THURSDAY LECTURES 2010-11
Lectures take place on the third Thursday of most months at the Essex Church, 112 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8 4RT at 7.30pm.
It is not necessary to book in advance for these lectures. Admission payable at the door £10 (£8 concessions).
The lectures are followed by discussion and sometimes by refreshments. Click on speaker's name to get biographical details.
Plan your journey here (Nearest Tube Station: Notting Hill Gate): 
September 16
The Organ of the Ear
LECTURE CANCELLED
A psychosomatic exploration of problems of the ear concerning deafness.
October 21
Consciousness and the Eternal
The decisive question for man is very simple, says Jung: Is he connected with something limitless or not? He adds that in our relations with others, too, there must be something limitless expressed in the relationship.
November 18
The Mystic Lamb
Jules Cashford will show her film The Mystic Lamb – an exploration of THE ADORATION OF THE LAMB by Jan van Eyck (1390 – 1441) the founder of Early Netherlandish Painting. Accompanied by the music of his time, together with the unique close-ups now available through modern technology, the film aims to take us into the experience of being present with the painting, allowing its magnificent symbolism to speak to us.
 January 20
A Sufi Tale: Staying Open to Betrayal
The telling of a Sufi tale: The Pulse of the Princess, one of the first records of the practice of psychotherapy from the sixth century AD. This tale travels from East to West and can be followed on a journey for over one thousand years. Rumi picks up the tale and exposes the profound meaning of the experience of betrayal for the psyche on the path of individuation. How this deep wounding quality is a necessary part of the psychological and spiritual journey.
 February 17
The Monkey King and the Trickster: Redeeming the Shadow
Jung reminds us that so-called civilised man has forgotten the Trickster and compares him to the forerunner of the saviour who, like him, is God, man and animal all at once. When we deny this primitive side of ourselves, the Trickster trips us up. This lecture will focus primarily on the Chinese Monkey King as an image of the Trickster, who longs for immortality, suffers from his impulsive, chaotic, grandiose nature, and finally is the transmitter of new culture to society: from simian simpleton he becomes a saviour.
March 17
The Archetype of the Feminine in Philalethes’ Text Introitus Apertus
Brigitte will go into the symbolism of the Great Goddess Artemis- Diana as it works in the form of an archetype in the psyche of man as well as of woman, using as her text a 17th century alchemist's text An Open Entrance to the Closed Palace of the King.
Read online text
May 19
The Tragic Human Condition: Miguel de Unamuno and Jung
With special reference to a short novel Unamuno wrote shortly before his death: San Manuel Bueno, Martyr. This is considered in the light of major archetypal images that preoccupied Jung during his long career, such as man’s tendency to deny the darker or difficult aspects of his existence, the shadow, the concept of the objective psyche with its complementary healing function, as well as the archetype of transformation and process of individuation.
 June 16
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton was one of the most important and one of the most controversial figures in the world of religious thought in the XX century. This talk will concentrate on the tension and the contradictions in the thought and person of Merton, using the ego-Self axis model as a point of reference for interpreting his life. Ample space will be given to the experience of falling in love, which marked some of Merton’s final years so significantly. A few of his dreams will be examined and interpreted.
July 21
Miraculous Glass: Peering into the Soul of Nature
Through the agency of glass, the universe has become transparent to human intelligence. Peering outwards into the cosmos, or inwards into the heart of matter, has become possible by means of the glass lens. Containment in this mysterious, ambiguous substance presents a view of the natural world that illuminates our understanding of the unconscious itself. Through images of glass in dreams and fairy tales, we may come to some understanding of this miraculous material, and its significance for the human psyche.
While many of our evening speakers are analysts, we also invite speakers who work in areas such as medicine, religion or the arts whose contributions serve to widen our discussions beyond the bounds of clinical practice.
Some lectures are recorded and CDs may be purchased for £7 (including p&p) or borrowed by members for £5. Purchase from the Library. No other recording is permitted. Email the Librarian
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Thursday Lectures
