretation
from a Jungian perspective
–Develop an awareness of the
presence of archetypes in dreams
Suggested readings:
Conforti, M. (1999). Form, Field
and Fate: Patterns in Mind, Psyche and Nature. New Orleans,
Louisiana: Spring Journal, Inc.
Kaufmann, Y. (2004). The Way of
The Image. Brattleboro, Vermont: Assisi Foundation.
Von
Franz, M.L. (1997). Archetypal Patterns In Fairy Tales. Toronto:
Inner City Books.
