Symbolic Life & the Spiritual Path
Much of the spiritual life unfolds through symbol rather than explanation. Images, dreams, metaphors, and stories carry meanings that cannot be reduced to concepts alone, yet they shape how we encounter God, ourselves, and the world. This short reflection explores why symbolic life matters so deeply for spiritual maturity — and why reconnecting with it is essential for inner work on the spiritual path. Modern society may have lost something of the power of symbolic life, but
Working with our Dreams in the Spiritual Life Part I
Dreams have long been recognised as one of the ways the deeper life of the soul comes to expression. They arise unbidden, speak in images rather than concepts, and often linger with us in ways that invite reflection. In this first article, I explore why dreams matter in the spiritual life, and how we might begin to listen to them with attentiveness and care. Why Dreams Matter in the Spiritual Life In the Christian tradition, many people are becoming more interested again in w
Soul, Spirituality & Psychology
Soul is the most common translation of the Hebrew word nephesh and the Greek word psyche . The biblical meanings of these concepts are richly varied. In the Old Testament, for example, the meanings of nephesh range from life, the inner person (particularly thoughts, feelings and passions), to the whole person, including the body. Similarly, in the New Testament, psyche carries such meaning as the totality of the person, physical life, mind and heart. Here, soul is presente
Working with Our Shadow
This article moves beyond understanding the Shadow to exploring how it is lived with, contained, and gradually integrated within the spiritual life — particularly in the context of spiritual accompaniment. In my earlier article on The Spiritual Life and our Shadow, I describe the Jungian under-standing of how we learn, from early childhood, to suppress aspects of ourselves deemed unacceptable to our culture and context. They remain in our unconscious and can dramatically in
Psychological Ways We Can Undermine Our Spiritual Transformation
On the spiritual path, we often assume that our deepest desire is for transformation — to become more open to God, more loving, more whole. Yet many people discover, sometimes with confusion or self-judgement, that alongside this longing there is also resistance. Change can feel unsettling, even threatening, to the familiar sense of who we are, and this tension is not a sign of spiritual failure but a deeply human reality. This reflection explores some of the psychological wa
Wholeness & Our Unconscious
Much of our spiritual life unfolds beyond the reach of conscious intention or effort. Beneath our prayers, beliefs, and spiritual practices lies a deeper inner world that quietly shapes how we experience God, ourselves, and others. In this article, I explore how our unconscious life plays a vital role in the journey toward wholeness, and why spiritual growth so often requires us to attend to what lies hidden as well as what is known. Wholeness, Selfhood, and the Spiritual Jou
Knowing God: Wholeness & Self-Knowledge
The spiritual journey has always been understood as a journey of transformation — not only of belief, but of the whole person. Across the Christian tradition, wisdom teachers have recognised that knowing God and knowing ourselves are inseparable movements of the same deepening process. This article reflects on how self-knowledge and wholeness belong at the heart of an authentic spiritual life. Wholeness, Self-Knowledge, and the Spiritual Life In our contemporary world, we und
Struggling with Prayer : A Psychological Perspective
Many people experience prayer as unexpectedly difficult — especially at moments when they most long for comfort, clarity, or closeness to God. Rather than assuming this difficulty is a failure of faith or discipline, it can be helpful to look more carefully at the inner dynamics that shape our prayer life. This reflection explores some of the psychological patterns that may quietly influence our openness to prayer, often without our awareness. When Prayer Feels Most Difficult
Spiritual Life and Our Shadow
Carl Jung , a 19th century Swiss psychoanalyst whose work bridges the gap between psychology and spirituality, understood our Shadow to be where we hide all the bits of ourselves we think are shameful or primitive . It is that aspect of our nature that is cast into the unconscious and held there in the dark to protect our conscious life from what we feel may be unacceptable, either to ourselves or to others. This reflection draws on many years of working with people in spiri
Spiritual Pathology: How Inner Wounds Can Distort the Spiritual Life
Spirituality is often assumed to be inherently life-giving and benign. Yet, like every dimension of human experience, it is shaped by our inner world — including our unresolved wounds, fears, and unconscious patterns. This article explores how spiritual life itself can become distorted, not because spirituality is false, but because it is taken up into the very places within us that most need healing. Spiritual pathology describes how we can distort and undermine our spiritua
