The power of the imagination runs all the way through the depth psychology of Carl Jung. It is liberates because it is not axiomatic or discursive but perceptive. It goes beyond reactions and settled patterns of behaviour, to discover a new worlds. But it needs fostering, discerning, trusting.
In this talk, I begin with the case of Albert Einstein, whose use of imagination resonates powerfully with Jung’s approach.
– I discuss Jung’s ideas, particularly how they differ from Freud’s.
– I examine key sources of imaginative life in the human psyche – dreams, active imagination and archetypes.
– I consider how the imagination might connect us with the inside of the whole world and the divine.
The talk was the second of three given at the Fintry Trust on 28th July, 2020.