Learn to Interpret Dreams with Us! https://tinyurl.com/TJLdreamschool

Facing Rejection forces us to confront what we fear losing—belonging, recognition, identity. Rejection alters how we see ourselves, engage with others, and interpret the world. It shapes unconscious complexes, creates projections, and influences attachment. It appears in myths where exiled figures return transformed, in dreams where locked doors symbolize what we refuse to see, and in defenses against further pain. Healing from rejection requires engaging with its effects, not avoiding them. Some of us externalize rejection, which becomes resentment, further isolating us. Others internalize it as self-doubt, creating cycles of withdrawal and hiding. Some break the pattern, using rejection as a catalyst for self-development, learning to integrate what was once denied. Rejection strips away illusions, forces an encounter with shadow, and demands a new understanding of self-worth. It is present in villains seeking revenge, heroes growing through exile, and those transforming suffering into insight. Growth is not in avoiding rejection but facing its effects without retreating into bitterness or fear. In today’s episode, we explore how rejection influences Psyche, how myths encode its lessons, how shadow work leads to integration, and how individuation turns rejection into wisdom.

PREPARE TO DISCOVER what rejection reveals about the forces that shape our experiences, how rejection creates opportunities for transformation, which unconscious patterns emerge when rejection is internalized, whether rejection leads to individuation, why rejection is necessary to reclaim unconscious material …AND SO MUCH MORE.

Here’s a copy of the dream we analyzed: https://thisjungianlife.com/facing-rejection

The hosts of This Jungian Life published their first book together! Check out DREAM WISE: UNLOCKING THE MEANING OF YOUR DREAMS: https://a.co/d/6SORo25

LOOK & GROW

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*Would You Like Your Dream Interpreted on an Episode? https://tinyurl.com/senddream

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*Lisa’s Leading a Retreat in Italy! https://tinyurl.com/WellspringItaly2025

With Deb and Joe out this week, Lisa speaks with Gary Clark, a visiting research fellow at the University of Adelaide, about his book Carl Jung and the Evolutionary Sciences.

The discussion delves into the influence of indigenous cultures on understanding consciousness, the role of anthropology in Jung's work, and the implications of evolutionary development on human psychology.

Humanity's ancient rituals underscore the importance of integrating the primordial emotional brain with the newer neocortex. Reconnecting to these practices in a contemporary setting can help facilitate integration and well-being, especially during the tumultuous adolescent years.

Gary and Lisa further explore the connections between maternal love, Jungian psychology, and the biological underpinnings of social bonding. They discuss the concepts of anima and animus, and the psychological implications of sex-based differences.

They also delve into the roles of Eros and Logos in understanding gender differences and the potential of psychedelics in exploring consciousness. More than ever, there is a pressing need for a synthesis of modern scientific understanding with the rich, archetypal dimensions of human experience.

*Learn more about our Dream Telepathy Project: https://dreamwisebook.com/dream-telepathy-project/

*Find the books mentioned in the show: https://bookshop.org/lists/an-evolutionary-look-at-jung

Revolutionize Your Nights – Join Dream School and Master Your Dreams! https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/⁠

Transformation isn’t about muscling through change—it’s about loosening the grip on rigid perspectives so energy can move. Resist, and the unconscious will find a way forward anyway—through symptoms, dreams, and compulsions that shake up the illusion of control. Neurosis is just a traffic jam in the psyche—energy stuck where it no longer belongs. Real change isn’t an intellectual hack; it’s a shift in how we hold and release energy. The unconscious doesn’t hand out easy answers; it reveals what’s missing. Healing isn’t about control—it’s about letting things realign. The more we resist, the more we stay stuck. The moment we allow, the shift begins. What follows doesn’t just describe transformation—it helps it happen.

• Find a Copy of the Dream we Analyze HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/attitudes
• Learn more about Wellspring Women's Tuscany Retreat: https://bit.ly/LisasWellspringRetreat

Fire strips everything away, leaving only what truly matters. In the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, homes have become ash, familiar streets are unrecognizable, and life feels uncertain. But fire is not just destructive—it is also transformational.

Pamela Power, a Los Angeles Jungian analyst and author, joins us to explore the tensions within this experience. Fire erases yet reveals. It devastates yet clears space for renewal. Loss forces us to let go yet also asks: What endures? Though grief pulls us down, something in us reaches toward life. The weight of ashes is real, but so is the quiet, unseen stirring of what comes next.

