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Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times
What guides us when our world is changing? Discover the path to deeper meaning and purpose through depth psychology and classical thought.
How did we get to this crossroads in history? And will we make it through—individually and as a species? “We all assumed that learning, rationality, and good intentions would prove enough to bring us to the promised land,” says James Hollis. “But they haven’t and won’t. Yet what we also do not recognize sufficiently is that this human animal is equipped for survival. In time, as we have seen of life’s other insolubles, we grow large enough to contain what threatened to destroy us.”
Dr. Hollis’s readers know him as a penetrating thinker who brings profound insight and sophistication to the inner journey. In Living Between Worlds, he broadens his lens to encompass the relationship between our inner struggles and the rapidly shifting realities of modern human existence. You will learn to invoke the tools of depth psychology, classical literature, philosophy, dream work, and myth, to gain access to the resources that supported our ancestors through their darkest hours. Through these paths of inner exploration, you will access your “locus of knowing”—an inner wellspring of deep resilience beyond the ego, always available to guide you back to the imperatives of your soul.
Though many of the challenges of our times are unique, the path through for us personally and collectively will always rely on our measureless capacity for creativity, wisdom, and connection to a reality larger than ourselves. Here you will find no easy answers or pat reassurances. Yet within the pages of Living Between Worlds, you will encounter causes for hope. “We can find what supports us when nothing supports us,” Hollis teaches. “By bearing the unbearable, we go through the desert to arrive at a nurturing oasis we did not know was there.”
How did we get to this crossroads in history? And will we make it through—individually and as a species? “We all assumed that learning, rationality, and good intentions would prove enough to bring us to the promised land,” says James Hollis. “But they haven’t and won’t. Yet what we also do not recognize sufficiently is that this human animal is equipped for survival. In time, as we have seen of life’s other insolubles, we grow large enough to contain what threatened to destroy us.”
Dr. Hollis’s readers know him as a penetrating thinker who brings profound insight and sophistication to the inner journey. In Living Between Worlds, he broadens his lens to encompass the relationship between our inner struggles and the rapidly shifting realities of modern human existence. You will learn to invoke the tools of depth psychology, classical literature, philosophy, dream work, and myth, to gain access to the resources that supported our ancestors through their darkest hours. Through these paths of inner exploration, you will access your “locus of knowing”—an inner wellspring of deep resilience beyond the ego, always available to guide you back to the imperatives of your soul.
Though many of the challenges of our times are unique, the path through for us personally and collectively will always rely on our measureless capacity for creativity, wisdom, and connection to a reality larger than ourselves. Here you will find no easy answers or pat reassurances. Yet within the pages of Living Between Worlds, you will encounter causes for hope. “We can find what supports us when nothing supports us,” Hollis teaches. “By bearing the unbearable, we go through the desert to arrive at a nurturing oasis we did not know was there.”
184 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
134 people are currently reading
748 people want to read
About the author
James Hollis
53 books941 followersJames Hollis, Ph. D., was born in Springfield, Illinois, and graduated from Manchester University in 1962 and Drew University in 1967. He taught Humanities 26 years in various colleges and universities before retraining as a Jungian analyst at the Jung Institute of Zurich, Switzerland (1977-82). He is presently a licensed Jungian analyst in private practice in Washington, D.C. He served as Executive Director of the Jung Educational Center in Houston, Texas for many years and now was Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington until 2019, and now serves on the JSW Board of Directors. He is a retired Senior Training Analyst for the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, was first Director of Training of the Philadelphia Jung Institute, and is Vice-President Emeritus of the Philemon Foundation. Additionally he is a Professor of Jungian Studies for Saybrook University of San Francisco/Houston.
He lives with his wife Jill, an artist and retired therapist, in Washington, DC. Together they have three living children and eight grand-children.
He has written a total of seventeen books, which have been translated into Swedish, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian, Korean, Finnish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Farsi, Japanese, Greek, Chinese, Serbian, Latvian, Ukranian and Czech.
He lives with his wife Jill, an artist and retired therapist, in Washington, DC. Together they have three living children and eight grand-children.
He has written a total of seventeen books, which have been translated into Swedish, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian, Korean, Finnish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Farsi, Japanese, Greek, Chinese, Serbian, Latvian, Ukranian and Czech.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
August 24, 2020
1. It's not about what it's about.
2. What you see is compensation for what you don't see.
3. All is metaphor.
Jungian analyst James Hollis expounds upon these three principles of depth psychology in his book Living Between Worlds.
Life is about meaning, not happiness.
