From the Editors — V. Walter Odajnyk and
Robin van Löben Sels
… The shocking events of September 11, 2001 prompted Jeffrey Raff to explore the problem of evil in the Kabbalah. His study of this medieval mystical text provides another confirmation of Jung’s hypothesis of the paradoxical, dual nature of the godhead, at least as that divine archetype is experienced by human beings. Another talented writer, Greg Mogenson, in an essay with a somewhat unwieldy title, pursues the issue of individuality and collectivity, using Jung’s and his clients’ dreams to demonstrate the profound effects of individuation on the collective psyche. An interview by Robert S. Henderson of three Jungian analysts who use hypnosis in their practice follows. This exchange outlines the reasons why both Jung and Freud rejected the use of hypnosis in their clinical work, draws parallels between hypnosis and active imagination, and describes the evolution of hypnosis into a non-authoritarian form of intervention. David T. Bradford writes about the intersection between brain functioning, religious experience, and Jungian psychology, in an essay addressing the issue of the neurological localization of the archetype of the Self. As usual, a number of incisive Book Reviews, solicited and edited by Matthew J. Greco, complete the issue …
A Spiritual Perspective on Evil in the Kabbalah— Jeffrey Raff
The question of the origin and nature of evil has always been a difficult one. In our day, and especially after the tragic events of September 11, the question is particularly germane. Many people are struggling with the question of why evil occurs. They are flocking to churches, synagogues and mosques seeking answers from their own spiritual traditions. Because I have been studying kabbalah for some time, it was natural for me to turn to that tradition in seeking my own reaction to the question of evil. In particular, I have been studying the kabbalistic text, the Zohar, an influential text that impacted all later kabbalistic authors and was revered as a revealed text by many in the Jewish community …
Of Brothels, Gambling–Hells, and the Salons of the Elegant: Collectivity, Individuality, and the Dream— Greg Mogenson
In his 1912 essay, “New Paths in Psychology,” C. G. Jung celebrates the scope and vision of the emerging depth psychologies by contrasting them with the more established academic and experimental psychology of his day. Though early in his career he had achieved renown as an innovator in the field of experimental psycholgoy, he was keenly aware of the limitations of approaches modeled upon the exact sciences in meeting the challenge presented by the living psyche, the psyche as it is manifeste din peoples’ lives …
Jung and Hypnosis: An Interview with August Cwik, Psy.D., James Hall, M.D., and Ernest Rossi, Ph.D. — Robert S. Henderson
Hypnosis captured the interest of both Freud and Jung early in their careers. Jung felt that his reputation as a hypnotherapist was instrumental in the establishment of his private practice. Both abandoned hypnosis because they could not understand how the results were obtained. Freud was also bothered by the erotic transference induced through hypnosis. To this day, hypnosis has not been incorporated into Jungian theory even though modern day hypnotherapy is far different than the authoritative hypnosis that was known to Freud and Jung.
This interview is with three prominent Jungian Analysts who utilize hypnosis in their practices …
Neuropsychology of the Archetype of the Self — David T. Bradford
The neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield elicited mandala-shaped visual hallucinations by electrical stimulation of the cerebral cortex of a woman he treated for intractable epilepsy. Jung believed these hallucinations indicated the localization of the archetype of the Self in the brainstem. Penfield’s case study is reviewed, focusing on the localizing value of this woman’s hallucinations. Jung’s correspondence about the case is reviewed and critiqued neuropsychologically. His hypothesis of the brainstem localization of the collective unconscious and its archetypal contents, as found in the essay “Schizophrenia,” is analyzed in detail. The brainstem hypothesis is reformulated in a manner compatible with current neruopsychological theory. The origin of Jung’s views about the biological basis of archetypes is traced to his study of anatomical symbolism in certain mythological texts.