If you don’t understand how you can be a atheistic christian, then this is the livestream for you.
We are covering the paper by Bruce Maclennan titled Evolutionary Neurotheology and Jungian Psychology.
It covers the difference between instincts and archetypes, and how personalised“gods” or“forces” are the rulesets and incantations that program our behaviours, and how awareness of these influences and possessions, will allow us to better integrate and assimilate with them to higher purposes, rather than condemns such forces into our shadows, which exploits us subconsciously.
Who are we?
Ben — Australian, and founder of Bevry
Trygve — Norwegian Composer, Musician, amateur philosopher, Master student at Volda University College
Kali — Student of economics, natural sciences, and philosophy
Together we are part of Bevry, an open community to transform isolated and competitive wisdom into collaborative wisdom, through weekly discussions like this, and software projects to facilitate them.
agenda
overview of paper structure and compounding ideas
From a theological perspective, we may be placed in real existential dilemmas. Gods cannot be disobeyed without dire consequences, yet in a case of archetypal conflict we are faced with reconciling warring deities. In facing such a dilemma, it is not simply a matter of choosing good over evil, for each of the gods is good in the sense that they serve the species(and, beyond that, life in general). They each have a legitimate claim on us.
instincts and archetypes: both arise from evolution, the former is observed externally, the former is observed internally
All animal species exhibit characteristic behavioral patterns, commonly called instincts. These behaviors are served by perceptual systems, which are also characteristic of the species. These perceptual-behavioral structures, which are common to all members of a species, change very slowly, on evolutionary timescales, as the species continues to adapt to its(possibly changing) natural environment. The functions of these perceptual-behavioral structures must be understood in the context of the species’ environment of evolutionary adaptedness(EEA), that is, the environment in which it has historically evolved and therefore to which it is adapted.
jungian overview: complexes, ego, superego, persona, destiny, individualisation, shadow and its muse and possession
Projection and possession(which are not necessarily bad) may be difficult to identify, because our complexes are closely bound to our personalities, and therefore hard to differentiate from ourselves. Indeed, it can become difficult to distinguish one’s authentic personality from the crowd of personal complexes.
One sign of“possession” is a defensive feeling when the complex is threatened.
Therefore, a person may overreact emotionally when an intellectual position(such as a philosophical or political opinion) is criticized or even questioned.[as discussed last week] In general, complexes are created from strong emotional charges, and so sudden changes of mood or feeling(in the absence of obvious causes) may indicate that one has been possessed(or released from possession). Also, complexes often appear in dreams.
Projection may also be a cause of“soul loss,” since the psychic energy invested in a complex may be projected onto another person, and therefore be lost when that person is absent or has died; the daimôn has absconded with the projector’s soul. “Soul retrieval” then requires that the projection be withdrawn — the daimôn found and brought back — and the psychic energy, which it had absorbed, be returned to the patient(Ingerman, 1991).
Ben: Heartbreak occurs when possessed by Eros.
If you are primarily a thinker, then your Shadow is dominated by feeling. Since your Shadow wants to bring a feeling orientation to life, by forming an alliance with the Shadow you can balance your conscious personality while satisfying its needs. In summary, integrating the traits of the Shadow into consciousness is a major stage in becoming psychologically whole.
Failure to assimilate our Shadows — individual and collective — is perhaps the biggest problem facing our world.
(anima and animus) anima is the female archetype available to a male perspective; animus is the male archetype available to the female perspective
Aphrodite causes us to love our spouses and to start families, but also urges us to extramarital affairs. Ares encourages us to strike when we’re angry, but also to defend our homeland. The clever words granted us by Hermes can win support for a just cause, or they can cheat and deceive. The Sky Father Zeus enforces laws and rules, but sometimes to the point of cruelty. The Great Mother nurtures her children, but may smother or even devour them. And so on, for all the other gods.
However, if the Anima or Animus is not consciously integrated, it may possess the ego or be projected onto others in primitive ways. If it is projected, then a person may misperceive members of the opposite sex. For example, a man may perceive women as irrational children or seductive nymphs; a woman may perceive men as cold, aggressive, or remote. If possession occurs, then a person may act out the least differentiated characteristics of their contrasexual part. Thus, the animus-possessed woman may become inappropriately bossy, aggressive, judgmental, opinionated, or intolerant, while the animapossessed man may become touchy, resentful, overly emotional, sentimental, or irrational.
archetypes and gods: eros and strife, love is god possession, examples of gods
introduction
agenda
overview of paper structure and compounding ideas