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Becoming: An Introduction to Jung's Concept of Individuation
An Introduction to Jung's Concept of Individuation reflects the ideas of Carl Gustav Jung. His idea of a process called individuation has sustained the authors dedication to a lifelong work of psychoanalysis.Psychotherapists know the value of Jung's approach through clinical results, that is, watching people enlarge their consciousness and change their attitudes and behavior, transforming their suffering into psychological well-being. However, psychology's fascination with behavioral techniques, made necessary by financial concerns and promoted by insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, has changed the nature of psychotherapy and has attempted to dismiss the wisdom of Jung and other pioneers of the territory of the unconscious mind. For a combination of unfortunate circumstances, many of the younger generation, including college and medical students, are deprived of fully understanding their own minds. Those with a scientific bent are sometimes turned away from self-reflection by the suggestion that unconscious processes are metaphysical mumbo-jumbo. Superficial assessments of Jung have led to the incorrect conclusion that one must be a spiritual seeker, or religious, in order to follow Jung's ideas about personality. Becoming is an offering to correct these distorted impressions.
230 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 24, 2010
Transpersonal Psychology
This review is from: Becoming: An Introduction to Jung's Concept of Individuation (Paperback)
The teachings and work of Carl Gustav Jung have alas become submerged with the current modes of teaching of psychological investigation and clinical use of dealing with patients. In a world geared toward seeking a therapist only when confronted with overwhelming problems the individual feels incapable of coping with alone, the exploration of the inner aspects of the 'self' have fallen into disuse. Dr. Deldon Anne McNeely resurrects out interest in the more interesting and useful aspects of Jungian psychology in this immensely readable and fascinating survey of the finer points of Jungian analysis. It is not a book to read quickly but rather a source of learning in inspiration that has too long been missing from our shelves of books on mental and spiritual health.
McNeely opens her three part book with an introduction to the concept of 'individuation' - a process of maturation in which the psyche ages or mature in much the same way as the physical body. And to further the comparison, the psychological path of individuation is ultimately a preparation for dying. Jung felt the our society prepares youth for the first half of life in terms of a proper education, but provides little for the middle-aged to prepare them for the second half of life (the first half of life Jung calls the natural phase, and the second half the cultural phase, a most difficult transition). Jung says 'What youth found and must find outside, the man of life's afternoon must find within himself. The tasks of the first half of life are external having largely to do with establishing a family and career. The tasks of the second half of life are internal having largely to do with finding meaning in our life and in our death.' And it is the main task of the second half of our life to face the individuation process- another way of saying 'self-actualization'. And further he says "The psyche itself, in relation to consciousness, is pre-existent and transcendent " Yet while the ego is born, grows, and dies, in the same way as the body, the psyche itself, and especially the Self, is not under the same limitations - a way of defining Jung's eternal archetypal Self.
The author takes these principles (and many others) and very wisely applies them to our time, the 21st century, applying Jung's concepts to all aspects of our lives, including our sexual identity. She does this with a fluency of prose and a warmth of 'counseling' that makes both the author and her book endearing to the reader. She restores our interest and our need to understand Jung's teachings in a manner that draws the reader closely to her in a true transpersonal psychology.
Grady Harp
This review is from: Becoming: An Introduction to Jung's Concept of Individuation (Paperback)
The teachings and work of Carl Gustav Jung have alas become submerged with the current modes of teaching of psychological investigation and clinical use of dealing with patients. In a world geared toward seeking a therapist only when confronted with overwhelming problems the individual feels incapable of coping with alone, the exploration of the inner aspects of the 'self' have fallen into disuse. Dr. Deldon Anne McNeely resurrects out interest in the more interesting and useful aspects of Jungian psychology in this immensely readable and fascinating survey of the finer points of Jungian analysis. It is not a book to read quickly but rather a source of learning in inspiration that has too long been missing from our shelves of books on mental and spiritual health.
McNeely opens her three part book with an introduction to the concept of 'individuation' - a process of maturation in which the psyche ages or mature in much the same way as the physical body. And to further the comparison, the psychological path of individuation is ultimately a preparation for dying. Jung felt the our society prepares youth for the first half of life in terms of a proper education, but provides little for the middle-aged to prepare them for the second half of life (the first half of life Jung calls the natural phase, and the second half the cultural phase, a most difficult transition). Jung says 'What youth found and must find outside, the man of life's afternoon must find within himself. The tasks of the first half of life are external having largely to do with establishing a family and career. The tasks of the second half of life are internal having largely to do with finding meaning in our life and in our death.' And it is the main task of the second half of our life to face the individuation process- another way of saying 'self-actualization'. And further he says "The psyche itself, in relation to consciousness, is pre-existent and transcendent " Yet while the ego is born, grows, and dies, in the same way as the body, the psyche itself, and especially the Self, is not under the same limitations - a way of defining Jung's eternal archetypal Self.
