Jungian Psychology and Spiritual Direction

Being a psychologist deeply engaged with depth psychology, especially the works and imagery of Carl Jung, has naturally shaped my personal spiritual journey as well as my practice in spiritual direction-accompaniment. Combined with my personal experiences, it provides me with a valuable and insightful grasp of the psychological processes that individuals encounter in their spiritual journey - the various ups and downs that manifest as their spiritual path unfolds.

When I first started writing little pieces on this dialogue between depth psychology and spiritual direction, over 15 years ago now, I was aware of the lineage of others in which I gratefully stood. Such as John Sanford (the Jungian episcopal priest and spiritual director), Morton Kelsey (priest, Jungian therapist and Christian writer) and Robert Johnson. There were contemporaries, too, in the spiritual direction world such as the Marist Br Don Bisson in the US, all known through their wonderful writings and work. It was, though, a small and perhaps sometimes suspect approach in the modern spiritual direction world, particularly here in the UK where spiritual direction remained very tied to church structures and authorities. There was an understandable caution around not reducing the spiritual to the psychological, which I entirely agree with. But Jung, in particular, did not make this mistake of trying to explain religious experience entirely in psychological terms. He realised there may well be other, metaphysical dimensions of such experience that could not be explained psychologically.

Throughout this journey, I felt supported by another aspect of myself, deeply grounded in my post-graduate studies in theology and spirituality. My profound engagement with theologians, saints, writers, and spiritual directors from the Christian tradition, such as St. Teresa of Avila (1550-1582), Thomas Merton (1915-1968), Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), St Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) and the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the 3rd-4th centuries, along with my specialized scholarship in the biblical Song of Songs and Pneumatology, resonated deeply with the contemplative lineage of the Christian faith and beyond, speaking a shared language and understanding to which I felt surrendered.

Today, I am amazed and joyful as I see around the world of spiritual direction how the treasures of Jung, and depth psychology in general, are now being embraced. In the past, of course, we didn’t divide people into their psychological or spiritual selves. We understood how people are whole. And, the spiritual writers and directors of past generations were often the deeply skilled psychologists of their day, long before such a separate category existed in our understanding. So, for me, there is a recovery of something that was perhaps in danger of becoming a little lost in our contemporary world. That is, of understanding spiritual direction-accompaniment work as serving both spirit and soul.

Surprisingly to some, when asked in the 1950s by Morton Kelsey: 'What practice of psychological theory most closely resembled his own?’ Carl Jung replied that his form of therapy was most attuned to the classical spiritual directors of the 19^th century, likely referring, amongst others, to the work of such as L'abbé Henri Huvelin (1838-1910), a well-respected spiritual director in Europe, who was a Parisian priest, theologian and spiritual director to the famous Baron von Hügel (1852-1925), who himself was the well-known spiritual director of the explorer and writer in Christian mysticism Evelyn Underhill.

‘The public desire for more psychological knowledge is largely due to the suffering which results from the disuse of religion and the lack of spiritual guidance.’ Carl Jung, Collected Works Vol.11:794.

So, what is spiritual direction from a Jungian approach?

The foundation of all my work is rooted in deep listening, taking a contemplative stance and presence to being with the person I have the privilege of accompanying, working with whatever is arising for them in their experience, and seeking to find God’s presence and voice in that in a way that fits with their particular understanding and path. I deeply value and am inspired by the uniqueness of every person I am honoured to accompany. However, spiritual directors are also resource-givers to those they accompany and we inevitably bring certain personal ways of working.

Jungian resourced spiritual direction aims to help individuals deepen their connection with their inner selves, and the divine, by exploring what is beneath the surface, particularly the unconscious, so embracing the wholeness of their psyche (soul). It attends to God's call in the life of a person, offering in-depth inner work towards their individuation process - that is to be all they are called to be in their on-going conversion to Christ or whatever is most Holy and sacred for them. It understands the psychological processes at work that can either encourage or undermine our spiritual transformation. I am going to write a little more in future articles on this aspect of soul work which I think has perhaps become less known in contemporary spiritual direction work, and, importantly, how we can tend to both spirit and soul.

Spiritual direction in dialogue with depth psychology perceives the spiritual journey as primarily one of realisation and transformation, rather than mere adherence to the norms, doctrines, practices, and ethical life of a tradition. This process is transformative for both the director and directee, promoting deeper healing and the emergence of the true self. It aligns with a more contemplative understanding of releasing our 'small self' as the centre of our being to uncover our true self in God, sometimes referred to as our Christ-self: 'It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me.' In this context, the promised land is viewed not only as a political reality, but also as a psychological and spiritual one. Beneath the small ego-self, with all its reactive and emotional patterns, lies the imago dei - the divine presence already within.

