Communal Individuation

Directory

(info below likely produced by ChatGPT)

* Thinkers Who’ve Moved Jung Toward Communal Contexts

"Several theorists and practitioners have attempted to bridge Jung’s individualism with collective frameworks:

1. James Hillman & Archetypal Psychology

Communal Shift: Hillman, a post-Jungian, critiqued Jung’s focus on the individual’s "inner work" and argued for a soul-centric approach tied to culture, ecology, and community.

Key Idea: The "animae mundi" (world soul) suggests that individuation isn’t just personal but involves repairing our collective imagination. Mythologies aren’t just private; they must resonate with the "commons of the psyche."

Limitation: Hillman’s work remains abstract—few concrete models for communal practice.

2. Marion Woodman & Embodied Collective Healing

Communal Shift: Jungian analyst Woodman linked individuation to communal trauma (e.g., patriarchy, addiction) through body-centered work (dance, ritual).

Key Idea: Personal mythologies must address shared wounds (e.g., her work with women’s groups reclaiming feminine archetypes).

Limitation: Her focus was often gendered/groups rather than broad societal structures.

3. Murray Stein & Communal Individuation

Communal Shift: Stein proposes "communal individuation"—the idea that groups (organizations, cultures) undergo collective transformation parallel to individuals.

Key Idea: Institutions have "group psyches" shaped by archetypes (e.g., a corporation’s "shadow").

Limitation: Still theoretical; lacks grassroots methods.

4. Depth Psychology & Activism (Andrew Samuels, Sharon Blackie)

Andrew Samuels: Reimagines Jungian therapy as political—e.g., how archetypes shape collective ideologies (nationalism, climate denial).

Sharon Blackie: Reconnects personal mythologies to land/place (Celtic traditions), arguing individuation must serve ecological/community resilience.

5. Jean Shinoda Bolen & the Millionth Circle

Communal Shift: Bolen applied Jung’s "collective unconscious" to feminist movements, advocating small circles as cells of cultural change.

Key Idea: "When a critical mass of individuals changes, society tips"—personal mythologies must intentionally align with communal justice."