The author takes these principles (and many others) and very wisely applies them to our time, the 21st century, applying Jung's concepts to all aspects of our lives, including our sexual identity. She does this with a fluency of prose and a warmth of 'counseling' that makes both the author and her book endearing to the reader. She restores our interest and our need to understand Jung's teachings in a manner that draws the reader closely to her in a true transpersonal psychology.
Grady Harp
April 25, 2018
I heard Dr. McNeely interviewed on a Jungian podcast and was interested in buying her book. However, this book was confusing to myself as a psychotherapist with its lack of organization, and I can't imagine a layperson being drawn to Jung's theories with this chaotic writing.
I felt like I was reviewing someone's notes and not an edited book. The only reason I finished it was because the last 2 chapters offered some brief reviews of authors I'm interested in studying and some inspiring quotes from Jung.
I felt like I was reviewing someone's notes and not an edited book. The only reason I finished it was because the last 2 chapters offered some brief reviews of authors I'm interested in studying and some inspiring quotes from Jung.
January 30, 2017
Fantastic introduction to Jung's concept of individuation.
February 2, 2013
I was not impressed by this book. I'm sure the author is very knowledgeable about Jung, but it seems like she just published her notes on Jung rather than taking the time to organize them into a real book. She repeats a lot of the information in The Way of Individuation, by Jolande Jacobi, and then tries to apply this to to 21st Century. The second half of the book ("Lagniappe") repeats all of the chapters in the first half of the book. I think the second half is supposed to be "bonus material," but it's just some random notes and references that were not included in the first half.
I'm very interested in this topic, in particular "how to" access the unconscious. In addition to paying attention to dreams, the author states that we should pay attention to strong passions and attractions, and uncomfortable feelings and reactions, like fear, jealousy, irritations, hatreds, envy, and physical symptoms -- not just noticing them, but questioning their source.
According to this book, the "reality of the psyche" is the experience that there must be something beyond what we can perceive with our senses: a soul. There is a spirit world in addition to the physical world. If we believed that the world was just blind, indifferent matter, we'd all be purely materialistic. Yet most people want to believe that if they had the Ring of Gyges, they would use it to do good. Why? Because of a belief in something supernatural.
We also participate in a larger, group psyche: the collective unconscious. After becoming more self-aware and bringing out our creative energy, individuation requires us to experience transcendence, seeing the world as one body and wanting to contribute to the welfare of humanity. The author thinks people benefit from becoming more religious.
I agree with the author that today, many people feel isolated and unconnected, and that consumerism stands in the way of their personal growth. I don't really agree that technology itself is a barrier to individuation. I think technology is a tool that can be used for any purpose; I'm using technology right now to share my thoughts about this book about individuation. In fact, it seems to me that crowd-sourcing is a way to tap into the collective unconscious.
The author laments the fact that insurance often does not cover long-term psychoanalysis that has no specific goal. But why should it? The author admits that what she believes it is invalid in the scientific sense -- it cannot be demonstrated with evidence and logic. So I would have to put it in the same category as going to church; it may be beneficial, but it is not evidence-based and its cost should not be borne by everyone that contributes into the insurance pool.
Overall, I would say this book contained some thought-provoking ideas but was not well-written.
I'm very interested in this topic, in particular "how to" access the unconscious. In addition to paying attention to dreams, the author states that we should pay attention to strong passions and attractions, and uncomfortable feelings and reactions, like fear, jealousy, irritations, hatreds, envy, and physical symptoms -- not just noticing them, but questioning their source.
According to this book, the "reality of the psyche" is the experience that there must be something beyond what we can perceive with our senses: a soul. There is a spirit world in addition to the physical world. If we believed that the world was just blind, indifferent matter, we'd all be purely materialistic. Yet most people want to believe that if they had the Ring of Gyges, they would use it to do good. Why? Because of a belief in something supernatural.
We also participate in a larger, group psyche: the collective unconscious. After becoming more self-aware and bringing out our creative energy, individuation requires us to experience transcendence, seeing the world as one body and wanting to contribute to the welfare of humanity. The author thinks people benefit from becoming more religious.
I agree with the author that today, many people feel isolated and unconnected, and that consumerism stands in the way of their personal growth. I don't really agree that technology itself is a barrier to individuation. I think technology is a tool that can be used for any purpose; I'm using technology right now to share my thoughts about this book about individuation. In fact, it seems to me that crowd-sourcing is a way to tap into the collective unconscious.
The author laments the fact that insurance often does not cover long-term psychoanalysis that has no specific goal. But why should it? The author admits that what she believes it is invalid in the scientific sense -- it cannot be demonstrated with evidence and logic. So I would have to put it in the same category as going to church; it may be beneficial, but it is not evidence-based and its cost should not be borne by everyone that contributes into the insurance pool.
Overall, I would say this book contained some thought-provoking ideas but was not well-written.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews