Jeffrey, congratulations on your new book, which is all about shifting your life by letting go of fear. How did your studies at Pacifica in depth psychology contribute to this book?
My study of depth psychology at Pacifica infuses and inspires everything I have to say in my new book, Shift! As I mention in the opening of the book, and many times throughout, Carl Jung, and many others, including James Hillman, and Mary Watkins --who is highlighted in the book!--have been a major inspiration for me throughout my life journey.
There are many themes in the book that hearken back either directly or indirectly to my work at Pacifica, but two of them are key:
•My understanding of soul--and how it operates in our lives as a creative principle, distinct from the ego/personality/day-to-day narrative of self--which propels us energetically to grow, expand and change. It is the soul which refuses to surrender to any culminating story we might latch on to--of an 'authentic self', success, material wealth, even happiness. As I write about in early chapters of my book, the fields of neuroscience and quantum physics are coming around to validate what Jung "discovered" more than half a century ago: the soul is real!!
•Symptoms--like anxiety, depression, stress, worry, unexplainable physical ailments, etc.-- are not always signals of "pathology" or that something is fundamentally wrong with us. Rather, symptoms are most often a "cover-up" for fear...and almost always signal our resistance to change. A key theme that runs throughout my book is guided by the principle of symptom as symbol--which I learned at Pacifica. I try to encourage people to step off the "fix-it" train, and rather than constantly seeking to just "get back on track" to the same old job, relationship dynamic, lifestyle, etc...to wake up and listen in to their symptoms--their fears--as a sign post, a call for change.
In writing my book, my goal was to take these and other important teachings from depth psychology and "unwrap" them for a wider audience, to make the journey through fear/change easier and more understandable to a lay person by giving them access to the gifts of depth psychology -- and the tools (e.g. active imagination, writing, self-observation, mandalas) in a way that is easy to understand, enjoyable to read, and pragmatic...all at the same time.
It is not an easy task to make depth psychology accessible without feeling at times like one is "dumbing down" very deep and rich material--but I did my best...and hope that the book may reach, and touch people who would not normally have any interest or inclination to read Jung, Hillman or my wonderful teacher/writers at Pacifica who have fed my soul for over thirty years.
Your book is written for a very mainstream audience, and much of your work has focused on executive and life coaching. How receptive have you found the general public to depth psychological principles and practices?
I have found that the "general public" doesn't really grasp or understand the concept of "depth" psychology in any meaningful way. Ideas around the unconscious, psyche and symptom are challenging to speak about in our culture, for understanding these concepts in a useful manner requires deep conversation, and a quest for meaning.
Unfortunately, our culture tends to be steeped in the quest for a "quick fix" and the goal promulgated by most media--and most self-help books for that matter--is instant, and I might add, unending, happiness. Jung, and depth psychology in general, is not all that interested in "happiness"--his quest was broader and less easily pinned down--but rather focused on supporting people to live out their fullest creative potential with meaning and depth in the world. Not exactly what we see everyday on CNN or read about in People magazine!
When I work with clients, I listen deeply for the "access route" to their soul's yearning. I try to articulate the depth psychological principles in a way that touches a deeper place in their hearts--helping them to become aware of how limited the "happiness/pleasure train" can be and how unrealistic.
I bring the "depth" conversation into my work--and into the book--in ways that steer clear of analytical jargon, while trying to reach for what most people are seeking, even if they are often unaware of it in their day-to-day striving to "pay the bills and put food on the table": meaning, connection, community, fulfillment of their creative potential.
It's amazing how many times we'll talk to prospective students who really want to make the life-shifting leap and enroll in the depth psychology program, but they're afraid because they don't know what they'll do with the degree once they finish. What advise to you have for someone confrontiing that fear?
I can totally understand the hesitation people might feel around studying for a graduate degree in depth psychology. Since it doesn't fall into the well-known categories in the professional psychological universe, like social work or clinical psychologist, it is less obvious how one would immediately apply for a job or craft a career with a depth degree.
That said, I try to remind people, whenever the question arises, that depth psychology is actually the foundational study from which almost all the more publicly recognized psychology professions have emerged. Studying depth psychology, especially the way it is taught at Pacifica with a cultural, historical, and wide-angle lens that incorporates many other fields (e.g. literature, film, community work, counseling, organizational psych, Buddhism, Indigenous/queer theory, etc.), provides a wonderfully broad baseline of understanding of the human psyche and its evolution.
I might hesitate to choose depth psychology if I wanted a direct route to a job, but on the other hand, I have found that being grounded in depth psychology informs, expands and supports everything that I do and just makes my work with individual clients, executives, business leaders--everyone--that much richer and fulfilling...for me..and hopefully, them as well.
Read an article about Jeffrey in The New York Times
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Congratulations Pacifica Alumnus Dr. Jeffrey Hull on your latest book Shift: Let Go Of Fear and Get Your Life In Gear
