Shamanic Initiation, Descent, and Learning through Direct Experience of the Sacred

January 29, 2020 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.

Shamanic initiation is a metaphor for the way we can take a soul-centered approach to life's challenges

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION VIA YOUTUBE HERE (approx 7 mins) A common and compelling component of both shamanism and Jungian or depth psychology is that each seeks to treat soul loss by retrieving and reintegrating vital essence that is missing. This must occur through direct experience; therefore, the underworld journey to retrieve the soul is one of necessity and initiation. Swiss psychiatrist C. G. Jung believed symptoms of soul loss, such as disorientation, lack of focus, or feelings of powerlessness, exist because a portion of psychic energy that is normally available to the ego has vanished into the unconscious; […]

Coming Home: An Age-Old Story Seen Through “Soul Eyes”

December 19, 2019 Bonnie Bright, Ph.D.

A Guest Post created for Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association Scroll down to read the post here, or listen on YouTube (10 mins) by clicking below Human beings are made of stories—the stories we have lived; stories that serve to guide us, and the stories that we aspire to create. One ancient and archetypal story that each of us carries within is that of coming home. In mythology, the story of Odysseus offers a beautiful perspective on homecoming. Odysseus, who initially left his home to go to war, ends up being away for 10 long years, and the adventures that […]