Diálogos Junguianos Vol 2-2
Diálogos Junguianos Vol 2-2
Diálogos Junguianos Vol 2-2
2 2
caminhos
pathWAYs
Jungian Dialogues
Caminhos
Pathways
Volume 2 nº 2
jul / dez – 2017 ISSN 2448-2765
jul / dec – 2017
Caminhos 3
Expediente
www.dialogosjunguianos.org
CDD 150
GPAB
Jungian Dialogues
Editors Mission
GPAB
Editorial
Abrimos este número com Maria Helena Guerra fazendo um interessante para-
lelo entre trechos de um livro sagrado do Hinduísmo e a atual situação política
nacional. Em seguida, Célia Brandão nos traz sua importante fala sobre identi-
dade e herança. Na seção biografias, apresentamos a psiquiatra Nise da Silvei-
ra, pioneira na psicologia junguiana no Brasil. Depois, Mário Catelli nos traz
um esclarecedor artigo sobre instinto e espírito, seguido por Maria Zélia Alva-
renga que fecha este número com um sensível trabalho sobre o sentido da vida.
Esperamos que as propostas aqui apresentadas pelos autores possam ser fonte
de inspiração para nossos leitores na realização de seus próprios caminhos de
individuação.
Boa leitura!
Caminhos 7
8 Diálogos Junguianos - vol. 2, nº 2 / 2017
Editorial
J
ungian Dialogues reaches its third issue, hoping to improve more and more
each time. We appreciate all the contributions we have received thus far
and are preparing ourselves for the next challenges in the coming year.
We begin this issue with Maria Helena Guerra making an interesting parallel
between excerpts from the sacred book of Hinduism and the current political
situation in Brazil. Then, Célia Brandão brings us her important words on iden-
tity and inheritance. In the biographies section, we introduce psychiatrist Nise
da Silveira, a pioneer in Jungian psychology in Brazil. Then Mário Catelli brings
us an enlightening article about instinct and spirit, followed by Maria Zelia Alva-
renga who closes this issue with a sensitive work on the meaning of life.
We hope that the proposals presented here serve as source of inspiration to our
readers in their own pathways of individuation.
Caminhos 9
10 Diálogos Junguianos - vol. 2, nº 2 / 2017
Sumário/ Contents
Artigos originais
Original articles 12 Brasil – revisitando alguns mitos
71 Brazil – revisiting some myths
Maria Helena Guerra
49 O sentido da vida
109 The meaning of life
Maria Zélia de Alvarenga
56 Glossário essencial
115 Essential glossary
63 Dialogando
122 In dialogue
65 Agenda de eventos
124 Calendar of events
Caminhos 11
Diálogos Junguianos. 2017; 2(2): 12-18
Artigo original Original article
English version on page 71
Resumo Palavras-chave
Este texto versa sobre alguns mitos que ilustram, segundo a sombra, Brasil, mito, arquétipo
perspectiva da autora, o momento que o Brasil está atraves- da alteridade, consciência
sando. Os temas míticos são aqui utilizados não apenas como coletiva.
apoio a uma reflexão, mas como uma proposta de enfrenta-
mento da sombra coletiva que emergiu em nosso país. O tex-
to afirma que a difícil resposta para nossa crise está na elabo-
ração de nossa posição masoquista e de menos-valia enquanto
povo, o que só será possível pelo fortalecimento da consciência
no padrão de alteridade. Para tanto, os arquétipos matriarcal
(que gere a satisfação de necessidades básicas) e patriarcal (que
permite afirmar os direitos fundamentais) precisam ser reco-
nhecidos e integrados à consciência coletiva.
N
ós, brasileiros, passamos hoje por um período bastante conturbado, e
temos visto exposta como nunca a sombra de nossa nação. Nossas tri-
pas vieram para fora, revelando as mais sórdidas falcatruas, mentiras
deslavadas, conchavos e esquemas montados, dignos de Al Capone. O pior da
natureza humana foi e está sendo revelado a um povo estupefato e chocado. A
polarização acirrada dos últimos meses cedeu lugar a um estarrecimento geral
diante da desfaçatez com que autoridades desrespeitam princípios e pensam, em
primeiro lugar e tão somente, em como salvar suas peles e bolsos. Com o humor
que temos ainda nas piores situações, lemos que hoje não nos dividimos mais em
coxinhas ou mortadelas. Viramos todos pamonhas.
Caminhos 13
Brasil – revisitando alguns mitos
Embora soe tão atual, este texto, estima-se, data de 800 a 1000 A.D. Uma leitu-
ra aprofundada dele, comparando-o à nossa realidade, é totalmente desnecessá-
ria, pois que é óbvia. Desejo apenas apontar a importância dos símbolos míticos
e lembrar que algumas vezes eles indicam o caminho a ser seguido, mas podem
também mostrar o descaminho, aquilo que levará à tragédia. E, neste caso, ape-
nas o desenvolvimento da consciência poderá evitá-la.
Talvez um exemplo explique melhor o que quero dizer. Tomemos o mito de Ícaro.
Ele foi aprisionado junto com seu pai, Dédalo, no famoso labirinto feito por este
para abrigar o Minotauro. Engenhoso e criativo, Dédalo criou asas para si e para o
filho, para que pudessem sair de lá. Ícaro foi avisado para não se aproximar muito
do Sol, pois as asas estavam presas com cera e derreteriam com o calor. Em vão. O
prazer de voar alto fez com que o imprudente e onipotente rapaz despencasse no
mar e morresse. A não elaboração de sua verdadeira condição, de seu preparo, de
seu limite, impôs a Ícaro a tragédia. E esta será repetida sempre que ultrapassar-
mos o metron, a justa medida. Só o desenvolvimento da consciência pode mudar
este final. Sem ele, o desfecho inevitavelmente reproduzirá o do mito.
Como analistas, sabemos que a busca pela consciência é um trabalho árduo, pro-
penso a regressões e ao insucesso. É necessário muito esforço, determinação, cora-
gem, sensibilidade e persistência para seguirmos com relativo sucesso o caminho
para desenvolvê-la. A cada etapa mal sucedida, a cada aprisionamento na sombra,
regredimos ou, na melhor das hipóteses, estagnamos. Isto vale ainda com mais
intensidade para a consciência coletiva, posto que é composta por milhões de
pessoas, as quais facilmente incorporam e atuam o instinto de manada.
Enquanto escrevo, não posso deixar de pensar no Mahabharata, épico hindu atri-
buído miticamente a Vyasa, em que é descrita a terrível batalha de Kurukshetra, tra-
vada entre primos. Dhritarashtra, o rei cego, era casado com Gandhari, que ao saber
que seu futuro marido era cego, colocou uma venda nos olhos e recusou-se a tirá-la.
Seus cem filhos nasceram indiferenciados, como uma única massa de carne, e,
apenas depois de divididos, colocados em vasos e molhados, surgem como pes-
soas. Cresceram sem serem vistos, física e emocionalmente, pelos pais, ausên-
cia deletéria para a formação da personalidade de qualquer criança. Desenvolve-
Caminhos 15
Brasil – revisitando alguns mitos
Dentre outros relatos sobre a disputa pelo poder neste núcleo familiar, o Maha-
bharata possui uma passagem denominada O Jogo de Dados. Com os dados adul-
terados, a vitória dos Kauravas é garantida. Mas a trapaça não dura para sempre e,
depois de amargarem alguns anos de exílio, os heróis Pandavas retornam e ven-
cem a guerra. O preço é terrível – e esperemos não chegar a este extremo defen-
sivo: a destruição do reino é absoluta.
Voltando à nossa situação, estamos, como o rei Amfortas e seu reino, feridos. A
sombra que atingiu o rei, nos atingiu. Lá, em virtude da sexualidade reprimida
(Byington, 2015); aqui, pelo abuso de poder e ganância desmedidos. A sombra da
democracia exibiu-se de corpo inteiro e desalmada: mentiras, corrupção, desfa-
çatez, conchavos, egoísmo, demagogia surgem aos borbotões. E ainda não apa-
receu no horizonte um Parsival para nos redimir – ou ele ainda não foi reconhe-
cido como tal... Não quero com isto dizer que haverá um salvador para nos tirar
do atoleiro, mas que o padrão de consciência simbolizado por Parsival precisa-
rá nos nortear doravante, sob pena de não aprendermos com as dificuldades e
ficarmos, como povo, fixados em uma relação sadomasoquista com os governan-
tes de sempre, dignos representantes do modelo (que deveria há muito estar em
desuso) de capitanias hereditárias.
Como povo, necessitamos sair da posição sadomasoquista, o que será possível ape-
nas com o desenvolvimento de nossa consciência e o consequente aumento de
autoestima e reconhecimento de nosso valor e de nossos direitos. Nosso comple-
xo de vira-lata precisa ser elaborado para que possamos ultrapassar nosso despre-
zo por nós mesmos enquanto povo. A abertura que temos para acolher o estrangei-
ro, nossa conhecida receptividade e afetividade, se por um lado podem ser bastante
positivas, podem, por outro, esconder nossa sombra de menos-valia, expressa com
frequência pelo deslumbramento frente àquilo que é importado, principalmente
se for europeu ou norte-americano. Urge desenvolvermos um patriotismo criati-
vo, em que a abertura para o outro – seja ele um estrangeiro ou um governante –
não seja equivalente à submissão, à humilhação, mas pautada em respeito mútuo e
reconhecimento dos direitos e deveres de todas as pessoas, independentemente de
classe social, poder aquisitivo, cultura, idade, saúde, cor, sexo e religião.
Caminhos 17
Brasil – revisitando alguns mitos
Assim como Parsival redimiu o reino de Amfortas e Kalki é esperado pelos hindus
para libertá-los da Kali Yuga, também nós, brasileiros, necessitamos buscar um
caminho de esperança e salvação. Não um herói fabricado pela mídia, ou que nos
seja imposto goela abaixo, mas alguém que possa, de fato, trazer uma nova cons-
ciência, na qual respeito, consideração, solidariedade, compaixão e ética estejam
presentes não apenas em discursos, mas em atos.
Mudar a consciência coletiva é algo difícil e lento. Não acontece em poucas gera-
ções. Mas com certeza já estamos saturados de governantes incapazes de ver além
de seus interesses pessoais. Sem um modelo de governante idôneo, ético, jus-
to, benevolente, respeitoso, honesto e compassivo, continuaremos, como povo,
à deriva, submetidos a mandos e desmandos, a manipulações de toda ordem e ao
impiedoso extermínio de crianças e jovens, mortos socialmente pela falta de cul-
tura ou fisicamente, pela violência da fome ou das armas.
Referências
Identidade e Herança:
símbolos em conflito
Identity and Heritage: conflicting symbols
Celia Brandão
Resumo Palavras-chave
O presente artigo trata do tema da herança como elemento identidade, conflito, herança,
constitutivo da identidade. Toda herança se apresenta como memória, cultura, sociedade
possibilidade de continuidade de um ser finito e, paradoxal-
mente, é matéria a ser transformada na busca de identidade de
todo indivíduo, cultura e sociedade. O conflito entre identida-
de e herança possibilita o resgate simbólico da memória indi-
vidual e coletiva de um lado, e de outro, a fluidez dos laços. O
princípio de equidade no direito à herança e a busca de diferen-
ciação de todo humano permeiam o processo de individuação.