When we do what's right for us, our soul supports us. The most valuable capital we have isn't money but our soul's energy. Unfortunately we often invest that energy into dead places. The soul registers its opinion through insomnia, feelings of envy and anger, etc. Psychopathology gets our attention because it tells us that the soul is not pleased with how we are using, or not using, our soul's energy.
Our psyche (soul) speaks to us symbolically in dreams, intuition, through our body. Journaling, working with dreams, and active imagination are ways to get better in touch with the soul.
He reminds us that Jung said the most important problems of life "can never be solved, but only outgrown."
Our most important job is addressing our shadows. This begins by looking at our virtues and their opposite, for those opposites enter the world through us. Other people bear the burden of our shadows: "What I am unwilling to face in myself will always be carried by someone else." Unburdening others of this is one of the best ways to begin shadow work.
It seems appropriate to close with this quote, which all the more pertinent during the times we are in: "If we are ever going to be true to our own voice, it has to be now, while there is still time."
2. What you see is compensation for what you don't see.
3. All is metaphor.
Jungian analyst James Hollis expounds upon these three principles of depth psychology in his book Living Between Worlds.
Life is about meaning, not happiness.
When we do what's right for us, our soul supports us. The most valuable capital we have isn't money but our soul's energy. Unfortunately we often invest that energy into dead places. The soul registers its opinion through insomnia, feelings of envy and anger, etc. Psychopathology gets our attention because it tells us that the soul is not pleased with how we are using, or not using, our soul's energy.
Our psyche (soul) speaks to us symbolically in dreams, intuition, through our body. Journaling, working with dreams, and active imagination are ways to get better in touch with the soul.
He reminds us that Jung said the most important problems of life "can never be solved, but only outgrown."
Our most important job is addressing our shadows. This begins by looking at our virtues and their opposite, for those opposites enter the world through us. Other people bear the burden of our shadows: "What I am unwilling to face in myself will always be carried by someone else." Unburdening others of this is one of the best ways to begin shadow work.
It seems appropriate to close with this quote, which all the more pertinent during the times we are in: "If we are ever going to be true to our own voice, it has to be now, while there is still time."
October 2, 2023
Grāmata pārsteigums! Šī bija mana otrā satikšanās ar Holisu - pirmā Viduspārejas lappusēs bija tik aizraujoša, ka ar nepacietību gaidīju jaunāko latviski izdoto darbu.
Jau pirmajās lappusēs sapratu, ka esmu aptuveni desmit divdesmit gadus par jaunu, lai pilnvērtīgi uztvertu tekstu un būtu gatava tā atziņām. Ja Viduspāreja trāpīja tieši desmitniekā, kad “Dzīvot starp pasaulēm” brīžiem sajutos nedaudz apmaldījusies. Tomēr, neskatoties uz to, šie Junga psihoanalīzē balstītie vēstījumi bija jēgpilni, pārdomas un emocijas rosinoši.
Neiesaku lasīt bez priekšzināšanām Junga psihoanalīzes pamatuzstādījumos.
“Dzīļu psiholoģija nozīmē centienus sarunāties ar sevi padziļinātāk, nekā to radusi darīt ikdienišķā ego apziņa un vairums ārstēšanas metožu. Lai gan varētu šķist, ka dzīve, izvēles, vērtības un spēja uzdrošināties, ko no manis pieprasa dvēsele, rada sarežģījumus un apdraud manu drošību un paredzamību, dāvana, ko sniedz šāda uzdrošināšanās, ir jēgas pieredze. Dzīļu psiholoģija saprot, ka dzīves mērķis nav laime, kas tāpat ir tikai īslaicīga, bet gan jēga, kas paliek.”
“Lai atbrīvotos no atkarību izraisītas uzvedības, nepieciešams identificēt, pret kādu emocionālo reālitāti vai uztvērumu mēs aizsargājamies ar šīs atkarības palīdzību, un riskēt ar to, kas tiek uztverts kā nepanesams. Iet cauri bailēm, nevis aizsargāties pret tām, ir vienīgais veids, kā mēs varam apturēt Īksiona ratu. Nav jākaunas baidīties no pamestības, ciest garlaicību vai piedzīvot depresiju. Kamēr mēs nespēsim izjust to - patiešām izjust, nevis anestezēt -, mēs turpināsim būt nemotivēti mainīt savu dzīvi.”
Jau pirmajās lappusēs sapratu, ka esmu aptuveni desmit divdesmit gadus par jaunu, lai pilnvērtīgi uztvertu tekstu un būtu gatava tā atziņām. Ja Viduspāreja trāpīja tieši desmitniekā, kad “Dzīvot starp pasaulēm” brīžiem sajutos nedaudz apmaldījusies. Tomēr, neskatoties uz to, šie Junga psihoanalīzē balstītie vēstījumi bija jēgpilni, pārdomas un emocijas rosinoši.
