Monika Wikman's guest appearances

Monika Wikman

Shrink Rap Radio

Speaking of Jung: Interviews with Jungian Analysts

Chasing Consciousness

Stephen Porges

James Hollis

Sherene Vismaya

Lori Gottlieb

Gary Gach

Leanne Whitney

David Rosen

Carl Jung

Philip Goff

Loch Kelly

Iain McGilchrist

Kristen Lee

John Ryan

Neil Pasricha

David Chalmers

OwlTail

How much of our consciousness is shared? In this episode we have the fascinating job of trying to get to get to grips with Jung’s concept of the Collective unconscious. I’ve always loved Jung and I think his ideas can offer a brilliant framework in which to maximise our mental health, to use life’s challenges to harvest meaningful lessons, and just to navigate the subjective experience of being alive. But this is a science podcast, so we do want to get clear on what is just a useful idea and what is a scientifically proven reality. Jung was very shy to speak about scientifically unprovable ideas because he was a rigorous academic, but as his career progressed he was encouraged more and more to elaborate on the tools he was using with his patients; and as we’ll discuss today he felt there was a huge value in acknowledging the active role of what lies outside of the sphere of testable knowledge, rather than just dismissing it as non-existent. So I am extremely happy to have Jungian analyst Dr Monika Wikman with us to help locate the threshold between these two very different fields of knowledge and to explain in detail the collective unconscious. Monika is the author of ‘Alchemy and the Rebirth of consciousness’ and received her PHD in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and then deepened her knowledge of Jungian Analysis at the Jung-Von Franz Center for Depth psychology in Zurich. She is an expert on topics including the anima mundi and environmental issues of our time, archetypal phenomena surrounding death, dreams, active imagination, and alchemy. Her work with the dying culminated in a research project called ‘Dreams of the Dying’ at UC San Diego Medical Center, which is the foundation of her most recent book, Alchemy of Life, Death and the Wedding Veil. What we discuss in this Episode: Part 1 12:20 The humility of the ego to identify suffering that creates an opening for us to grow: Dissent, the renewal of consciousness 14:30 What is the Collective Unconscious? 19:00 How can motif’s from ancient myths appear in the minds of those who’ve never learned about these myths? 20:00 The healing function of connecting with this archetypal strata of consciousness 29:00 The importance of dreams to scientific discovery 40:00 Monika’s ‘2 weeks to live to cancer free overnight’ experience 50:00 Ego consciousness making a bridge to the symbolic field of the collective unconscious Part 2 1:03:00 How do we use knowledge of the collective unconscious in therapy?  1:11:20 Chaos as a catalyst forcibly setting off a chain reaction of transformation 1:15:00 The Implicate and Explicate order, David Bohm and the big question about where does all this information reside 1:27:30 ‘Exploring Holotropic Breathing’  1:35:00 Peak experiences, psychedelics and the dangers of getting hooked on transformation  References: ‘Pregnant Darkness; alchemy and the rebirth of consciousness’ Monika Wikman  ‘Exploring Holotropic Breathing’ Monika Wikman Monika’s presentation ‘Refining you inner bullshit detector’  Monikawikman.weebly.com ‘On dream and death’ by Marie- Louise Von Franz  ‘The order disorder paradox’ by Nathan Schwarz Stan Grof’s Holotropic Breathing and Grof Transpersonal Psychology training

How much of our consciousness is shared? In this episode we have the fascinating job of trying to get to get to grips with Jung’s concept of the Collective unconscious. I’ve always loved Jung and I think his ideas can offer a brilliant framework in which to maximise our mental health, to use life’s challenges to harvest meaningful lessons, and just to navigate the subjective experience of being alive. But this is a science podcast, so we do want to get clear on what is just a useful idea and what is a scientifically proven reality. Jung was very shy to speak about scientifically unprovable ideas because he was a rigorous academic, but as his career progressed he was encouraged more and more to elaborate on the tools he was using with his patients; and as we’ll discuss today he felt there was a huge value in acknowledging the active role of what lies outside of the sphere of testable knowledge, rather than just dismissing it as non-existent. So I am extremely happy to have Jungian analyst Dr Monika Wikman with us to help locate the threshold between these two very different fields of knowledge and to explain in detail the collective unconscious. Monika is the author of ‘Alchemy and the Rebirth of consciousness’ and received her PHD in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and then deepened her knowledge of Jungian Analysis at the Jung-Von Franz Center for Depth psychology in Zurich. She is an expert on topics including the anima mundi and environmental issues of our time, archetypal phenomena surrounding death, dreams, active imagination, and alchemy. Her work with the dying culminated in a research project called ‘Dreams of the Dying’ at UC San Diego Medical Center, which is the foundation of her most recent book, Alchemy of Life, Death and the Wedding Veil. What we discuss in this Episode: Part 1 12:20 The humility of the ego to identify suffering that creates an opening for us to grow: Dissent, the renewal of consciousness 14:30 What is the Collective Unconscious? 19:00 How can motif’s from ancient myths appear in the minds of those who’ve never learned about these myths? 20:00 The healing function of connecting with this archetypal strata of consciousness 29:00 The importance of dreams to scientific discovery 40:00 Monika’s ‘2 weeks to live to cancer free overnight’ experience 50:00 Ego consciousness making a bridge to the symbolic field of the collective unconscious Part 2 1:03:00 How do we use knowledge of the collective unconscious in therapy?  1:11:20 Chaos as a catalyst forcibly setting off a chain reaction of transformation 1:15:00 The Implicate and Explicate order, David Bohm and the big question about where does all this information reside 1:27:30 ‘Exploring Holotropic Breathing’  1:35:00 Peak experiences, psychedelics and the dangers of getting hooked on transformation References: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pregnant-Darkness-Alchemy-Rebirth-Consciousness/dp/0892540788" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘Pregnant Darkness; alchemy and the rebirth of consciousness’ Monika Wikman</a> ‘Exploring Holotropic Breathing’ Monika Wikman <a href="https://jungatlanta.com/downloads/monika-wikman-refining-the-inner-bullshit-detector/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monika’s presentation ‘Refining you inner bullshit detector’</a> <a href="//Monikawikman.weebly.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monikawikman.weebly.com</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Death-Jungian-Interpretation/dp/0812693671" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘On dream and death’ by Marie- Louise Von Franz </a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Order-Disorder-Paradox-Understanding-Hidden-Society/dp/1623171164" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘The order disorder paradox’ by Nathan Schwarz</a> <a href="http://www.stangrof.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stan Grof’s Holotropic Breathing and Grof Transpersonal Psychology training</a>