Quando esse processo é afetado pela perda da conexão com
fatos, memória, laços, pessoas que nos são também legatários,
ocorre uma fissura em nossa identidade.
“Os que têm memória são capazes de viver no frágil momento presente. Os que
não a têm, não vivem em nenhuma parte.” (Patricio Guzmán)
E
ntre os diversos desafios humanos da atualidade, figuram a busca por
inclusão e a necessidade de afirmação de uma identidade própria dian-
te de um mundo infinitamente plural. Somos convidados, diariamen-
te, a restringir nossa identidade frente às dinâmicas políticas e sociais de nos-
sa comunidade.
Caminhos 19
Identidade e Herança: símbolos em conflito
ma pronto, seja ele ético, jurídico, político, ou uma ideia única sobre o bem, a
justiça ou a comunidade.
Caminhos 21
Identidade e Herança: símbolos em conflito
É necessário ser infiel à herança, ato que, paradoxalmente, nos torna responsáveis
frente a ela, nos autoriza a agir e falar a partir do que nos afeta, nos rapta emocio-
nalmente, nos causa conflito.
O que não pode ser calculado ou definido a priori é a função do afeto em nos-
sas escolhas, que envolve um outro e a função mediadora do símbolo. “O outro,
a chegada do outro é sempre incalculável” (Derrida & Roudinesco, 2004, p. 75).
A obra poética de Mia Couto traz sua ligação com sua origem, sua raiz moçambi-
cana, e as contradições vividas entre a ligação do africano com a terra e a natu-
reza de um lado e as mudanças sociais impostas por um período de colonização
europeia. O resgate dos significados após o período colonial são também vividos
pelo poeta. Mia Couto (2014) relata que o escrever poesia lhe é também um cami-
nho de resgate de identidade. Como aponta Tatiana Caldas (2015), está presente
na obra do poeta “o diálogo, e não o confronto, entre tradição e modernidade” no
que virá a constituir a identidade híbrida do moçambicano pós período colonial.
A tarefa que se impõe ao ser africano é, de um lado, o resgate de sua ancestralida-
de e, de outro, “ […] levar em conta a influência étnica, social e cultural da coloni-
zação” (Caldas, T, s/d., p.19). Cito o poeta Mia Couto:
Identidade
Caminhos 23
Identidade e Herança: símbolos em conflito
Depois da guerra, pensava eu, restavam apenas cinzas, destroços sem ínti-
mo. Tudo pesando, definitivo e sem reparo. Hoje eu sei que não é verdade.
Onde restou o homem sobreviveu semente, sonho a engravidar o tempo.
Esse sonho se ocultou no mais inacessível de nós, lá onde a violência não
podia golpear, lá onde a barbárie não tinha acesso (Couto, 2012, p. 12).
que sabe de onde vem que está mais predisposto a enganar-se a si mesmo” (Gol-
dhill, 2007, p. 275).
Um herdeiro não é apenas alguém que recebe, é alguém que escolhe, e que
se empenha em decidir […] A afirmação do herdeiro consiste naturalmente
na sua interpretação, em escolher. Ele discerne de maneira crítica, ele dife-
rencia, e é isso o que explica a mobilidade das alianças (Derrida & Roudines-
co, 2004, p. 17).
Caminhos 25
Identidade e Herança: símbolos em conflito
Mulheres chilenas estão imersas nesse deserto de areia, buscando seus familiares.
Buscam a identidade nos restos mortais de entes queridos assassinados, cami-
nhando com delicadeza (como pode ser visto no documentário de Guzmán) para
não ferir algum resto mortal de sua herança.Toda herança psíquica implica um
resgate da memória individual e coletiva. A nostalgia por uma imagem ou valor
ancestral deverá ser agora atrelada a um ato da consciência que lhe conferirá um
novo sentido. Resgatar a memória nos consolida como herdeiros de uma histó-
ria, sem a qual perdemos nosso sentido de identidade, dando voz ao que foi silen-
ciado no passado. Reescrever essa mesma memória é um ato político. Do presen-
te temos apenas pequenos instantes. E o futuro é imprevisível.
Caminhos 27
Identidade e Herança: símbolos em conflito
Daí a ideia de que a melhor maneira de ser fiel a uma herança é ser-lhe
infiel, isto é, não recebê-la à letra, como uma totalidade, mas antes sur-
preender suas falhas, captar “seu momento dogmático” (Derrida & Rou-
dinesco, 2004, p. 11).
Referências
Forbes, J. Você quer o que você deseja? Rio de Janeiro: Editora Best Seller Ltda,
2005.
Gambini, R. Espelho índio: a formação da alma brasileira. São Paulo: Axis Mun-
di, Terceiro Nome, 2000.
Sinopse Nostalgia de la luz (Nostalgia for the light). In Festival de Cannes. Dis-
ponível em: http://www.festival-cannes.com/pt/archives/ficheFilm/id/11018351/
year/2010. Acessado em 20 de março de 2015.
Caminhos 29
Diálogos Junguianos. 2017; 2(2): 30-35
Biografia Biography
English version on page 90
Nise da Silveira
imagens do inconsciente
Nise da Silveira - Images of the Unconscious
Emmanoel Fenelon S. Câmara
Resumo Palavras-chave
breve biografia de Nise da Silveira (1905-1999), psiquiatra psicótico, imagem, arte, museu
brasileira que desenvolveu abordagens expressivas com do inconsciente, humanização
pintura junto a doentes psicóticos crônicos em instituição do tratamento
asilar, promovendo melhora clínica e revelando artistas
reais. Teve por base teórica a psicologia junguiana, da qual
é considerada a introdutora no Brasil. Criou o Museu de
Imagens do Inconsciente
N
ise da Silveira nasceu em 15 de fevereiro de 1905, em Maceió. Filha úni-
ca, seu pai, Faustino Magalhães da Silveira, era professor de matemá-
tica e sua mãe, Maria Lydia da Silveira, exímia pianista. Ele gostava de
literatura e colaborava em um jornal fazendo oposição à oligarquia estadual. Sua
mãe também gostava de leitura e promovia saraus em casa. Sem habilidades para
o piano, muito estudiosa, sob a influência de alunos de seu pai, ela ingressou na
Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, aos 16 anos. Era a única mulher de uma turma
de 157 alunos.
Nos anos 30, de muita efervescência política e cultural, ela participou da União
Feminina Brasileira, leu Marx, frequentou reuniões do Partido Comunista Brasi-
leiro e assinou o Manifesto dos trabalhadores intelectuais ao povo brasileiro. Foi no
entanto expulsa do partido, sob a acusação de trotskismo.
Caminhos 31
Nise da Silveira – imagens do inconsciente
Nise acreditava que a afetividade dos psicóticos crônicos, a maioria deles com
muitos anos de internação, em mutismo, continuava viva e que eles poderiam
encontrar nas imagens um meio de se expressar e de elaborar seus conteúdos psí-
quicos. Criou assim, em 1946, um ateliê onde eles poderiam pintar, sem mode-
los, sem que nada lhes fosse sugerido e sem a intervenção de terceiros. Ela queria
também que o ambiente fosse acolhedor, não hostil, inspirando sentimentos de
liberdade. Não apenas pintura, mas também seriam desenvolvidas atividades de
modelagem, teatro, música e oficina de encadernação. Introduziu também cães
e gatos, com os quais os internos poderiam ter contato e desenvolver vínculo, o
que às vezes levou a reações surpreendentes. Ela considerava os animais verdadei-
ros coterapeutas. De compleição corporal pequena, olhar expressivo, a combativa
médica não se inibiu frente às resistências às suas inovações.
Já em 1947, foi realizada uma primeira exposição dos trabalhos dos internos, no
Ministério da Educação, com inesperada repercussão positiva por parte de impor-
tantes críticos de arte. Em 1949, foi feita uma segunda, no grande salão do Museu
de Arte Moderna em São Paulo. Dizia o respeitado crítico Mário Pedrosa:
Em 1956, Nise da Silveira fundou, na Tijuca, a Casa das Palmeiras, com o propósi-
to de prestar atendimento diário a doentes psiquiátricos sem regime de interna-
ção ou restrição de liberdade, verdadeira precursora das unidades de atendimen-
to aberto de hoje em dia.
Em 1957 ela foi para Zurich, com bolsa de estudos, a convite de Jung (estudaria
lá em 1957/58 e 1961/62), sob orientação de Marie-Louise von Franz. Em junho
daquele ano foi recebida por Jung em sua residência, ocasião em que ele a orien-
tou a estudar mitologia para melhor compreender as produções dos internos.
Em setembro de 1957, em Zurich, durante o II Congresso Internacional de Psi-
quiatria, Nise organizou a exposição Esquizofrenia em imagens, com cinco salas
de pinturas de artistas do Museu de Imagens do Inconsciente, inaugurada pes-
soalmente por Jung, que teria dito:
Em 1968, Nise publicou seu primeiro livro, que seria também sua obra mais des-
Caminhos 33
Nise da Silveira – imagens do inconsciente
tacada, Jung: vida e obra, a primeira biografia de Jung publicada no Brasil, atual-
mente em sua 21ª edição.
Nos anos 80, houve crescente interesse pelo trabalho do Museu de Imagens do
Inconsciente, com mostras, exposições e documentários. Em 1987 o cineasta
Leon Hirzman realizou, com roteiro de Nise da Silveira, Imagens do Inconsciente,
documentário de 205 minutos, no qual são apresentados a história e o trabalho
de três de seus artistas: Adelina Gomes, Fernando Diniz e Carlos Pertuis. Estes e
outros mais, como Arthur Amora Raphael e Emygdio de Barros receberam reco-
nhecimento artístico inclusive no exterior.
Referências
Motta, A.A. Psicologia analítica no Brasil: contribuições para a sua história. Dis-
sertação de Mestrado. São Paulo: Pontifícia Universidade Católica, 2005.
Ramos, G. Memórias do Cárcere. 45ª edição. Editora Record: São Paulo, 2011.Sil-
veira, N. Imagens do Inconsciente. Rio de Janeiro: Alhambra, 1981.
Caminhos 35
Diálogos Junguianos. 2017; 2(2): 36-48
Artigo original Original article
English version on page 96
Instinto e Espírito:
de adversários a parceiros
Instinct and Spirit: from adversaries to partners
Mário Batista Catelli
Resumo Palavras-chave
Na busca dos núcleos de nossos processos psíquicos indivi- ego, arquétipo, instinto,
duais, podemos chegar até a padrões coletivos da humanidade, espírito, intuição, conflito
denominados arquétipos na psicologia analítica de Jung, que
se movem tanto na “extremidade” ligada diretamente aos ins-
tintos quanto no polo oposto, com frequência designado espí-
rito. Este artigo propõe-se a tecer algumas considerações acer-
ca desse intrigante território em que o “mais fundo” encontra
o “mais alto”, o que acena para os difíceis desafios enfrenta-
dos pelo ego ao ter de lidar com as forças que sobre ele se exer-
cem de todos os lados, e para as ricas possibilidades inerentes
a uma acolhedora relação do ego com os demais aspectos da
totalidade de que ele faz parte.