Neiesaku lasīt bez priekšzināšanām Junga psihoanalīzes pamatuzstādījumos.
“Dzīļu psiholoģija nozīmē centienus sarunāties ar sevi padziļinātāk, nekā to radusi darīt ikdienišķā ego apziņa un vairums ārstēšanas metožu. Lai gan varētu šķist, ka dzīve, izvēles, vērtības un spēja uzdrošināties, ko no manis pieprasa dvēsele, rada sarežģījumus un apdraud manu drošību un paredzamību, dāvana, ko sniedz šāda uzdrošināšanās, ir jēgas pieredze. Dzīļu psiholoģija saprot, ka dzīves mērķis nav laime, kas tāpat ir tikai īslaicīga, bet gan jēga, kas paliek.”
“Lai atbrīvotos no atkarību izraisītas uzvedības, nepieciešams identificēt, pret kādu emocionālo reālitāti vai uztvērumu mēs aizsargājamies ar šīs atkarības palīdzību, un riskēt ar to, kas tiek uztverts kā nepanesams. Iet cauri bailēm, nevis aizsargāties pret tām, ir vienīgais veids, kā mēs varam apturēt Īksiona ratu. Nav jākaunas baidīties no pamestības, ciest garlaicību vai piedzīvot depresiju. Kamēr mēs nespēsim izjust to - patiešām izjust, nevis anestezēt -, mēs turpināsim būt nemotivēti mainīt savu dzīvi.”
September 20, 2021
This is the eighth book from Hollis that I've read and it is always a joy to pick up his wise, insightful and compassionate writing. While most therapists have retired, he is still working at eighty and I really value this long view - the eternal witness.
While there is a loose strand to this book - how to deal with changing times - it is more a collection of essays on Jungian philosophy and how to lead a meaningful life. Nothing wrong with that.... I found myself copying down several sections to contemplate over the next few days... but it is not as satisfying as when he has taken on one particular topic like the mid-life crisis (Middle Passage) and challenging / unwelcome feelings (Swamplands for the Soul).
You will not be surprised if his advice on coping with upheaval is as bracing as ever. There is no arrival. A place where we will be finally 'content'. Hollis writes: 'All arrivals are way stations on the path to the next journey, if not that, they are tombstones of a dead soul.' Wow. What I love about Hollis, tell it like it is but sweetens with a beautiful image. In the final essay, he brings his whole lived life to conclude there is no 'home' (or arrival) but the journey is our home. I really value this wisdom from further along the path.
If you want an introduction to Hollis, I would suggest 'Living an examined life' but if you are already a fan, you will be pleased to return to the themes from earlier books and discover what is still haunting Hollis after all these years.
Thank you James
I have also interviewed James for my podcast 'The Meaningful Life'. He speaks as well as he writes and we talk about this book in a wide-reaching discussion. https://themeaningfullife.podbean.com...
While there is a loose strand to this book - how to deal with changing times - it is more a collection of essays on Jungian philosophy and how to lead a meaningful life. Nothing wrong with that.... I found myself copying down several sections to contemplate over the next few days... but it is not as satisfying as when he has taken on one particular topic like the mid-life crisis (Middle Passage) and challenging / unwelcome feelings (Swamplands for the Soul).
You will not be surprised if his advice on coping with upheaval is as bracing as ever. There is no arrival. A place where we will be finally 'content'. Hollis writes: 'All arrivals are way stations on the path to the next journey, if not that, they are tombstones of a dead soul.' Wow. What I love about Hollis, tell it like it is but sweetens with a beautiful image. In the final essay, he brings his whole lived life to conclude there is no 'home' (or arrival) but the journey is our home. I really value this wisdom from further along the path.
If you want an introduction to Hollis, I would suggest 'Living an examined life' but if you are already a fan, you will be pleased to return to the themes from earlier books and discover what is still haunting Hollis after all these years.
Thank you James
I have also interviewed James for my podcast 'The Meaningful Life'. He speaks as well as he writes and we talk about this book in a wide-reaching discussion. https://themeaningfullife.podbean.com...
March 9, 2020
The authors states that times are troubled and we increasingly find that our values and thus our road maps are less sure or even ˋdisappeared´. This is his definition of ˋin between ´ world. Hollis uses his vast experience in depth psychology to find meaning for our life and thus resilience to endure our journey. He uses enlightened examples from literature, Hamlet, Iphigenie and other poets or philosophers to underline his arguments. The writing is concise with clarity for such complex issues. Questions throughout the book guide the reader to reflect and hopefully come closer the the real self behind the Ego. While this is not a book which I could grasp in one reading, I will refer to it over and over again, I made copious notes to meditate upon and can only recommend this erudite book for anyone in search for meaning in today’s in- between world.
