On This Journey We Call Our Life: Living the Questions

Studies in Jungian Psychology by Jungian Analysts #103

by James Hollis

Over the years James Hollis has offered us many a feast, and we have grown to appreciate the nourishment of their unique mixtures of bitter and sweet. Here he shares our boat, navigating the questions without charts that haunt us all. This is not a book of revealed truths. Rather it surrenders to the questions, guided only by whatever insight, endurance and energy each of us may have. He acknowledges the uniqueness and value of each individual life journey, sharing his personal experience only so that we can find our own understanding.

Genres: Psychology, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Personal Development

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

James 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.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Ira Progoff, creator of the Intensive Journal and author of Jung's Society and Its Social Meaning (his dissertation), Death and Rebirth of Psychology, Depth Psychology and Modern Man and The Symbolic and the Real wrote in one of his books that in the end all of the great four (Jung, Freud, Adler and Rank) came to recognize that there was an untapped spiritual dimension to their work, which had, after all, taken over the healing role of clergy and the church. That exchange has left a lot to be desired, especially in the consciously focused schools of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapy.
James Hollis in this work reunites the two (replacing religion with its broader cousin philosophy) by asking the most important questions we can pursue in life. He does not provide answers but his wonderful exploration of the questions acts a guide for our own individual search of the one and only life we will ever have.
When I read Hollis, I have my journal open to explore what he puts in front of me. Life seems a bit more understandable and complete with his prompting. He, after all, must deal whith the same tough questions.
This is not a self help book, nor one you read in a single sitting. It is more respectful on your intelligence and journey.

[Renee Legris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable. I read this book with a study group, and it was very helpful to hear everyone's thoughts about it. Obviously we took our time - 11 months of biweekly meetings to digest 148 pages. Worth it!

I was glad to have a guide to Jung - he was clearly brilliant but it sure helps to have commentary. Although Hollis himself could use a commentary at times - he is very fond of obscure words. I never did get crystal clear on what he means by "psyche", which is a term he uses constantly.

He included numerous extracts from exquisite poems and philosophers and spiritual teachers, as well as Jung himself and students of Jung. So many delightful and precious words.

What I loved most about this book is how it engaged / challenged the heart as much as the intellect. I'm sure I will be reading this book again every few years.

[Donya · Rating 5 out of 5]

(چقدر جیمز هالیس خوبه خب. چقدر.)
وقتی گریزی از رنج نیست، انتخاب ما بین آگاهانه رنج بردن و ناآگاهانه رنج بردنه. این کتاب در تشویق پیدا کردن سوال های زندگی، و زندکی کردن اون سوال هاست. که ما هرکز کارمون با تغییرات تموم نمیشه، و هرگز سوال هامون در مورد سوال زندگی از ما.
"خونه"، سفر ماست.

پ.ن: کتاب هرچقدر به فصل های پایانی نزدیک تر میشه، جذاب تر و جالش برانگیزتر میشه. فصل آخر، یه پایان شگفت انگیز برای من بود.

[Roben]

"Fundamentalism, be it religious, political or psychological, is a flight from adulthood and appeal to many because life is so scary. If I can turn my ambiguities over to the rigidity of an either/or dogma, turn my choices over to my pastor, therapist or guru, subscribe to a mythos which rationalizes the suffering of life for me, then I will have "happiness." Such happiness, even when it is attainable, is a manifestation of the shadow for it is based on the avoidance of the mystery of the journey, its largeness, and the courage it demands. It is no crime to be fearful, but it is a crime to therefore relinquish control of our journey to someone or something else. The flight from the living gods, those who bring both terror and healing, is not piety."

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

جیمز هالیس اکثر کتاب‌هاش رو برای افراد تو نیمه‌ی دوم زندگی مینویسه، ولی این کتاب به درد افراد تو نیمه‌ی اول هم میخوره‌.
یکی از چیزایی که بررسی میکنه همون تقابل اضطراب و افسردگیه.
اینکه اگر به چیزی که روانمون(یا روحمون) ازمون نخواد عمل نکنیم دچار افسردگی میشیم، و اگر عمل بکنیم دچار اضطراب میشیم(چون چیزای جدید معمولا با اضطراب همراه هستند.
یکی از مشکلاتی که نمیدونم به خاطر نویسندگی بود یا ترجمه، بعضی جاها کتاب خوب خونده نمیشد، نمیفهمیدم منظور کتاب چیه.
ولی تعداد اینجاها خیلی زیاد نبود.

[Sherry Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book ever!

[Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler Alert - there are no answers, but if you’re lucky, pondering the questions is enough to set you on your hero’s journey.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a helpful explanation of Jungian psychology, especially as it relates to faith. It was easy to read and challenging at the same time because of the author's style.

[Steve Plumb · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book helped me to understand the changes I am seeing and hope to see in my life. A thin volume but it took me a long time to read it as I reread many passages and chapters

[Mary Sue Ulven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book contains more wisdom than any other book I’ve ever read.

[Mike Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not read much in the way of psychology, so those who have may receive the author's mix of prose and practice differently, but this was a marvelous experience. I wish that I could encapsulate this book and the questions it poses and ingest it daily, that I might not forget how they unsettle toward progress. I think I will return to this book often, and will probably confuse a lot of friends by making a gift of it at holidays and birthdays.