Introdução
P
areceria lógico, em qualquer estudo da psique humana, começar pelos
fenômenos básicos, supostamente mais simples, e ir “subindo” pelos está-
gios da complexidade, até alcançar os limites da razão, o “topo” de uma
vida plena, saudável, favorável à realização do potencial do indivíduo dentro da
sociedade. Na psicologia analítica, entretanto, é o mergulho nas profundezas que
conduz às alturas.
Caminhos 37
Instinto e Espírito: de adversários a parceiros
Mas uma nova complicação surge quando nos damos conta da probabilida-
de de que aquilo que pode ser operante na vida psíquica de um indivíduo
pode incluir não apenas o que ele próprio experimentou, mas também coi-
sas que estão inatamente presentes nele, quando de seu nascimento, ele-
mentos com uma origem filogenética – uma herança arcaica (Freud, p.119).
Ao dirigir sua vontade aos alvos escolhidos, o ego é influenciado por suas per-
cepções conscientes, ou seja, sua captação e interpretação dos mundos exter-
no e interno – alicerçadas em padrões de apreensão, inatos e inconscientes, que
constituem os arquétipos, cujos produtos, ao atingirem a consciência, tornam-
-se intuições. É de acordo com essas percepções que o ego age sobre a realidade.
Caminhos 39
Instinto e Espírito: de adversários a parceiros
Assim como as percepções conscientes têm, em última análise, uma base incons-
ciente, existem, também, ações levadas a efeito pelo uso da vontade, e outras pra-
ticadas à revelia do ego, inconscientemente.
Instinto é uma palavra que tem assumido diversos matizes na linguagem coloquial,
alguns dos quais impregnados de conotações valorativas. Procuramos, aqui, res-
gatar o sentido dessa palavra, construído sobre os alicerces do empirismo, dentro
da psicologia analítica. Temos certa consciência indireta do instinto pela observa-
ção do comportamento instintivo dos outros. Em geral, o próprio sujeito somen-
te pode identificar seu comportamento instintivo depois que ele ocorreu.
Para que uma ação seja classificada como instintiva, Jung adota os seguintes
critérios: há inconsciência tanto do motivo quanto do objetivo do comporta-
mento; a motivação é uma compelidora necessidade interna (Jung, 1981, §265 e
267); trata-se de processos herdados que ocorrem de maneira regular e unifor-
me (Jung, 1981, §267).
Um paciente, vivendo a quarta década de sua vida, revelou o quanto ficou impres-
sionado ao descobrir que tendia a ver qualidades especiais em mulheres que o
atraíam – mesmo sem conhecê-las. Não sabia dizer se via essas qualidades porque
se sentia atraído ou se, inversamente, ele se sentia atraído em função dos atribu-
tos que nelas acreditava perceber. Quando tinha oportunidade de interagir com
elas numa convivência mais assídua, não raro suas percepções se confirmavam.
Se chegasse à conclusão de ter-se equivocado, a atração tanto podia desaparecer
como continuar, o que poderia comportar pelo menos duas explicações: em pri-
meiro lugar, se a admiração era a base para o impulso de aproximação, desvane-
cida aquela, desapareciam também os atrativos; porém, se o desejo intenso criava
a percepção de qualidades extraordinárias, a evidência de não existirem tais qua-
lidades seria desconsiderada em função da continuidade do desejo – provavel-
Caminhos 41
Instinto e Espírito: de adversários a parceiros
[...] o “Espírito” como sempre foi [...], a totalidade das formas primordiais
das quais provêm as imagens arquetípicas. Neste mundo do inconsciente
coletivo, o espírito aparece como um arquétipo, que é dotado de supremo
significado e é expresso através da figura do herói divino, cujo equivalente
no mundo ocidental é Cristo (Jung, 1990a, §641).
[...] a vontade não pode transgredir os limites da esfera psíquica, não pode
coagir o instinto, nem tem poder sobre o espírito, entendido este como
algo maior que o intelecto. Espírito e instinto são autônomos por natu-
reza, e ambos limitam em igual medida o campo de aplicação da vontade
(Jung, 1981, §379).
Caminhos 43
Instinto e Espírito: de adversários a parceiros
O que equipararia a parte inferior do Self ao diabo não seria o fato de ser infe-
rior, mas de estar separada do Self “mais elevado”, de atuar de maneira autônoma.
Complexos que se cindem do ego aproveitam, por assim dizer, qualquer rebaixa-
mento da consciência para assumirem o comando. É evidente que esse tipo de
"golpe de estado" só pode ser disfuncional, doentio, pois a saúde é o funciona-
mento integrado das partes que compõem a totalidade do ser.
Não há um instinto que nos impele em direção ao espírito? Não é o espírito que
nos permite reconhecer e descobrir o valor do instinto? Importa aqui destacar
que espírito não é usado em qualquer acepção religiosa ou associada a crenças,
mas como a condição que nos permite representar a realidade para nós mesmos e
agir deliberadamente com algum grau de independência em relação ao instinto.
Caminhos 45
Instinto e Espírito: de adversários a parceiros
Isto é o que acontece com muita frequência lá pelo meio-dia da vida e, nes-
se sentido, nossa milagrosa natureza humana impõe a transição que leva da
primeira metade da vida à segunda. É uma metamorfose, de um estado em
que o homem é apenas uma ferramenta da natureza instintiva, para outro
em que ele não é mais uma ferramenta, mas ele próprio: uma transformação
de natureza em cultura, de instinto em espírito (Jung, 1991, §335).
Conclusão
Reprimir ou suprimir um dos pares de opostos abre caminho para a sua desvin-
culação e autonomia e para uma possível possessão da personalidade pela par-
te rejeitada. Soluções unilaterais – que levam em conta exclusivamente o instin-
to ou o espírito – ocasionam uma cisão e a perpetuação do conflito entre uma
parte consciente e outra inconsciente. Muita energia, em conflitos de tal nature-
za, é desperdiçada em tensões paralisantes, que se tornam tanto mais dolorosas
quanto mais intensas. A dor tem como efeito atrair o foco da atenção, mas não há
garantia de que a premência ocasionada pela dor conduza a uma leitura adequa-
da do que a motivou. O sofrimento é, por assim dizer, um pedido de socorro ins-
tintivo e arquetípico, que somente se aquieta quando compreendido e atendido.
Os símbolos que expressam o arquétipo precisam enriquecer a percepção, trans-
formar a consciência, retirá-la de sua unilateralidade, para que o necessário redi-
recionamento da ação aconteça.
Ao que tudo indica, a mais elevada realização do potencial humano conta com
a ação desobstruída dos arquétipos numa condição de harmonia com os instin-
tos, administrada pelo ego, em que o mundo instintivo, sem perder sua nature-
za, se torna um importante cooperador. Enquanto o ego se acha aprisionado no
conflito com instintos mal resolvidos, negados, não elaborados, ou exacerbados,
enquanto sua atenção é desviada do sofrimento pelos mecanismos de defesa, ele
não consegue abrir-se às possibilidades oferecidas pelo mundo arquetípico. Sua
energia é bloqueada no esforço de reprimir os instintos. Ele se fecha à possibilida-
de de transcender ao jogo de opostos. Os instintos se tornam escravos impoten-
tes, prontos a irromper numa sangrenta revolta, ou senhores tirânicos. Em qual-
quer dos casos, o ego permanece fechado dentro da aridez de um deserto ou dos
muros de uma prisão.
Liberto de seus medos e de suas culpas aprisionadoras por meio da análise, capaz
Caminhos 47
Instinto e Espírito: de adversários a parceiros
Referências
____ The Development of Personality. Collected Works. Vol. 17. Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1991.
____ The Practice of Psychotherapy. Collected Works. Vol. 16. Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1985.
____ The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche. Collected Works. Vol. 8. Prince-
ton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1981.
____ The Symbolic Life. Collected Works. Vol. 18. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Uni-
versity Press, 1989b.
O sentido da vida
The meaning of life
Maria Zelia de Alvarenga
Resumo Palavras-chave
O texto faz uma proposição pessoal sobre o sentido da Vida, sentido da vida,
formula o conceito de estruturação de consciência, segun- liberdade, humanização,
do T. Chardin, discorre sobre como saber-se uno com Deus e, autoconhecimento, defesas
em decorrência disso, ter uma participação mais significativa
no coletivo; tece considerações sobre o desapego, a liberdade,
fazendo referências ao Exodus judaico e à Pessah; expõe, tam-
bém, a busca do autoconhecimento e nossas defesas; resgata,
em Platão, a escolha a que viemos.
E
ste trabalho foi apresentado no XXXI Boitatá, realizado no Sitio da Gran-
de Paineira, em São José dos Campos, em julho de 2017. A temática enseja-
da para o encontro foi “O sentido da Vida”. Após formular meus desejos de
que, nos quatro dias seguintes em que estaríamos reunidos, pudéssemos come-
morar a vida, a alegria, o companheirismo, o prazer das trocas, a criatividade dos
encontros e o entusiasmo das descobertas que a presença do outro nos faz expe-
rimentar, coloquei minhas proposições.
O encontro do qual participávamos teve como objetivo falar das buscas de enten-
dimento, das demandas para comungar as descobertas que povoaram e alegra-
ram nossas vidas, também das que nos assustaram e, fundamentalmente, falou
da necessidade de nos sabermos no outro, com o outro e pelo outro!
Segundo a Psicologia, a finalidade da Vida é formar Ego, com o que ele (Ego) se
sente muito nobre. Para Teilhard de Chardin (1994), a finalidade da natureza é a
formação da consciência. O mais fascinante é que para o mestre jesuíta, Char-
din, a natureza se humaniza quando forja consciência, caminhando da instância
mineral para chegar ao clímax - ser humano - e nele realizar-se como totalidade,
ou seja, consciência de se saber uno com Deus.
Para assim se dar, a pessoa haverá de colaborar, compartilhar o que tem e o que é,
aceitando as diferenças, fazendo-se mestre e discípulo, passando a tocha do conhe-
Caminhos 49
O sentido da vida
Assim como companheiro que é aquele junto de quem se come o pão, comparti-
lhar significa comungar as partes, dividir com o outro o que temos. Compartilhar
é também conviver no mesmo espaço com o outro. Compartilhar o que eu tenho,
o que eu sou com os companheiros.
Platão, em seu diálogo socrático O Banquete, propõe, como fala de um dos pales-
trantes, que o Amor é a expressão do desejo do que não temos. Cristo, porém, se
Caminhos 51
O sentido da vida
Eu, incomodada com o paradoxo que o bendito ego não entende, nunca mais
voltei às aulas. Talvez, eu tenha vivido mais de trinta anos, talvez quarenta, para
chegar à conclusão de que liberdade é escolher Deus – verdade que hoje vivo, sei
e confirmo - o maior sentido da Vida é ser livre e ser livre implica escolher Deus, o
que significa desapegar-me de tudo quanto tenho. Ter apego é ser escravo. Nós não
somos donos de nada; ter posses é ilusão, maia.
Contamos histórias!
E sempre que as contamos, mesmo sem termos consciência do que fazemos, fala-
mos do sentido da Vida, pois, nos expressamos por símbolos que falam de metas,
de projetos existenciais, de futuros prometidos!
E, assim, constatamos que todos os textos míticos, épicos, religiosos, todos sem
exceção, falam do sentido da Vida, falam das metas a serem buscadas e, para
encontrá-las nos depararemos com os confrontos necessários com a sombra.
Ao contarmos histórias, falamos de fatos reais, falamos de mitos, mas, mais que
tudo, falamos da condição mística contida nos ensinamentos transmitidos. E,
assim, os preceitos éticos, os valores morais, os compromissos que temos e carre-
gamos por conta de nossa herança cultural se revelam, se propagam, calam fundo
e forjam nossas famílias, redundando em uma sociedade melhor!
Caminhos 53
O sentido da vida
Nossos erros são nossos desvios, desatenções, distrações, são aqueles momentos
em que nos sentimos assoberbados por encargos, como se a Vida fosse madras-
ta, momentos de solidão em que parece vivermos o abandono do nosso herói, ou
mesmo aqueles momentos de indolência, santa preguiça! Aí duvidamos se a vida
vale a pena!
Penso, porém, que os nossos erros propõem reflexões para que refaçamos nosso
contrato com a Vida. Se aqui estamos, foi por termos escolhido aqui estar. Platão
(1970), em seu texto A República, no canto dez, expõe o diálogo de Sócrates com
Glauco e, ao relatar o mito de Er, fala das escolhas de destinos que todos nós faze-
mos, e do tanto de água do rio Lete que bebemos, com o que esquecemos a que
viemos. Sócrates encerra sua proposição: “mas nós (referindo-se a ele próprio e a
Glauco) pouco bebemos para não esquecermos o que escolhemos”. Estamos aqui,
portanto, com nossas dores e nossas alegrias porque escolhemos aqui estar!
Neste momento sagrado em que estamos reunidos, e o fazemos pelo bem, quan-
do o Divino está entre nós e se faz manifesto, para que possamos reverenciá-lo,
façamos de nosso encontro um tempo de transformações, de trocas amorosas, de
festa e de dança, de declarações de apaixonamentos, de certezas de que a vida vale
a pena! Quem sabe possamos fazer também deste encontro um tempo de confis-
sões, sejam elas silenciosas, aconteçam elas na amorosidade dos abraços!
O Sentido da Vida é caminhar para a meta para a qual viemos! Para bem realizá-
-la, penso eu, façamos acontecer!
Referências
Caminhos 55
Diálogos Junguianos. 2017; 2(2): 56-62
Glossário essencial
Essential glossary
Referências
Referências
Caminhos 57
Glossário essencial
Referências
Referências
Referências
ego – do grego ἐγώ, “eu”. Em alemão, das Ich. Fator complexo com o qual
todos os conteúdos conscientes se relacionam e que constitui o centro do cam-
po da consciência. Possui elevado grau de continuidade e identidade, estru-
turando a referência de si. Sinônimo de “eu” e também designado como com-
plexo do ego, por concentrar considerável energia psíquica em uma rede
de conteúdos e dinâmicas correlacionados entre si. É o centro da cons-
ciência e não deve ser confundido com o centro ou a totalidade da psique.
Referências
Caminhos 59
Glossário essencial
Referências
Referências
Referências
Referências
Caminhos 61
Glossário essencial
Referências
Esperamos que esse espaço seja fértil em trocas e criatividade, com cartas, informações e assuntos
de interesse. Nesse número, apresentamos algumas das diversas felicitações que recebemos pela ini-
ciativa de Diálogos Junguianos e noticiamos alguns eventos. Sintam-se à vontade para contribuir!
Lançamentos de livros
A cada ano que passa a literatura junguiana aumenta em volume e qualidade. O
ano de 2017 foi prolífico no aparecimento de novos trabalhos de analistas jun-
guianos no Brasil. Tivemos o lançamento de importantes obras como
Livia e Guma ou a história que Jorge conta e eu reconto navegando nos mares jun-
guianos, de Ana Suely Vieira (Iglu editora);
Etapas da família – quando a tela nos espelha, organizado por Marfiza Reis (edito-
ra Appris), com textos de doze analistas;
Foram ainda reeditados esse ano Jung, o homem criativo, de Luiz Paulo Grinberg
(2ª edição, editora FTD) e O Intercâmbio das psicoterapias, organizado por Rober-
ta Payá (2ª edição, editora Roca)
Caminhos 63
Dialogando
Eranois
Teve lugar em Barueri-SP, dia 19 de agosto, a sexta edição do Eranois, encontro
dos analistas da 8ª turma da SBPA, tendo como tema, esse ano, Amizade – as múl-
tiplas faces do arquétipo fraterno. Em um clima de reencontro e alegria, ocorre-
ram as criativas apresentações de analistas como Mário Catelli, Dora Eli, Deusa
Robles, Elizabeth Gimael, Ana Suely Vieira, Durval Luiz de Faria, Laura Villares
de Freitas e Carolina Luz. O evento foi encerrado com um workshop coordenado
por Paula Esteves e Grayce Vilas Boas, intitulado O arquétipo do fraterno. Destaca-
mos que, sem qualquer combinação prévia, praticamente todas as apresentações
tiveram forte realce em temas ligados à arte, música e literatura, conjugados com
o tema central do evento, revelando, talvez, que uma das faces do fraterno seja o
artístico. O 7º Eranóis ocorrerá em Araraquara-SP nos dias 24 e 25 de agosto de
2018, com o tema: Morte como aspecto da vida.
Moitará
Terá lugar em Campos do Jordão-SP, de 24 a 26 de novem-
bro, a 29ª edição do Moitará, encontro dos analistas da
Sociedade Brasileira de Psicologia Analítica (SBPA). O
tema desse ano é Erotismo e sexualidade no Brasil – trans-
gressões, transições e transformações, e contará com pales-
trantes como Alexandre Saddeh, Álvaro Ancona de Faria,
Ana Lia Aufranc, Fernanda D’Umbra, Maria Filomena Gre-
gori, Marisa Santanna Penna, Miriam Chnaiderman, Rei-
naldo Moraes, Vera Viveiros de Sá, dentre outros.
2017
11/11
novembro
Who is my Jung?
Celebrating 40 Years of the Association of Jungian Analysts
The British Library, London, Reino Unido
01/12
dezembro
2018
julho fevereiro
Caminhos 65
Agenda de eventos
agosto
02/08 IAAP/IJAS Conference - Indeterminate States: trans-cultural;
trans-racial; trans-gender
a 05/08 Goethe University, Frankfurt, Alemanha
24 e VII Eranois
Conexões Junguianas
25/08 Araraquara-SP, Brasil
Artigos de revisão - revisão crítica e aprofundada de tema de relevo, que 15.000 a 35.000
aporte originalidade ou inovação.
Caminhos 67
Instruções aos autores
Formatação
Texto em Microsoft Word, fonte Times New Roman 12, espaçamento 1,5, mar-
gens padrão, parágrafo justificado.
Resumo: com até 200 palavras, com 5 a 8 palavras-chave separadas por vírgula.
Citações: entre aspas duplas, seguida do nome do autor e ano da publicação entre
parênteses. Não usar itálico: “a sombra pode ser projetada no outro se não estiver
bem integrada” (Silva, 2004, p.32).
Livro Jung, C.G. Memórias, Sonhos, Reflexões. 26ª Ed. Rio de Janeiro:
Editora Nova Fronteira, 2000.
Faixa de música - CD Caymmi, Dorival; Guinle, Carlos. Não tem solução. In: Santiago,
Emilio. Aquarela brasileira 5. Rio de Janeiro: Som Livre, 1992. 1
CD. Faixa 2.
Caminhos 69
Instruções aos autores
Envio
Avaliação e seleção
Jungian Dialogues
Abstract Keywords
This article considers some myths that illustrate, according anima-animus, types of love,
to the author's perspective, the moment that Brazil is going dynamics of conscience,
through. The mythical themes are used here not only as a crimes, reparations, soul-
support for reflection, but as a proposal to confront the collec- making
tive shadow that has emerged in our country. The author sta-
tes that the difficult answer to our crisis lies in the elaboration
of our masochistic and undervalued status as a people, whi-
ch will only be possible by strengthening consciousness in the
pattern of alterity. For this, the matriarchal (which manages
the satisfaction of basic necessities) and patriarchal archetypes
(which allows the affirmation of fundamental rights) must be
recognized and integrated into the collective consciousness.
W
e Brazilians are currently undergoing a very troublesome period, and
have seen the shadow of our nation exposed. Our guts have spilled
out, revealing the most shameful frauds, blatant lies, conspiracies,
and planned schemes, worthy of Al Capone. The worst of human nature has been
and is being revealed to a stunned and shocked people. The fierce polarization
of recent months has given way to general dismay at the disgrace with which
authorities disrespect principles and think, first and solely, about how to have
their own backs and protect their own pockets. With the good humor that we
maintain even in the worst scenarios, we are told that now we no longer divide
ourselves between coxinhas and mortadelas. We have all become pamonhas.
Pathways 71
Brazil - revisiting some myths
But this article is neither about politics, nor economics, nor is Maria Helena
it about the maladies whose effects will, as always, fall upon the Mandacarú Guerra
shoulders and stomachs of the less fortunate. In fact, I write
from this debacle in which we are all inserted (the great major- (Brazil) psychologist, master in
ity, by default), mobilized by this experience which, unfortu- clinical psychology at University
nately, is not new. It appears in various forms, in different cul- of São Paulo - USP. Professor
tures and times, in various myths. Thus, while observing this in the specialization course
horror show, I am reminded of some mythical passages. in Jungian Psychotherapy and
Body Approach since 1982.
Hinduism speaks of four great eras (yugas). Today we would Co-editor of Jung e Corpo (Jung
be living in the fourth, called Kali Yuga. At the end of this and Body) journal. Author of
era, when the darkness reaches intolerable levels, the arrival The Love Drama of C.G.Jung: As
of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Vishnu, is expected, which, Revealed in His Life and in His
according to Hinduism, arises whenever evil reigns and reach- Red Book.
es intolerable levels.
will be considered sacred, and beauty will be judged by the hairstyle of each.
To fill the belly will become the goal of life, and whoever is audacious will be
accepted as truthful. He who succeeds in maintaining the family will be con-
sidered skilled, and religious principles will be observed only because of rep-
utation. As long as the Earth fills itself with a corrupt population, whoever,
among any of the social classes, shows to be the strongest will attain polit-
ical power. Losing their wives and estates to such avaricious and inhuman
rulers, who will behave no better than ordinary thieves, citizens will flee to
the mountains and forests. Tormented by hunger and excessive taxes, men
will resort to leaves, roots, meat, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds to feed
themselves. Hit by drought, they will be completely ruined. Citizens will suf-
fer greatly from the cold, wind, heat, rain and snow. They will be tormented
still by quarrels, hunger, thirst, disease and severe anxiety.
[...] Most kings will be thieves, the occupation of men will be robbery, lies
and unnecessary violence .... (Song 12, chap. 2, verses 2 - 16)
Although this text sounds so current, it dates back to around 800 to 1000 AD. An
in-depth analysis, comparing it to our reality, is not necessary because it is obvi-
ous. I would simply like to point out the importance of the mythical symbols and
to reiterate that they sometimes point the direction to be followed, but can also
lead astray, toward tragedy; which can only be avoided through the development
of consciousness.