''The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a person's life, to get behind the facade which one presents to the world, and to bring out one's inner spiritual freedom, one's inmost truth, which is what [Christians] call the likeness of Christ in one's soul.'' Thomas Merton

Key aspects of Jungian resourced spiritual direction are:

• Individuation - A Harmonious Goal

Jungian spiritual direction takes a posture of attentiveness to the inner life. Jung believed that the healthiest spiritual goal is to become more fully who you are - your complete true self - integrating the conscious and unconscious aspects of the psyche to achieve wholeness. And, as I have written about in an earlier article on 'Knowing God: wholeness and self-knowledge', in the Hebrew biblical text our wholeness is related to our holiness, and our journey to be who we are called to be, to our transformation in Christ. A Jungian approach seeks to attune to God's call through this inner work, particularly focussing on our connection to our innate Wisdom - the 'still small voice' that seeks to guide us from within in this journey. So, the director and directee work together to understand how the divine is calling them through their unique inner process and external life.

Indeed, St Teresa of Avila saw this deepening of self-knowledge as the most important foundation and vital quality of the spiritual journey:

'For never, however exalted the soul may be, is anything more fitting than self-knowledge... without it everything else goes wrong. Knowing ourselves is sometimes so important that I would not want any relaxation ever in this regard, however high you may have climbed into the heavens... let us strive to make progress in self-knowledge.’ St Teresa of Avila

• Shadow Integration:

Jungian spiritual direction focuses on the integration of the 'shadow,' which refers to the unconscious parts of our personality, especially those that are repressed or denied. This process involves recognising and embracing the less desirable aspects of ourselves, as well as the gifts we fear to embrace and the wounds that prevent us from experiencing Love. This practice is akin to the approach of the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the 3rd to 5th centuries in the Christian tradition, who retreated into desert caves to seek self-knowledge in their quest for God. Contemplative prayer and meditation are well known for bringing such deep material to the surface, which then requires skillful integration. Indeed, the Christian tradition has always dealt with the dynamics of the unconscious as we see above from St Teresa of Avila's emphasis on self-knowledge - bringing that which we are not aware of into the light of consciousness. Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) also found in analysing the lives of many mystics that one common experience was an overwhelming consciousness of God where spiritual development takes place through, as she put it:

'The emergence of intuitions from below the field of consciousness.'  Evelyn Underhill

• Dream Work and Image Guidance:

Dreams are seen as a window into the unconscious providing valuable insights into the individuation process and offering guidance for spiritual growth. There is a long tradition in ancient spiritual direction work, as there is in the biblical text, of listening to our night dreams. There are also ways of working creatively with our inner world through active imagination and image guidance, not unsimilar in tone to the ways used in Ignatian spiritual direction.

• Archetypes:

Jungian spiritual direction may explore the role of archetypes - universal patterns of behavior and symbols that can unknowingly influence our understanding of the world and our place in it. As Rabbi Shemuel ben Nachmani (3rd c.) wisely reminds us: “We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.” Jesus of Nazareth also invites us to take these planks out of our eyes so that we may see clearly.

• Symbolic Interpretation:

Jung believed that the psyche (soul) has a spiritual element that is expressed through symbolism, and spiritual direction may involve interpreting and working with symbolic material that arises in dreams, active imagination, image guidance and spiritual experiences; a territory perhaps less-explored in today's materialist understanding of life, but central to soul-language through the centuries in all spiritual traditions.

• God-image:

Jungian spiritual direction may explore the role of the God-image, the internal representation of the divine, and how it relates to the individuation process. We can carry many and changing God-images within that deeply affect our capacity, both positively and negatively, to relate to God. Discovering and healing unhelpful God-images can help our openness to Spirit and our capacity to live out the life we wish in the world.

• Inner Life Experience:

Jungian spiritual direction welcomes conversation about inner life experiences, meaning and purpose, and our relationship to the divine and Holy. It is particularly skilled in resourcing the ancient art of interior navigation, seeing the necessity, value and interwoven relationship of our inner and outer life.

Benefits of Jungian Spiritual Direction:

• Deepened connection with oneself:

By exploring what is under the surface - the unconscious - and integrating the shadow, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of their inner world and connect more fully with their authentic selves. 

• Personal growth:

Jungian spiritual direction can facilitate personal growth and transformation by helping people navigate the challenges of the individuation process to be all they are in their authentic selves and embrace their wholeness. 

• Increased self-awareness:

Through dream work and other Jungian techniques, seekers can gain increased self-awareness, including their strengths, weaknesses and unconscious patterns. 

• Enhanced spiritual life:

By exploring the unconscious and integrating the shadow individuals can deepen their connection with the divine and cultivate a more meaningful spiritual life. 

• Therapeutic benefits:

Jungian spiritual direction can also offer therapeutic benefits, helping heal psychological wounds and work through challenging emotions which can be obstacles that hinder our openness to Spirit.

• Bridge Building

Jungian spiritual direction can serve to bridge the gap between psychology and spirituality, and between different faith traditions, by fostering a more holistic understanding of the human experience, including the transpersonal.