October 11, 2023
Ļoti laba grāmata, bet viena no grūtāk izlasītajām pēdējo gadu laiku. Bija lapas, kuras pārlasīju vairākas reizes, liku malā un atkal pēc mirkļa ķēros klāt.
Brīžiem šķita, ka iespējams vēl neesmu pietiekami nobriedusi šai grāmatai, bet tad tieši nākamā lapa bija wow mirklis - ir, saprotu un tik patiesi pareizi.
Grāmata, kuru lasīt lēnām, bet izlasīt
"Vai Jūs jūtaties vientuļi? Jā, mums visiem ir jāveic šis ceļojums, jāpārvar šī pāreja, ko mums starpposmos liek pārvarēt necaurredzami dievi. Tikai jūs varat doties savā ceļojumā; tikai jūsu karte ir piemērota tieši jums. Citiem ir jāatrod savs ceļš. ....viss, ko mēs varam darīt, ir "parādīties", paņemt airus, darīt visu, ko spējam, un, lai gan esam vieni, kopīgu kuģot pa šo pašu vējā svilpojošo jūru. pēc tam kad esam paņēmuši airus, neatkarīgi no gala iznākuma varam teikt: Es esmu dzīvojis, es esmu nogājis Fortūnas man uzticēto ceļu".
Brīžiem šķita, ka iespējams vēl neesmu pietiekami nobriedusi šai grāmatai, bet tad tieši nākamā lapa bija wow mirklis - ir, saprotu un tik patiesi pareizi.
Grāmata, kuru lasīt lēnām, bet izlasīt
"Vai Jūs jūtaties vientuļi? Jā, mums visiem ir jāveic šis ceļojums, jāpārvar šī pāreja, ko mums starpposmos liek pārvarēt necaurredzami dievi. Tikai jūs varat doties savā ceļojumā; tikai jūsu karte ir piemērota tieši jums. Citiem ir jāatrod savs ceļš. ....viss, ko mēs varam darīt, ir "parādīties", paņemt airus, darīt visu, ko spējam, un, lai gan esam vieni, kopīgu kuģot pa šo pašu vējā svilpojošo jūru. pēc tam kad esam paņēmuši airus, neatkarīgi no gala iznākuma varam teikt: Es esmu dzīvojis, es esmu nogājis Fortūnas man uzticēto ceļu".
September 16, 2020
Another great book from this author, reiterating how important to recognize the patterns we live by, so we don't become their prisoners.
1. It's not about what it's about.
2. What you see is compensation for what you don't see.
3. All is metaphors.
1. It's not about what it's about.
2. What you see is compensation for what you don't see.
3. All is metaphors.
December 26, 2023
[..] cilvēkam reizēm vienkārši ir japaliek vienam, ja [mēs] vēlamies uzzināt, kas ir kas, kas [mūs] atbalsta, kad [mēs] vairs nespējam sevi atbalstīt. Tikai šī pieredze var sniegt [mums] nesatricināmu pamatu. [..] via Jungs
[..] … dzīves mērķis nav laime, kas täpat ir tikai īslaicīga, bet gan jēga, kas paliek. [..]
šogad vēlēšu: Daudz laimes ti jēgu Jaunajā gadā!
[..] … dzīves mērķis nav laime, kas täpat ir tikai īslaicīga, bet gan jēga, kas paliek. [..]
šogad vēlēšu: Daudz laimes ti jēgu Jaunajā gadā!
August 2, 2024
This is a book of deep meanings and is more like a journey, not a casual read. It also seems more intended for people studying psychology than for those like myself who are just interested in the subject. With those disclaimers, I found much to learn from and new thoughts to consider within the book and feel enlightened as a result.
August 5, 2025
Great reflections on liminal space.
December 28, 2025
James Hollis is my favorite Jungian writer/analyst. I've read most of his books and was delighted to find this new one, which is likely to be one I reread each year, at least the final two chapters. What a brilliant summation of Jungian thought and the nature and point of our journey through life!
You can take all the self-help books offered on Amazon and shove them aside. The wisdom contained in these pages trumps them all. There are no quick fixes, no ten easy steps to happiness, fulfillment, serenity, whatever, although this book is a tremendous help on the journey. "The journey is our home." As I came to the end of the book, I realized so much about relationships, especially with our partners in life, and particularly in grief, that I feel a great sense of peace and a new found hope in the future, my own and humanity's.