Find the dream we analyze HERE: www.thisjungianlife.com/LAwildfires/

What do our earliest dreams reveal about the hidden forces shaping our lives?

Childhood dreams offer unmediated access to the collective unconscious, revealing symbols that shape lifelong development. These dreams often dramatize psyche's early encounters with polarities, fostering individuation through the integration of opposites. Nightmares and numinous imagery invite engagement with shadow and the sacred, acting as catalysts for growth and transformation. By revisiting childhood dreams through active imagination, individuals unlock their latent meanings. These dreams serve as both initiations into personal mythology and ongoing reservoirs of psychic energy, guiding the journey toward wholeness.

Prepare to discover what early encounters with archetypal images reveal about psyche's relationship to the collective unconscious, how psyche uses symbolic opposites to foster growth and balance, which recurring symbols and universal patterns guide psychological transformation, whether unresolved experiences from early life hold latent potential, why numinous imagery provides a foundation for understanding life's deeper meanings…and so much more.

Find a copy of the dreams we analyze HERE: https://thisjungianlife.com/childhood-dreams

LOOK & GROW

• WE'VE PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BOOK TOGETHER! Check Out DREAM WISE: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams: https://a.co/d/6SORo25
• Enroll in Dream School: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/
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• Submit Your Dream Now for a Chance to Be Featured on Our Podcast! https://thisjungianlife.com/share-your-dream/
• Share Your Ideas for Our Next Podcast: https://thisjungianlife.com/podcast-form-topics/
• Check Out All Our Previous Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcE4RL3VIbzGWHI-Sq0Y2lZc7R6Zxmfb6

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What gives life meaning and guides us through times of emptiness and uncertainty?

The Psychology of Meaning: Keys to Authentic Living explores the processes of self-discovery, purpose, and transformation. Along with James Hollis, Ph.D., we examine how meaning shapes our lives through symbolic living, midlife transitions, dreams, and navigating despair. You’ll gain insights into aligning your inner and outer worlds, reclaiming your lost connections, and making choices that reflect your core values. Join us and wrestle with questions about purpose, fulfillment, and the human journey.

Prepare to discover what meaning is, how it shapes your inner and outer lives, which choices align with your values, whether crises and despair can lead to transformation, why aligning with deeper truths is essential for authentic living…and so much more.

GO DIRECTLY TO THE DREAM INTERPRETATION: 55:25

Find a copy of the dream we analyze here: https://thisjungianlife.com/the-psychology-of-meaning

Find more about James Hollis here: https://jameshollis.net/

*WE’VE PUBLISHED OUR FIRST BOOK TOGETHER! Check Out DREAM WISE: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams: https://a.co/d/6SORo25

LOOK & GROW

*Enroll in Dream School: https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/

*Help Us and Join Our Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/ThisJungianLife

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*Check Out All Our Previous Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcE4RL3VIbzGWHI-Sq0Y2lZc7R6Zxmfb6

STAY INSPIRED EVERY DAY!

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'Tis the season to join Joseph, Lisa, and Deb in a Jungian romp through the holiday in all its complex splendor.

1. Scrooge on the Couch: How the Numinous Transforms

Something's going on in Scrooge's soul.. and it's tired of waiting for an invitation. Pull up a chair and ponder the universal story of a man whose trauma was transformed on Christmas night.

2. Mr. Grinch on the Couch (01:13:55)

What if the Grinch was in psychotherapy? Sit in while we discuss his clinical case and wonder if his struggles come from a deep-seated inferiority complex or worse.

3. Solstice: Why is the longest night so magickal? (02:14:08)

Join us as we explore retreating into the unconscious as a psychic wintering, calling our life force into the darkness to prepare for the rebirth of light within us.

4. Holiday Madness (03:26:13)

Archetypal forces gather as the nights grow longer. By the time we show up for the holiday meal, we're often on the verge of being overwhelmed. With a bit of help from three analysts, you might find helpful hints on managing the stressors.

5. Holiday Hauntings or Who ARE these people?!?! (04:20:30)

Holiday homecomings kindle visions of joy but also evoke old family patterns and unfinished business. Join three Jungian analysts who will help you successfully navigate complicated family dynamics.

*Give yourself the gift of insight! JOIN DREAM SCHOOL THIS MONTH AND GET 10% off by using code: Holiday2024. DREAM WITH US! https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/