Perhaps an example will better explain what I mean. Let us consider the myth of
Icarus. He was imprisoned along with his father, Daedalus, in the famous maze
constructed by him to house the Minotaur. Ingenious and creative, Daedalus
created wings for himself and for his son, so that they could escape. Icarus was
warned, in vain, not to get too close to the sun, for the wings were bound with
wax and would melt in the heat. The pleasure of flying high caused the reckless
and omnipotent boy to plunge into the sea and die. The failure to elaborate his
true condition, his preparation, his limits, resulted in Icarus suffering this trag-
edy. This will repeat itself whenever we surpass the metron, the right measure.
Only the development of consciousness can change this outcome. Without it, the
outcome will inevitably reproduce that of the myth.
As analysts, we know that the search for consciousness is hard work, prone to
regression and failure. It takes a great deal of effort, determination, courage,
Pathways 73
Brazil - revisiting some myths
sensitivity and persistence to follow, with relative success, the path to develop-
ing consciousness. With each unsuccessful step, with each imprisonment in the
shadow, we regress or, at best, stagnate. This is even more true for the collective
consciousness, composed of millions of people, who easily incorporate and act
out the herd instinct.
Their one hundred children were born undifferentiated, as a single mass of flesh,
and only after being divided, placed in pots and dampened, did they appear as
people. They grew up without being seen, physically and emotionally, by the par-
ents, a harmful absence for the development of any child. They grew up impris-
oned in the shadows and, in terms of character, they represent evil, defensive
envy, pride, lack of compassion, greed and the desire for power. Blind, the parents
were unable to distinguish between the character of their children, the Kauravas,
and the character of their nephews, the five Pandavas.
As they grew up, the difference between the Kauravas and the Pandavas became
more and more accentuated. Being the children of different deities (Dharma, Indra,
Vayu, and the Aswins, the twin gods), the Pandavas carried the principles of jus-
tice within themselves, they stood out in everything they did, and were generous,
strong, virile, kind, beautiful, brave and possessed a series of positive attributes.
Among other accounts on the dispute over power in this family, the Mahabhara-
ta has a passage called The Dice Game. With rigged dice, the victory of the Kau-
ravas is guaranteed. But the cheating does not last forever, and after suffering a
few years of exile, the Pandavas heroes return and win the war. The price is a ter-
rible one, and hopefully we will not arrive at this defensive extreme: complete
destruction of the kingdom.
Faced with the present circumstances, it is impossible not to also think of the
legend of the Grail, according to which the wound of King Amfortas generated
stagnation and paralysis throughout the kingdom. To strike a ruler, the symbol
of an entire kingdom or nation, implies striking the whole that it represents.
The suffering of all, the effect of the devastated land, hurts ordinary citizens. In
the myth, the kingdom can only recover if the king is healed, and this can only
happen if the Grail, the chalice that received the blood of Christ on the cross,
is found and redeemed. This feat is carried out by Parsifal, the hero who over-
comes his initial ignorance and foolishness and recovers the ultimate symbol
of redemption. The Grail, brought by Parsifal, symbolizes the possibility of the
consciousness bringing together opposites and functioning dominantly in the
pattern of alterity.
Returning to our situation, we are, like King Amfortas and his kingdom, wound-
ed. The shadow that struck the king has affected us. Sometimes, by virtue of
Pathways 75
Brazil - revisiting some myths
repressed sexuality (Byington, 2015); other times, by the abuse of unbridled pow-
er and greed. The shadow of democracy showed itself wholeheartedly and soul-
lessly: lies, corruption, impudence, conspiracy, selfishness, demagogy appear in
torrents. And yet a Parsifal has not appeared on the horizon to redeem us – or has
not yet been recognized as such... I do not mean to say that there will be a savior
to get us out of this mess, but that the pattern of consciousness symbolized by
Parsifal will be needed to guide us henceforth, under the penalty of us not learn-
ing from the difficulties and remaining, as a people, fixed in a sadomasochistic
relationship with the same rulers, worthy representatives of the model (which
should have long been discarded) of hereditary captaincies.
Just as Parsifal redeemed Amfortas' kingdom, and just as the Hindus expect Kalki
to free them from the Kali Yuga, we Brazilians must also seek a path of hope and
salvation. Not a hero fabricated by the media, or shoved down our throats, but
someone who can actually bring a new consciousness, in which respect, consid-
eration, solidarity, compassion, and ethics are present not only in the discourse
but in the actions.
References
Pathways 77
Diálogos Junguianos. 2017; 2(2): 78-89
Original article
Abstract Keywords
This article deals with the theme of heritage as a constitutive identity, conflict, heritage,
element of identity. Every heritage is presented as a possible memory, culture, society
continuation of a finite being and, paradoxically, is a matter to
be transformed into the search for identity of every individu-
al, culture and society. The conflict between identity and heri-
tage allows for the symbolic recovery of individual and collec-
tive memory on the one hand and on the other, the fluidity of
ties. The principle of fairness in the right to inheritance and the
search for differentiation of every human permeate the process
of individuation. When this process is affected by the loss of
connection with facts, memory, ties, people who to us are also
legatees, a gap in our identity occurs.
Those who have memory are able to live in this fragile moment. Those
who do not, live nowhere.(Guzmán, 2015)
Among the many challenges humans face today, the search for inclusion and
the need for affirmation of one's own identity before an infinitely plural world
become evident. We are invited daily to restrict our identity in face of the politi-
cal and social dynamics of our community.
In the 19th century, Freud introduced by means of the notion of the uncon-
scious, the original question on the relative autonomy of the subject. The con-
cern during that century was with the necessary dominance of instincts in order
to better adapt. Jung (1986) highlighted the necessary overcoming of the ego's
arrogance of being the guardian of the psyche and the identity of the subject in
face of the demands of the self. Always linked: freedom and responsibility; the
Pathways 79
Identity and Heritage: conflicting symbols
To become a subject and find a unique identity involves not only knowledge, but
also a decision or choice. This decision includes the presence of "the other in me"
(Derrida & Roudinesco, 2004, p. 70), through an "identifying reproduction" (Der-
rida & Roudinesco, p.71) which guarantees the construction of a culture. With the
progress of science, especially of assisted reproduction, new types of kinship and
filiation emerge, as well as of family and community. New spaces and references
for choosing, taking into account individual values and the social responsibility
in the process of identity formation.
The impervious frontiers of thought emphasize the egoic need to avoid contradic-
tion and, thus, the dark aspects of our beliefs are denied. Intimacy, when reduced
to mere similarity or identification, is no longer a relationship, an exchange or
dive into the other, it becomes, instead, fused with an idea, together with the
denial of what is different and strange to us.
If we deny our ancestral heritage or, instead, merge the subject into the history of
their ancestors, seeking certainties and warding off the conflict, we fail to fulfill
the double injunction of those who inherit: on the one hand to accept the inheri-
tance and the other to behave as free subjects before it, in a creative manner.
All deconstruction, as part of the identity process, should consider the thread, the
border, even if tenuous, that separates us from each other and take care not to
sacrifice the differences. I add that this same thread that separates us is also the
bridge that allows for our resemblences. We are heirs because we are finite beings
and heritage is what calls for life to the extent that it claims a critical and trans-
forming action to make history. This critical action reframes the psychicological
dimension of the heritage that connects us to the past and enables the present.
Dubar (1998) points out two ways to address the issue of identity. A way that con-
siders the psychicological identification as preceding social categorization, and
another in which individual identities are reduced to subjective identification
with roles occupied by the subject in social settings.
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Identity and Heritage: conflicting symbols
The boundaries between identity and heritage make the heir doubly indebted: by
its past, by its origin and by a future of which it will only have flashes. Destiny,
ancestral trait, memory, reprint, transgenerational wound versus relative free-
dom of self-construction, express the symbolic conflict between identity and her-
itage. Reports of the damage caused by Nazi persecution, as reported in Paw-
el Palikowsky's movie "Ida" are examples of the importance of awakening the
pain of the soul, the reconstruction of ancestral memory and origin to rescue a
wounded identity.
Ida, while trying to rescue her own identity, leaves the Catholic convent in which
she was raised, despite her Jewish origin, and moves to the home of an aunt who
rescues the remains of her parents and brothers murdered during the the Nazis
occupation in Poland. But this attempt at self-redemption lasts a short time.
When her aunt dies, Ida returns to the house and the objects that could bring her
back to her origin, but she had lost her soul, the meaning for her existence. She
refuses to live in a society that committed the atrocities of the Holocaust. She
escapes from the memory itself, which generates the identity conflict and leaves
her powerless. Then she returns to live in the convent. She needed to forget that
she was jewish to ease her pain, distancing herself from the memories of all that
she lost, family and origin.
The poetic work of Mia Couto brings his connection to his origins, his Mozam-
bican roots, and the contradictions experienced between African connection to
the land and nature, on the one hand, and the social changes imposed by a peri-
od of European colonization, on the other. The recovery of the meanings after
the colonial period is also experienced by the poet. Mia Couto reports that, for
him, writing poetry is also a path to recovering identity1. As pointed out by Tati-
ana Caldas (2015), present in the work of the poet is "dialogue, instead of con-
frontation, between tradition and modernity" which will constitute a hybrid
identity of the Mozambican in the postcolonial period. The task imposed upon
being African is, on one hand, the recovery of ancestry and, on the other, [...]
"taking into account the ethnic, social and cultural influence of colonization."
(Caldas, T, s/d., P .19).
Identidade
Identity
Pathways 83
Identity and Heritage: conflicting symbols
linked: In the world I fight I die / In the world I fight for, I’m born. There is no sepa-
ration between self and otherness: I must be another to be myself. Past and future
are interwoven in the constitution of identity that is also where no conscious-
ness dwells, in not knowing.
Referring to the war for the liberation of Mozambique in the early 1990s in the
preface of the book Estórias Abensonhadas:
Depois da guerra, pensava eu, restavam apenas cinzas, destroços sem ínti-
mo. Tudo pesando, definitivo e sem reparo. Hoje eu sei que não é verda-
de. Onde restou o homem sobreviveu semente, sonho a engravidar o tem-
po. Esse sonho se ocultou no mais inacessível de nós, lá onde a violencia
não podía golpear, lá onde a barbárie não tinha acesso. (Couto, 2012, p. 12)
[After the war, I thought, there were only ashes, impersonal debris. All grie-
ving, definitive and without repair. Today I know it's not true. Where man
was left, seeds remained, a dream to impregnate time. This dream was con-
cealed in the most inaccessible part of us, where violence could not strike,
where barbarism had no access].
The psychoanalytic care of patients who were victims of the abuse of power, for
example, those who were deprived of their original territory and the recognition
of their ethnic origin, demonstrates the existential void left by the deprivation of
the right to inheritance, which is also a mortal blow to dignity and identity.
Ancestral heritage and personal identity are linked, but do not overlap. The psy-
chological factor in ancestral memory – the Anthropos, the archetypal core of the
human being – is present in the mythical and spiritual heritage and in the sym-
bols of a culture. Personal identity is linked archetypally to the memory of ances-
tors, which is also present in our founding myths, be it from an ethnic group, a
family group or individual subject. Only through a symbolic dive into individual
and collective history may we rescue what is essential in our nature. It is crucial
to the recovery of memory: the secrets, the gaps, the corpses that have been hid-
Pathways 85
Identity and Heritage: conflicting symbols
den, the lies that were told, the mythical elements of reconnection with history.
According to Gambini, "even if the material conditions of life remain relatively
preserved, a group disappears as such if its mythological dimension is destroyed."