Hollis brilliantly interweaves ideas (quotations) of Jung and those of other psychologists, poets, writers, philosophers with his own experiences with clients and his own growth. His analyses of Antigone, Hamlet, and Prufrock added a lot to my understanding. It is a succinct and perfect little book. Hollis has a command of the language that is second to none. I always learn new words reading him. And he confirms something that feels more and more true for me over time ... Ram Dass's insight that "we are all just walking each other home." It is a very forgiving idea and one that fosters the most beautiful virtue of all ... kindness.
10 stars from me!
Update: I waited three years to reread, and it didn't disappoint. If anything, it feels even more timely in 2025 than it did in 2022. In his chapter " Antigone, Hamlet, and Prufrock: Case Studies in the Search for Personal Resilience," Hollis writes the following about Creon, the ruler of Thebes, who has Antigone punished for resisting his authority: "His rigidity, his capacity for arrogant presumption, and his absolutism result in ruin for his lineage. He intimidates his dissenters and needs to see his own will reflected back to him. One can even imagine him proclaiming himself the most popular person in Thebes, with the largest public support, and the largest crowd ever at his inauguration." Hollis later opines, "The greatest of sins is hubris, narcissistic inflation, the sundry seductions of power or privilege to think that we are more than we are." Nailed it!
I found this book deeply personal and concurrently a profound reflection on our current politics.
You can take all the self-help books offered on Amazon and shove them aside. The wisdom contained in these pages trumps them all. There are no quick fixes, no ten easy steps to happiness, fulfillment, serenity, whatever, although this book is a tremendous help on the journey. "The journey is our home." As I came to the end of the book, I realized so much about relationships, especially with our partners in life, and particularly in grief, that I feel a great sense of peace and a new found hope in the future, my own and humanity's.
Hollis brilliantly interweaves ideas (quotations) of Jung and those of other psychologists, poets, writers, philosophers with his own experiences with clients and his own growth. His analyses of Antigone, Hamlet, and Prufrock added a lot to my understanding. It is a succinct and perfect little book. Hollis has a command of the language that is second to none. I always learn new words reading him. And he confirms something that feels more and more true for me over time ... Ram Dass's insight that "we are all just walking each other home." It is a very forgiving idea and one that fosters the most beautiful virtue of all ... kindness.
10 stars from me!
Update: I waited three years to reread, and it didn't disappoint. If anything, it feels even more timely in 2025 than it did in 2022. In his chapter " Antigone, Hamlet, and Prufrock: Case Studies in the Search for Personal Resilience," Hollis writes the following about Creon, the ruler of Thebes, who has Antigone punished for resisting his authority: "His rigidity, his capacity for arrogant presumption, and his absolutism result in ruin for his lineage. He intimidates his dissenters and needs to see his own will reflected back to him. One can even imagine him proclaiming himself the most popular person in Thebes, with the largest public support, and the largest crowd ever at his inauguration." Hollis later opines, "The greatest of sins is hubris, narcissistic inflation, the sundry seductions of power or privilege to think that we are more than we are." Nailed it!
I found this book deeply personal and concurrently a profound reflection on our current politics.
November 6, 2024
Каждый человек должен найти своего философа. И я рада, что нашла своего. И спасибо автору, что сделал Юнга ещё более понятным и близким. У меня было много вопросов в последнее время. И в этой книге нашлись ответы, нашлась энергия, чтобы идти вперёд. И как ни странно, моя вера в Бога стала крепче.
September 20, 2023
В книге призывается искать глубинный смысл в соответствии с нашей уникальностью, но не расс��азывается, как именно это делать. В начале были ценные мысли - в основном из цитирования Юнга, как я понимаю - в конце совсем пространная философия.
Заметки:
И тогда вопрос сводится буквально к следующему: «От какого переживания и беспокойства меня стремится защитить мое застревание?» Например, вы хотите научиться говорить более решительно, более прямо, и вы можете злиться на себя за собственную робость и массу упущенных возможностей, которые накапливает выбранная вами стратегия.
До тех пор пока человек не сможет проводить разграничение между обоснованной, необходимой причиной своего поведения и субстанцией, на которую он или она ее проецирует, этот человек будет продолжать оставаться заколдованным пленником собственной зависимости.
Наиболее распространенным является самоуничижение – всепроникающее чувство недостойности или несостоятельности, за которым следует избегание необходимого выбора и риска или даже самосаботаж.
Одинаково ценить «женское» и «мужское» – это единственный путь к целостности сущности и полноте человеческой личности.