Monika Wikman PHD - JUNG'S COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS

Jungian Monika Wikman

TranscriptMonika Wikman, Ph.D. was my guest on episodes #614 - Jungian Perspectives on Psychedelic Consciousness, #372 – Exploring Holotropic Breathwork, #344 – Archetypal Phenomena Surrounding Death, #286 on Jungian Active Imagination and #235 – Using Alchemical Archetypes in Jungian Analysis. She is a Jungian Analyst and author of Pregnant Darkness: Alchemy and the Rebirth of Consciousness (2005) and a chapter entitled Sophia’s Dreaming Body: Night Sky as Alchemical Mirror in the book The Dream and its Amplification (2013), along with various articles in Jungian psychology journals. Monika obtained her BA from UC San Diego and her doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, where her research took her deep into the study of dreams of people with terminal cancer. After teaching graduate students at California State University, Los Angeles, she graduated as a diplomat from the Jung-Von Franz Center for Depth Psychology in Zurich. She lectures and runs retreats locally and internationally on Jungian depth psychology, dreams, myth, and alchemy. Along with her partner, Tom Elsner she hosts a non-profit project under Earthways.com, The Center for Alchemical Studies.Two resources mentioned by Dr. Wikman in the interview:1. Film on David Bohmhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDpurdHKpb8&amp;feature=youtu.be2.  Book by Nathan Schwartz SalantNarcissism and Character Structure, Inner City Books, 1982.The Psychic and Somatic Unconscious pp.114 to 133Sigh up for 10% off of Shrink Rap Radio CE credits at the Zur Institute

Transcript Monika Wikman, Ph.D. was my guest on episodes #614 - Jungian Perspectives on Psychedelic Consciousness, #372 – Exploring Holotropic Breathwork, #344 – Archetypal Phenomena Surrounding Death, #286 on Jungian Active Imagination and #235 – Using Alchemical Archetypes in Jungian Analysis. She is a Jungian Analyst and author of Pregnant Darkness: Alchemy and the Rebirth of Consciousness (2005) and a chapter entitled Sophia’s Dreaming Body: Night Sky as Alchemical Mirror in the book The Dream and its Amplification (2013), along with various articles in Jungian psychology journals. Monika obtained her BA from UC San Diego and her doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, where her research took her deep into the study of dreams of people with terminal cancer. After teaching graduate students at California State University, Los Angeles, she graduated as a diplomat from the Jung-Von Franz Center for Depth Psychology in Zurich. She lectures and runs retreats locally and internationally on Jungian depth psychology, dreams, myth, and alchemy. Along with her partner, Tom Elsner she hosts a non-profit project under <a href="http://Earthways.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Earthways.com</a>, The Center for Alchemical Studies. Two resources mentioned by Dr. Wikman in the interview: 1. Film on David Bohm <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDpurdHKpb8&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDpurdHKpb8&amp;feature=youtu.be</a> 2.  Book by Nathan Schwartz Salant Narcissism and Character Structure, Inner City Books, 1982. The Psychic and Somatic Unconscious pp.114 to 133 Sigh up for 10% off of Shrink Rap Radio CE credits at the Zur Institute

#707 Archetypal Processes of Transformation that Address our World Today with Jungian Monika Wikman

Dr. Wikman discusses her book, Pregnant Darkness: Alchemy &amp; the Rebirth of Consciousness, her article "Sophia's Dreaming Body: The Night Sky as Alchemical Mirror," and her recent presentation, Refining Your Inner Bullshit Detector.

Episode 24: Monika Wikman