(2000, p. 147).
And so it is with each individual. The search for origin, from a starting point, is a
natural movement of the psyche that casts us as finite beings and heirs to a histo-
ry which precedes our task of transforming the present and participating in the
construction of a future identity.
The encounter with the remains of a family member is also the encounter with his-
tory and, for some of them, the reason to continue living. Archeology and astrono-
my are both immersed in the Atacama desert in search of "origin". This journey acti-
vates the archetypal memory, either at an "ethnological level, in the form of myths"
(Jung, 2003, p. 137), or in the individual itself, in the form of fantasies and images.
In this desert, the element that separates the astronomer (who studies the galaxy
in search of other possible life forms) from the individual in mourning (seeking the
remains of a loved one disappeared in the Atacama) is the nature of the emotion-
al ties and memory which connect them to their respective missions, since, in the
case of the latter, the search for rescue of origin was triggered by a traumatic event,
the disappearance of a loved one. The reparation of a loss, of an absence, as well as
the search for a meaning to go on living, dominate the consciousness of a grieving
individual who was arbitrarily deprived of burying the dead. However, in both sit-
uations, identity and alterity appear necessarily linked.
Chilean women are immersed in this sandy desert looking for their relatives.
They seek identity in the remains of loved ones who were killed, walking gen-
tly (as can be seen in Guzmán's documentary) not to hurt any mortal remnant of
their heritage.
Only a finite being inherits, and its finitude forces it to. It forces it to receive
what is bigger, older, more powerful and longer lasting than it. But the same
finitude obliges it to choose, to prefer, to sacrifice, to exclude, to put aside.
(Derrida, 2004, p. 14).
This work was also motivated by the observation of the identity conflict of the
generation born between 1980 and 1990 in Brazil, faced with the task of tracing
goals and making choices. Here, the conflict between tradition and modernity
seems present.
The relationship with heritage is assumed here as a source of despair and, hence,
a tendency to deny it and to remain in a kind of idealized virtual identity where
expectations are high. Something similar to the dynamic of the superhero hov-
ering over human limitations and failures, in this case, of history itself, magical-
ly attempting to overcome it. However, since every Spiderman must land from
time to time, the feeling of dissatisfaction arrises, and at last, comes depression.
On the other hand, the lack of security regarding the future is also accompanied
by a nostalgic longing to return to one’s roots and rescue the references that legit-
imized the individual identity of the ancestors.
When fear and insecurity become predominant, rituals and values of collective
consciousness can be incorporated as guarantees of identity, in an almost mimet-
ic condition – a process in which individuality surrenders to collectivity, as with-
in oppressive regimes.
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Identity and Heritage: conflicting symbols
Hence the idea that the best way to be faithful to a heritage is being unfaith-
ful to it, that is, to not receive it literally, as a totality, but rather to surprise
its failures, to capture its “dogmatic moment”. (Derrida cited Roudinesco,
2004, p. 11).
References
Forbes, J. Você quer o que você deseja? Rio de Janeiro: Editora Best Seller Ltda,
2005.
Gambini, R. Espelho índio: a formação da alma brasileira. São Paulo: Axis Mun-
di, Terceiro Nome, 2000.
Jung, C.G. Os Arquétipos e o inconsciente coletivo. OC, vol IX/1, Petrópolis: Voz-
es, 2003.
Pathways 89
Diálogos Junguianos. 2017, 2(2):90-95
Biography
Nise da Silveira
Images of the Unconscious
Emmanoel Fenelon S. Câmara
Abstract Keywords
A short biography of Nise da Silveira (1905-1999), a Brazilian psychotic, image, art, museum
psychiatrist who developed expressive approaches in paint- of the unconscious, treatment
ing with chronic psychotic patients in a psychiatric institution, humanization
promoting clinical improvement and revealing true artists. She
had theoretical basis in Jungian psychology, which she is con-
sidered to have introduced in Brazil. She also created the Muse-
um of Images of the Unconscious.
N
ise da Silveira was born on February 15, 1905, in Maceió. She is an only
child. Her father, Faustino Magalhães da Silveira, was a mathematics
professor and her mother, Maria Lydia da Silveira, an excellent pianist.
Her father enjoyed literature and collaborated in a newspaper opposing the state
oligarchy. Her mother also enjoyed reading and promoted soirées at home. Lack-
ing piano skills, but very studious, and under the influence of her father's stu-
dents, she enrolled at the School of Medicine of Bahia at the age of 16. She was
the only woman in a class of 157 students. She graduated in 1926, with the the-
sis entitled Essay on the criminality of women in Brazil and then married the sani-
tarian Mário Magalhães da Silveira (1905-1986), who was her classmate and with
whom she would remain married to until his death. The couple decided not to
have children. Shortly after her graduation, her father passed away suddenly and
Nise moved to the capital, Rio de Janeiro (1927).
In the 1930s, amidst the political and cultural effervescence of the time, she par-
ticipated in the Brazilian Feminine Union, read Karl Marx, attended the meet-
ings of the Brazilian Communist Party and signed the Manifesto of the intellectu-
al workers to the Brazilian people. She was, however, expelled from the party under
the accusation of Trotskyism.
In 1933, she passed a public examination and was assigned to work at the Psycho-
paths and Prophylaxis Assistance Service, known as Praia Vermelha Hospital, which
She was released in June 1937, but removed from public service
for political reasons. In November, the New State of Exception
regime began. During seven years, Nise dedicated herself to
reading, especially Espinoza, and under the real threat of a new
imprisonment, she traveled throughout the Northeast of Bra-
zil, all the way to Manaus, to meet her husband.
Pathways 91
Nise da Silveira - Images of the Unconscious
therapy, and cardiazol therapy) and opposed the use of straitjackets and isola-
tion. She was then assigned to the Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation
Sector, which at the time was discredited and led by "servants," who in practice
only oversaw inmates who performed cleaning duties and took dirty laundry to
the laundry room.
Nise believed that the affectivity of the chronic psychotics, most of them with
many years of hospitalization, in mutism, was still alive and that they could find
in images a means of expressing themselves and of elaborating their psychic con-
tents. She created, in 1946, a studio where they could paint, without models,
without anything being suggested to them and without the intervention of third
parties. She also wanted the environment to be welcoming, not hostile, inspir-
ing feelings of freedom. Other activities, like modeling, theater, music and book-
binding workshop would also be developed. She introduced dogs and cats as well,
which the inmates could have contact with and develop ties, which sometimes
led to startling reactions. She considered the animals to be real co-therapists.
With a small build and an expressive face, this combative doctor was not inhibit-
ed by the resistance to her innovations.
In 1947, the first exhibition of inmate's works was held at the Ministry of Educa-
tion, with unexpected positive repercussions by important art critics. In 1949, a
second exhibition was held, in the great hall of the Museum of Modern Art in São
Paulo. The famous critic Mario Pedrosa said:
The artists of Engenho de Dentro overcome any respect for established aca-
demic conventions and all routines of naturalistic and photographic vision.
None of them take into consideration academic prescriptions (Pedrosa in
Enciclopédia Itaú, 2017).
The activities not only produced works of art, but also had repercussions on the
clinical improvement of patients, many of whom began expressing themselves,
became more pragmatic and had less crises.
With a large volume of works, and the positive receptivity of society, the Museum
of Images of the Unconscious was inaugurated in 1952, which now has more than
360,000 works – the largest collection of its kind in the world – a third of which
is protected by the National Artistic Heritage.
Having also studied other authors (Kraepelin, Bleuler, Kurt Schneider, Freud), it
was in Jung that Nise found the best basis for studying her inmates' productions:
"The most important event in my quest for the dynamism of the psyche was the
encounter with Jungian psychology" (Silveira, 1981, p.11). Noticing a large number
of mandalas in the production of the inmates, Nise wrote a letter to Jung in 1954,
in which she attached photos of them, inquiring about their meaning. The Swiss
master was very interested, asked to keep the photos and a short but productive
correspondence began between them.
In 1956, Nise da Silveira founded Casa das Palmeiras in Tijuca, to provide daily
care to psychiatric patients without hospitalization or restriction of liberty, a true
precursor of today's open care units.
In 1957, she went to Zurich, on a scholarship, at the invitation of Jung (she would
study there in 1957/58 and in 1961/62), under the orientation of Marie-Louise von
Franz. In June of that year, she was invited by Jung to his residence, where he
encouraged her to study mythology to better understand the inmates' produc-
tions. In September of 1957, in Zurich, during the II International Congress of
Psychiatry, Nise organized the exhibition Schizophrenia in images, with five galler-
ies of paintings by artists from the Museum of Images of the Unconscious, inau-
gurated by Jung himself, who said:
In 1958, Nise formalized the C. G. Jung Study Group, which had been meeting since
1955, with the participation of other professionals and analysts such as Ewald
Soares Mourão and João Baptista Bandeira de Mello, studying the few available
works by Jung. The study group created the journal Quaternio (1965).
In 1968, Nise published her first book, which would also be her most outstand-
ing work, Jung: Life and Work; Jung's first biography published in Brazil, current-
ly in its 21st edition.
Pathways 93
Nise da Silveira - Images of the Unconscious
Nise was forced to retire in 1974, but continued to attend the studio at Pedro II
Hospital. She was then able to write more and published several books such as
Occupational Therapy: Theory and Practice (1979), Images of the Unconscious (1981),
in which she gives an interesting account of her experience with schizophre-
nia and analytical psychology, The Museum of Images of the Unconscious - History
(1980), The world of images (1992), among others.
In the 1980s, there was growing interest in the work of the Museum of Images of
the Unconscious, with shows, exhibitions and documentaries. In 1987, the film-
maker Leon Hirszman filmed, Unconscious Images, a 205-minute documentary
written by Nisa da Silveira, in which the history and work of three artists are pre-
sented: Adelina Gomes, Fernando Diniz and Carlos Pertuis. These and other art-
ists, such as Arthur Amora Raphael and Emygdio de Barros, received artistic rec-
ognition abroad as well.
Nise da Silveira died on October 30, 1999, at the age of 94. In the year 2000, the
former National Psychiatric Center / Pedro II Hospital was renamed Nise da Sil-
veira Municipal Institute.
References
Motta, A.A. Psicologia analítica no Brasil: contribuições para a sua história. Dis-
sertação de Mestrado. São Paulo: Pontifícia Universidade Católica, 2005.
Ramos, G. Memórias do Cárcere. 45ª edição. Editora Record: São Paulo, 2011.
Pathways 95
Diálogos Junguianos. 2017; 2(2): 96-108
Original article
Abstract Keywords
In pursuit of the nuclei of our individual psychic processes, ego, archetype, instinct, spirit,
we can reach the collective standards of humanity, called intuition, conflict.
archetypes in Jung's analytical psychology, which move both
at the "end" directly attached to the instincts and at the oppo-
site pole, often referred to as the spirit. This paper intends to
make some considerations about this intriguing territory in
which the "deepest" finds the "highest", which beckons to the
difficult challenges faced by the ego in having to deal with the
forces that exercise on it from all sides, and to the rich possibi-
lities inherent in a welcoming relation of the ego to the other
aspects of the totality of which it is part.