Дьявол воплощает нашу тень: то, чем мы хотим обладать, ничего не заплатив взамен. Но страдает от этого в первую очередь внутренняя женская часть психики, то, что Юнг называл «анимой» в мужчинах. Анима воплощает их отношение к своим инстинктам, к своей чувственной жизни, к своим духовным ценностям – все то, что мужчины не могут позволить себе принять, чтобы не оказаться уязвимыми и неспособными к соперничеству. В результате большинство мужчин живут ужасно изолированной эмоциональной жизнью, чувствуя себя пристыженными и недостойными, всегда отстраненными от кого-то другого. Они знают или верят, что их ценность как человеческих существ зависит от их продуктивности и соблюдения принятых норм – зарабатывания денег, зарабатывания очков, служения абстрактным ожиданиям.
Термин, введенный Юнгом для обозначения «мужской» части психики в женской, «анимус», представляет собой ощущение женщиной ее личной власти, ее законного права в мире гендерных ограничений, ее способностей, готовности рискнуть и выразить себя в этом мире. «Негативный анимус» – это голос, который знаком многим женщинам и который нашептывает: «Кем ты себя возомнила? Ты не можешь этого сделать! С чего ты решила, что это для тебя?» Негативный анимус обладает силой, способной подавить ее лучшее «Я», что обычно и происходит. Точно так же «негативная анима» мужчины наполняет его необъяснимым гневом и изнуряющей депрессией, которые он пытается заглушить самолечением, удвоенными усилиями во внешнем мире достижений или бешеными попытками воссоединиться со своей «женской» частью психики за ее пределами, что лишь обостряет ощущение одиночества, пристыженности и безнадежности.
Заметки:
И тогда вопрос сводится буквально к следующему: «От какого переживания и беспокойства меня стремится защитить мое застревание?» Например, вы хотите научиться говорить более решительно, более прямо, и вы можете злиться на себя за собственную робость и массу упущенных возможностей, которые накапливает выбранная вами стратегия.
До тех пор пока человек не сможет проводить разграничение между обоснованной, необходимой причиной своего поведения и субстанцией, на которую он или она ее проецирует, этот человек будет продолжать оставаться заколдованным пленником собственной зависимости.
Наиболее распространенным является самоуничижение – всепроникающее чувство недостойности или несостоятельности, за которым следует избегание необходимого выбора и риска или даже самосаботаж.
Одинаково ценить «женское» и «мужское» – это единственный путь к целостности сущности и полноте человеческой личности.
Дьявол воплощает нашу тень: то, чем мы хотим обладать, ничего не заплатив взамен. Но страдает от этого в первую очередь внутренняя женская часть психики, то, что Юнг называл «анимой» в мужчинах. Анима воплощает их отношение к своим инстинктам, к своей чувственной жизни, к своим духовным ценностям – все то, что мужчины не могут позволить себе принять, чтобы не оказаться уязвимыми и неспособными к соперничеству. В результате большинство мужчин живут ужасно изолированной эмоциональной жизнью, чувствуя себя пристыженными и недостойными, всегда отстраненными от кого-то другого. Они знают или верят, что их ценность как человеческих существ зависит от их продуктивности и соблюдения принятых норм – зарабатывания денег, зарабатывания очков, служения абстрактным ожиданиям.
Термин, введенный Юнгом для обозначения «мужской» части психики в женской, «анимус», представляет собой ощущение женщиной ее личной власти, ее законного права в мире гендерных ограничений, ее способностей, готовности рискнуть и выразить себя в этом мире. «Негативный анимус» – это голос, который знаком многим женщинам и который нашептывает: «Кем ты себя возомнила? Ты не можешь этого сделать! С чего ты решила, что это для тебя?» Негативный анимус обладает силой, способной подавить ее лучшее «Я», что обычно и происходит. Точно так же «негативная анима» мужчины наполняет его необъяснимым гневом и изнуряющей депрессией, которые он пытается заглушить самолечением, удвоенными усилиями во внешнем мире достижений или бешеными попытками воссоединиться со своей «женской» частью психики за ее пределами, что лишь обостряет ощущение одиночества, пристыженности и безнадежности.
January 21, 2025
I so not recall how this book ended on my list but think it was lovely even if a bit hard to read for someone like me not used to reading about psychology on a regular basis.
Solitude not loneliness.
Meaning not happiness.
Journey not destination.
I discovered a new poem and a new poet —
Ithaka
BY C. P. CAVAFY
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
Solitude not loneliness.
Meaning not happiness.
Journey not destination.
I discovered a new poem and a new poet —
Ithaka
BY C. P. CAVAFY
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
December 30, 2022
О ЧЕМ КНИГА:
Только 80-летний юнгианский психоаналитик мог написать такую глубокую книгу. И конечно она написана очень вовремя.
Холлис предлагает нам не только жить в мире логики и сознания, но и прислушиваться к своему бессознательному. Он считает, что там скрыты ответы на важнейшие вопросы, которые мучают каждого из нас.
Книгу будет намного интереснее и легче читать, если до этого вы прочитаете 3-4 ключевые работы Холлиса.
ГЛАВНАЯ МЫСЛЬ КНИГИ:
Каждый человек должен разобраться в том, чему служит его жизнь и обрести чувство цели и своего предназначения. Мы должны найти то, что будем ценить больше, чем карьеру, богатство и безопасность.
ЗАЧЕМ ЧИТАТЬ ЭТУ КНИГУ?
Эта работа Холлиса точно поможет легче пережить текущие сложные времена.
МЫСЛИ И ВЫВОДЫ ИЗ КНИГИ:
- «Цель жизни не счастье, а смысл, который остается.»
- Требуется мужество и дисциплина, чтобы вырваться из рутины и водоворота отвлекающих факторов и спросить себя: «Что здесь действительно происходит?»
- «Единственный способ решить проблемы - это «пройти» через них.»
- «Мы становимся слугами и пленниками наших историй. Они переносят ограничивающий опыт прошлого на настоящий момент.»
- «Мы - это не то, что с нами произошло.»
- Очень хороший вопрос для познания самого себя - "Чего я не знаю такого, что на самом деле управляет моей жизнью?"
ЧТО Я БУДУ ПРИМЕНЯТЬ:
Возобновлю регулярные походы к психологу. «Жизнь - это не болезнь, которую надо лечить. Это путь, который надо пройти. И в этом пути нужны помощники.»
ЕЩЕ НА ЭТУ ТЕМУ:
Натаниэль Бранден «Шесть столпов самооценки»
Только 80-летний юнгианский психоаналитик мог написать такую глубокую книгу. И конечно она написана очень вовремя.
Холлис предлагает нам не только жить в мире логики и сознания, но и прислушиваться к своему бессознательному. Он считает, что там скрыты ответы на важнейшие вопросы, которые мучают каждого из нас.
Книгу будет намного интереснее и легче читать, если до этого вы прочитаете 3-4 ключевые работы Холлиса.
ГЛАВНАЯ МЫСЛЬ КНИГИ:
Каждый человек должен разобраться в том, чему служит его жизнь и обрести чувство цели и своего предназначения. Мы должны найти то, что будем ценить больше, чем карьеру, богатство и безопасность.
ЗАЧЕМ ЧИТАТЬ ЭТУ КНИГУ?
Эта работа Холлиса точно поможет легче пережить текущие сложные времена.
МЫСЛИ И ВЫВОДЫ ИЗ КНИГИ:
- «Цель жизни не счастье, а смысл, который остается.»
- Требуется мужество и дисциплина, чтобы вырваться из рутины и водоворота отвлекающих факторов и спросить себя: «Что здесь действительно происходит?»
- «Единственный способ решить проблемы - это «пройти» через них.»
- «Мы становимся слугами и пленниками наших историй. Они переносят ограничивающий опыт прошлого на настоящий момент.»
- «Мы - это не то, что с нами произошло.»
- Очень хороший вопрос для познания самого себя - "Чего я не знаю такого, что на самом деле управляет моей жизнью?"
ЧТО Я БУДУ ПРИМЕНЯТЬ:
Возобновлю регулярные походы к психологу. «Жизнь - это не болезнь, которую надо лечить. Это путь, который надо пройти. И в этом пути нужны помощники.»
ЕЩЕ НА ЭТУ ТЕМУ:
Натаниэль Бранден «Шесть столпов самооценки»
August 3, 2020
Living Between Worlds: Finding Personal Resilience in Changing Times is an exciting synthesis of the inner call of the psyche and the emotional work to be done to continue to grow as an adult, particularly relevant to current accelerating change. I savored this well written book for Dr. Hollis's jaw-dropping insight, brilliant perspective on how myth and history shine meaning on the puzzling developments of our times, and his wit. His illumination of Jung's work, as well as literary motifs, map the collective and personal journeys. Having enormously appreciated many of James Hollis's other books, I especially treasure Living Between Worlds, immensely readable in its intelligence, charm and humor. Its depth is gorgeously articulated.
August 21, 2020
Hollis is an empathic wise cheerleader who writes with brilliance and depth. Keep going, he exhorts, keep going deeper. I was particularly fed with his referencing classics. Too many writers now reference movies or television shows - the 'literature' of the modern times. If you are a student of finding meaning in your life and purpose by mapping your psyche with its array of venues, you will be nourished by Living Between the Worlds.