Introduction
It would seem logical, in any study of the human psyche, to begin with the sup-
posedly simpler basic phenomena and to "rise" through the stages of complexi-
ty, to reach the limits of reason, to the "top" of a full, healthy life, conductive to
realizing the potential of the individual within society. In analytical psychology,
however, it is the plunge into the depths that leads to heights.
Therefore, we have here actually the final proof for the unity of matter. All
the elementary particles are made of the same substance, which we may
call energy or universal matter; they are just different forms in which mat-
ter can appear (Heisenberg, p.107).
In this article, we will depart from the "I" and highlight the
bands of transition to other psychic dimensions which it inter-
acts with. We will use conceptual beacons categorized by Jung
– ego, instinct, archetype, spirit – in order to shed more light
on the possibility of using deep psychology to achieve the high-
est human potential.
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Instinct and Spirit: from adversaries to partners
The "I" is the main character of any investigation. The most intuitive psycholog-
ical concept at all times was probably the idea of an "I". How to characterize it?
How to delimit it? The "I" seems to consist of a center of perceptions, memories,
emotions and actions, a camera that records everything around it, minus its lens,
a mirror that can reflect everything around it, even the reflection of its image, but
cannot reflect itself.
Janet regarded the self as the conscious personality. For him, the narrowing of the
field of consciousness steers the other personalities toward a kind of autonomy
(Laplanche e Pontalis, p.126).
In conceptualizing the ego, Freud sought to take into account the difficulty in
finding a univocal meaning for this complex psychic reality.
"Freud not only finds and uses classical meanings, opposing, for example,
the organism to the environment, the subject to the object, the interior to
the exterior, as he uses the word Ich at these different levels, even playing
with the ambiguity in using it. This shows that he does not exclude from
its field any of the meanings attributed to the terms ego (moi) or I (je) [Ich]"
(Laplanche e Pontalis, p.125).
For Jung, the ego is the center of consciousness, is both content and condition
of consciousness, and is not to be confused with the totality of the psyche – the
Self. A psychic element is conscious insofar as it relates to the complex of the ego.
The functioning of all psychic instances spends energy. One part of the psychic
energy is unconsciously directed, while another part is at the disposition of the
ego, which drives it by choice – what we know as will.
By directing its will to the chosen targets, the ego is influenced by its conscious
perceptions, that is, its perception and interpretation of the outer and inner
worlds – grounded in the innate and unconscious patterns of apprehension
which constitute the archetypes, whose products, in the moment they reach con-
sciousness, become intuitions. It is according to these perceptions that the ego
acts upon reality.
Just as conscious perceptions ultimately have an unconscious basis, there are also
actions carried out by the use of the will, and others practiced in spite of the ego,
unconsciously.
Instinct is a word that has taken on several nuances in colloquial language, some
of which are impregnated with valuing connotations. We are trying here to res-
cue the meaning of this word, built on the foundations of empiricism within ana-
lytical psychology. We have some indirect awareness of instinct by observing the
instinctive behavior of others. In general, the subject himself can only identify his
Pathways 99
Instinct and Spirit: from adversaries to partners
Alongside instinctual activities, there are others ones, learned and automated
by constant practice (Jung, 1981, §268). Mostly unconscious, the latter can reach
consciousness once the circuit from the reception of a stimulus to the emission
of a response has been completed (Jung, 1981, §955). If the impulse is "deflected
to an endopsychic activity" (Jung, 1981, §241), the subsequent action is endowed
with a certain degree of freedom and unpredictability.
In addition to intuitions that derive from learning, Jung identifies innate, inher-
ited intuitions, which he calls "archetypes of perception and apprehension", com-
mon to all mankind and therefore, part of the collective unconscious.
In this "deeper" stratum [the collective unconscious] we also find the a pri-
ori, inborn forms of "intuition," namely the archetypes of perception and
apprehension, which are the necessary a priori determinants of all psychic
processes (Jung, 1981, §270).
and the drive to act are not so easy to distinguish in reality, although they are in
theory. The perception of danger and the impulse to protect oneself often appear
as one. There are situations where the details of the danger are only understood
after a safety condition has been reached.
A patient, living the fourth decade of his life, revealed how much he was impressed
to discover that he tended to see special qualities in women who attracted him
– even without knowing them. He could not say whether he saw these qualities
because he was drawn to them, or whether, conversely, he was attracted to the
attributes he perceived in them. When he had the opportunity to interact with
them in a more assiduous coexistence, his perceptions were often confirmed. If
he came to the conclusion that he had been mistaken, the attraction could both
disappear or continue. This issue might entail at least two explanations: first, if
admiration was the basis for the approaching impulse, the attraction would dis-
appear with the vanishing of the former; but if intense desire created the percep-
tion of extraordinary qualities, an evident absence of such qualities would be dis-
regarded by the continuity of desire – probably because desire was instinctive or
determined by meaningful and forgotten experiences still active in the personal
unconscious; secondly, the events between the initial impulse towards the wom-
an and the subsequent conclusions about her could present more or less rele-
vance to the subject and determine the maintenance or the loss of his interest.
As we approach the archetypal dimensions, the psychic contents become less pre-
cise and mobilize more energy intensity. Consciousness does not find an exact
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Instinct and Spirit: from adversaries to partners
line separating one archetype from another and therefore cannot quantify its
number either. However, assuming the essential oneness of the psyche leads us
to admit that a total archetype lies at the base of all archetypes. Jung calls it, with
a capital letter,
[…] the "Spirit" as ever it was, [...] the totality of primary forms from which
the archetypal images come. In this world of the collective unconscious
spirit appears as an archetype which is endowed with supreme significance
and is expressed through the figure of the divine hero, whose counterpart
in the West is Christ (Jung, 1990a, §641).
We should not, however, confuse the archetype - only perceptible to the psyche
in an indirect way, by means of images - with the reality to which it refers and
which lies beyond any perception. It would be to fall into anthropomorphism, to
attribute status of reality, exclusively, to what had access – direct or indirect – to
human perception. The archetype presents itself to consciousness as a limited
image, which, however, retains its unconscious force and is therefore character-
ized as a symbol. How is the symbol that translates an archetype chosen? Is this
choice instinctive? Spiritual?
The use of the term "natural process" seems to avoid the dichotomy between
instinct and spirit, admitting that the nature of things involves both facets of
reality, made of opposites that are not excluded but presupposed.
This antithesis reminds us of the ego, the psychic instance in charge of manag-
ing the conflicts between instincts and spirit, whenever the opposition between
them mobilizes a sufficient amount of energy to activate consciousness and
demand Minerva's vote, which will determine the investment of the free energy
which is at the disposal of the ego in the form of will. This will make the balance
swing to one side and characterize the egoic decision. However,
[...] the will cannot transgress the bounds of the psychic sphere: it cannot
coerce the instinct, nor has it power over the spirit, in so far as we under-
stand by this something more than the intelect. Spirit and instinct are by
nature autonomous and both limit in equal measure the applied field of the
will (Jung, 1981, §379)
The nature of instinct is as unknown as that of the spirit. Nor can it be said that
the instinct – well understood – is spirit, or that spirit reveals itself in the form of
instinct. "They are terms which we posit for powerful forces whose nature we do
not know" (Jung, 1989a, §776).
Although instinct and spirit are opposites, one is not confused with the simple
negation of the other. If this were so, it would be enough to deny the instincts to
fully satisfy the demands of the spirit. We know very well that attempts of this
nature lead only to neuroses. Neither can they be regarded as aspects of the same
thing, otherwise total surrender to the instincts would accomplish the spirit and
vice versa. It is not about idealizing one side as being good to the detriment of
the other, considered bad.
For the sake of idealization the archaic features of the self are represented
as being separate from the "higher" self, as for instance Mephistopheles in
Goethe, Epimetheus in Spitteler, and in Christian psychology the devil or
Antichrist. In Nietzsche, Zarathustra discovered his shadow in the “Ugliest
Man” (Jung, 1990b, §706).
What would equate the lower part of the Self with the devil would not be the fact
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Instinct and Spirit: from adversaries to partners
of being inferior, but of being separate from the "higher" Self, of acting autono-
mously. Complexes that split off from the ego take advantage, so to speak, of any
lowering of consciousness to take over. It is evident that this type of "coup d'état"
can only be dysfunctional, sickly, since health is the integrated functioning of
the parts that make up the totality of being.
Is not there an instinct that drives us toward the spirit? Is it not the spirit that
allows us to recognize and discover the value of instinct? It is important here to
emphasize that spirit is not used in any religious sense or associated with beliefs,
but as the condition that allows us to represent reality for ourselves and to act
deliberately with some degree of independence from instinct.
The conceptual distinction only exists to emphasize that instinct has an “unmis-
takably physiological aspect. Its existence or nonexistence seems to be bound
up with the hormones. Its functioning has a compulsive character", whereas the
spirit – as presented here – is a part “best described as psychic and is moreover
sensed as such, has lost its compulsive character”, can even be “applied in a man-
ner contrary to the original instinct” (Jung, 1981, §376).
The harmony between instinct and spirit results from the respect for both. There
is only an excess in one of the polarities when the other is neglected.
Jung returns the instinctual and spiritual phenomena to the totality that includes
them, after having described in the most meticulous manner possible to him the
dynamic shades that this reality assumed when falling under his watchful eye.
under its influence; at another, it slides along to the other end where spirit
predominates and even assimilates the instinctual processes most opposed
to it (Jung, 1981, §408).
The integration, within the totality of Being, between the instinctive and spiri-
tual forces is never achieved in an absolutely identical way in two different indi-
viduals. It is a creator and creative process, which Jung called individuation.
Instincts are in charge of conducting life there, where consciousness has not
yet developed enough to assume, at least in part, such an important function.
Does consciousness develop by instinct? By the spirit despite the instinct? In
their relations with consciousness, instincts first combat it, and in this strug-
gle they are now winners, now defeated. With maturation, any victory is also a
defeat, because both occur in the same individual. Finally, these opposites can be
overcome by the transcendent function, which creates a new condition capable
of including opposites without confusing them, capable of distinguishing them
without reciprocal exclusion.
This is what happens very frequently about the midday of life, and in this
wise our miraculous human nature enforces the transition that leads from
the first half of life to the second. It is a metamorphosis from a state in
which man is only a tool of instinctive nature, to another in which he is
no longer a tool, but himself: a transformation of nature into culture, of
instinct into spirit (Jung, 1991, §335).
In such a condition, the spirit takes the instinct to its most harmonious expres-
sion, and the instinct becomes the concretization of the spirit. This is not an easy
goal to achieve. On the contrary, its description here equates to a point of con-
vergence which is never fully reached, however much we approach it, but which
guides our steps.
Conclusion
Reppressing or suppressing one of the pairs of opposites opens the way to their
disconnection and autonomy and to a possible possession of the personali-
ty by the rejected side. Unilateral solutions – which take into account only the
instinct or the spirit – cause a split and the perpetuation of the conflict between
a conscious and an unconscious part. In conflicts of this nature too much ener-
Pathways 105
Instinct and Spirit: from adversaries to partners
gy is wasted in immobilizer tensions, which become all the more painful as they
become more intense. Pain has the effect of attracting the focus of attention, but
there is no guarantee that the pain-induced urgency leads to an adequate reading
of what motivated it. Suffering is, so to speak, a request for instinctive and arche-
typal help, which only quiets when understood and answered to. The symbols
that express the archetype need to enrich perception, to transform conscious-
ness, to withdraw it from its one-sidedness, so that the necessary redirection of
behavior takes place.