February 9, 2022
An antidote for disorientation
No one conveys the work and wisdom of Carl Jung like James Hollis. In this book he doubles down on paying attention and heeding, as he so often says, "the summons of your psyche." In these disorienting days, I find the clarity of his Jungian convictions compelling. I'd encourage anyone looking to cut through the noise and confusion of our time to employ the 50+ years of practice in depth psychology Hollis wields so well.
No one conveys the work and wisdom of Carl Jung like James Hollis. In this book he doubles down on paying attention and heeding, as he so often says, "the summons of your psyche." In these disorienting days, I find the clarity of his Jungian convictions compelling. I'd encourage anyone looking to cut through the noise and confusion of our time to employ the 50+ years of practice in depth psychology Hollis wields so well.
February 25, 2023
There were a few useful things here, but mostly the author is just fanboying over Carl Jung. There's a running insistence that we must analyze our dreams in order to grow mentally/spiritually, and that dreams always are trying to tell us something about how our actions/choices aren't living up to our actual values. I'm curious what the author would say my dreams about bouncing on cotton candy clouds mean.
Overall, I do not recommend this book and feel that finishing it was a waste of my time.
Overall, I do not recommend this book and feel that finishing it was a waste of my time.
April 3, 2021
What an insightful book, another gem by James Hollis, and probably my favorite of the few I have read of his authoring. Personally, reading his words and the way he distills Jung’s complex and deep ideas, refreshes my conviction of diving deeply inward into my own humanity, and make this journey truly my own, even if it’s not what I think it’s about. Excellent book.
April 11, 2023
It's my first time reading a book from the Jungian school of thought. This book as the title suggests not only helped me find personal resilience but also a lot of healing and meaning.
P.S. there are parts on Antigone that went above my head and some which felt a bit repetitive but otherwise an excellent read!
P.S. there are parts on Antigone that went above my head and some which felt a bit repetitive but otherwise an excellent read!
June 29, 2023
47%
Normally I like books that relate personal experiences and analyze history.
This time I didn't, I don't believe we talk about healthy coping mechanisms or spiritual growth as a way of acceptance here to cope with the turbulence which needs to be what we would focus on to successfully implement strategies in this book.
Normally I like books that relate personal experiences and analyze history.
This time I didn't, I don't believe we talk about healthy coping mechanisms or spiritual growth as a way of acceptance here to cope with the turbulence which needs to be what we would focus on to successfully implement strategies in this book.
March 4, 2025
It's my first time reading a book from the Jungian school of thought. This book as the title suggests not only helped me find personal resilience but also a lot of healing and meaning.
P.S. there are parts on Antigone that went above my head and some which felt a bit repetitive but otherwise an excellent read!
P.S. there are parts on Antigone that went above my head and some which felt a bit repetitive but otherwise an excellent read!
December 21, 2025
Kind of an intro to Jungian psychology, with Hollis' own thoughts, in his own words. I like his riff that we are self- regulating, self- healing beings, who too often drown out the inner voice of self- knowledge with societal garbage. I really liked the book, and it tuned me in, or turned me back, to that inner whisper.
December 16, 2020
Yikes. I leave with more questions but I suppose that is part of the point. I’ll need to re-read.
A great defense of reading fiction I enjoyed.
A call to pay more attention to my dreams.
Pushing the idea that going “through” is the only option.
And, What it is about, isn’t what it is about.
A great defense of reading fiction I enjoyed.
A call to pay more attention to my dreams.
Pushing the idea that going “through” is the only option.
And, What it is about, isn’t what it is about.
January 31, 2021
Hollis does a wonderful job of shedding light on this journey of life and of the movement toward wholeness. And, what a vocabulary of words and literature which he so skillfully uses to illustrate the universality of it all!
June 19, 2023
I enjoyed working my way through this book. It was rewarding. Each chapter stands alone as distinct essays, so I read one chapter per day. Hollis presents his application of Jung's key ideas. In general, the book presents recurring themes found in Hollis' earlier works.
June 19, 2024
A most eloquent and accessible distillation of the insights of Jungianism and depth psychology; in essence, a book on how to be human. I am amazed by how much wisdom is packed into a book this short.
June 25, 2020
Great book on the right time came to me.
July 30, 2020
Overall a very good summation of Jungian psychology as it relates to modern anomie. Drives home the point that meaning, not happiness, is the goal of life.
August 9, 2020
Insightful explanation of depth psychology. Philosophical, sometimes uncomfortable ideas, but highly thought provoking.
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