The pain and the circumstances in which conflicts occur are exposed in the anal-
ysis, such as the patient perceives them. This self-exposition – called confession by
Jung – is facilitated by the trust built between analyst and patient. Through the
effort of elucidation, the work of analysis proposes to examine the material provided
in the confession, to deepen, to enlarge and, if necessary, to re-elaborate its under-
standing. This process leads to education, a stage in which new perceptions arise
and alternative paths of action are presented. Confession, elucidation and educa-
tion are aimed at enabling the transformation of both the personality – by releas-
ing its own potential and enriching its possibilities – and by attitudes, by overcom-
ing its stereotypes. The four stages of work may alternate or coincide, according to
the course followed by the therapeutic process (Jung, 1985 - Chapter V).
options, or they trigger automatic responses, as alternative patterns have not yet
been consolidated by the adoption of new attitudes.
Freed from its fears and its imprisoning guilts through analysis, capable of iden-
tifying the manifestation of forces that request it in opposite directions, able to
move from blind and unilateral choices to attitudes that respect the totality of
being, the ego performs its part in clearing its channels of communication with
the Self, becomes graced with the torrent of psychic energy that brings fertili-
ty into individual and relational life. Being makes its potential germinate with
exuberance.
References
Pathways 107
Instinct and Spirit: from adversaries to partners
____ The Development of Personality. Collected Works. Vol. 17. Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1991.
____ The Practice of Psychotherapy. Collected Works. Vol. 16. Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press, 1985.
____ The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche. Collected Works. Vol. 8. Princ-
eton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1981.
____ The Symbolic Life. Collected Works. Vol. 18. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Uni-
versity Press, 1989b.
Abstract Keywords
Text with personal proposition on the meaning of life, it for- meaning of life, freedom,
mulates the concept of structuring of conscience, according humanization, self-
to T. Chardin, it talks about how to know oneself to be with knowledgement, defenses
God and, as a consequence, to have a more significant partici-
pation in the collective; it makes considerations about detach-
ment, freedom, with references to the Jewish Exodus and the
Pesach; the search for self-knowledge and defenses; in Plato,
the choice we have come for.
T
his work was presented at the XXXI Boitata, held at Sitio da Grande
Paineira, in São José dos Campos, in July 2017. The theme for the meet-
ing was The Meaning of Life. After expressing my wishes that we cele-
brate life, joy, companionship, the pleasure of exchange, the creativity of encoun-
ters, the enthusiasm of the discoveries that the presence of the other allows us to
experience, I gave my proposals.
The gathering we participated in was aimed at talking about the search for under-
standing, the demands for sharing the discoveries that occupy and brighten our
lives, as well as frighten us and, essentially, to discuss the need for us to identify
ourselves in the other, with the other and by the other!
According to Psychology, the purpose of life is to develop the Ego, what let it
(Ego) feels very noble. For Teilhard de Chardin (1994), the purpose of nature is
the formation of consciousness. What is most fascinating is that for the Jesu-
it master, Chardin, nature becomes humanized when it forges consciousness,
going from mineral instance until reaching the climax – human being – and in it
achieving totality, that is, awareness of knowing oneself to be one with God.
In order to do so, one must collaborate, share what one has and what one is,
accepting differences, becoming the one who is a teacher and a disciple, passing
the torch of knowledge, compassion, love and responsibility. It will be necessary
to work for the world to become a community of minds that come up with ideas
and ideals to reach the stars.
Pathways 109
The meaning of life
Maria Zelia de The forge of consciousness will always be the symbol, activat-
Alvarenga ing and updating the symbolic function in all; this symbol-
ic function will be the goal of the process of education and,
(Brazil) is a psychiatrist through this route, we will be able to walk towards individu-
and Jungian analyst at the ation.
Brazilian Society of Analytical
Psychology, affiliated with the One of the best proposals regarding the process of knowing
International Association for oneself, which gives and brings meaning to life, implies cultivat-
Analytical Psychology - SBrPA ing detachment. Thus, if we detach ourselves, we can endure
/ IAAP. Specialist in mythology, the sacrifice of what imprisons us, such as: accommodation,
she is the author of Symbolic laziness, excuses, any kind of depositing of responsibility in
Mythology - Structures of the the other.
Psyche and Mystical Regencies, What imprisons us sounds as if our rights were an acquisition
The Grail: Artur and his knights, of our condition of freedom. And, the loss of these supposed
among others. She has a rights is translated as mutilation, as delusion. When, however,
private practice in São José dos we rid ourselves of these enslavements, that is, our supposed
Campos-SP and coordinates the rights, we can walk to the Self in search of the sacred coniunc-
Boitatá Studies Group. tio.
Email:
The biblical story, so full of teachings, contains the most
[email protected]
meaningful accounts. Among these many stories, we are faced
with the episode of the Jews departure from Egypt, which took
place around 1440 BC. For the Hebrews, Egypt meant impris-
onment, slavery. And, as we know, the most important feeling
to human beings of varying cultures, is freedom.
Still with regards to the biblical story, the Greek word Exodus
alludes to leave captivity, that is, to leave the place where one
does not fit anymore, because if one stays there, it will imply
suffocation, numbness, until one becomes mentally disorient-
ed. We find examples of this in drugs, in the dependence of
the virtual, in the excesses of food, drink, cult of the body, etc.
es resulting from the loss of the objects of love. When we do not leave the narrow
place, we become slaves.
To celebrate this moment of exodus, back then, the Jews took an immaculate
lamb and kept it for days and days, close to the family, with the children, in the
house, thus generating affection for the animal. After this time of bonding, the
lamb was sacrificed and eaten by the entire family. The ritual was meant to give
the full experience of the sacrifice that brought about the pain of the loss of the
beloved object, experienced when leaving Egypt.
Thus, freedom implies, concretely and symbolically, suffering the loss of the
object of love, that is, freeing ourselves from our possessions.
On the other hand, the Pesach, which occurred on 14 Nissan of 1440 BC, means
"to pass over," that is, the moment when the angel of death passes over the house
of whose door had the mark of blood of the lamb. Thus, provided that what is
dear and precious is sacrificed, God will receive and protect.
Sharing, like companion, the one with whom one break bread with, means divid-
ing what we have and sharing with others. Sharing is also living the same space
with the other. It is to share what I have, what I am, with my companions.
Christ's proposition is unprecedented for cultivating in the human being the con-
dition of detachment from the object of love. With this, Christ also places him-
self in the condition of an object of love and, above all, as a creature who, in lov-
ing humans, saves us in sacrificing himself. Salvation entails that mankind loves
Him and therefore desires Him!
Plato, in his Socratic dialogue Symposium suggests, as one of the speakers says,
that love is the expression of desire for what we do not have. Christ, however, puts
himself into the condition of being the desire of what we can have. By institut-
ing the Eucharist, he made it possible for us to have it as many times as we wish.
Pathways 111
The meaning of life
understand ourselves as divine? Is this the great force of Eros' demand that impels
us to the pursuit of completeness? If completeness implies that we become aware
that the divine is an instance of our totality, and that consciousness represents
self-knowledge, then, if we are fully aware, this consciousness will be translated
by the condition of being continuously and constantly in relation to the other,
whatever it may be. If so, the greatest discovery shall be:
I believe everyone has already heard me speak of when I was in the second year of
medical school, when I smelled of anatomy lab, formaldehyde, and was a big sup-
porter of JUC – a strong movement at Pinheiros – and I have unforgettable mem-
ories of the Masses at São Bento church. So, while I was in college, I attended a
religion class with a nun from the group of Mother Cristina, from Sedes Sapi-
entiae. The nun was a doctor in Theology and Philosophy. I, an ignorant medi-
cal student, was the only participant in the class. There, the nun asked me what I
understood or thought about freedom! I do not know what I said, but I must have
spoken about coming and going and thinking, disagreeing or whatever. Well, the
nun looked at me and after a while she said:
Bothered by the paradox that the blessed ego cannot understand, I never went
back to that class. Perhaps I have lived for more than thirty or forty years, to come
to the conclusion that freedom is choosing God – a truth that I live today, I know
and confirm – the greatest meaning of life is to be free and to be free implies choos-
ing God, which means detaching myself from all that I have. To be attached is to be
enslaved. We do not own anything; possessions are an illusion, maya.
Life gives us gifts. The demand for work is inherent to nature and involves inter-
acting, creating, transforming something related to the collective. To become a
The greatest of all goals being the search for knowledge, the search for knowing
oneself, is achieved when we encounter the Other as an instance of ourselves,
with which we find the Divine in us: the One who inhabits us, He who compris-
es us, the One who makes the human condition come true in all of us: this is the
meaning of life!
Storytelling is a big part of our activity: we tell stories to our children and then
to our grandchildren, we tell stories to our friends and to our clients, we tell sto-
ries when we write or when we give lectures, when we write poetry, make music
or paint!
We tell stories!
And whenever we tell them, even without being aware of what we do, we speak of
the meaning of life, for we express ourselves through symbols that speak of goals,
of existential projects, of promised futures! And so, we find that all the mythi-
cal, epic, religious texts, all without exception, speak of the meaning of life, they
speak of the goals to be sought and, to find them we will face necessary confron-
tations with the shadow.
When we tell stories, we speak of real facts, we speak of myths, but above all we
speak of the mystic condition contained in the teachings transmitted. And so,
the ethical precepts, the moral values, the commitments we have and carry on
account of our cultural heritage reveal themselves, propagate themselves, deepen
and forge our families, resulting in a better society!
We speak of what we know, what we learn, what we inherit, what mobilizes us,
what we believe, we speak of our ideals, our purposes!
Hardly, however, do we speak of our mistakes, our failures, our betrayals to our-
selves and to others. We hardly speak of our arrogance, our intemperance, our
outbursts of anger, our lies, our avarice, our concupiscence, our lust, our sins.
And among the many sins we have and carry, I realize that one of the worst, in my
opinion, is omission, not doing for the other!
Our mistakes are our deviations, inattention, distractions, those times when we
Pathways 113
The meaning of life
I think, however, that our mistakes are moments that lead and propose reflec-
tions so that we can renew our contract with life. If we are here, we have chosen
to be here. Recalling Plato (1970), in the tenth song of The Republic, when Socrates
dialogues with Glaucon and, in recounting the myth of Er, speaks of the choices
of destinies that we all make, of the waters of Lethe river that we drink and forget
what we came for. Socrates concludes: "But we (referring to himself and Glaucon)
have drank little, not to forget what we have chosen." We are here, therefore, with
our pains and our joys because we chose to be here!
In this sacred moment in which we are gathered, and which we do for good, when
the Divine is among us and manifests itself, so that we may revere it, let us make
of our gathering a time of transformation, of exchanging love, of celebrating and
of dancing, of declaring passions, of being sure that life is worth it! Perhaps we
can also make this gathering a time of confession, whether it be silent or through
loving embraces!
The meaning of life is to walk toward the goal for which we have come! In order
to do it well, let's make it happen!
References
Essential glossary
References
Pathways 115
Essential glossary
feelings. Like the anima, it is the archetype par excellence of relationship, the
guide and mediator in the relation between the ego and the unconscious and
the other. The richness of this important archetype lies in the multiple and
powerful expressions of the masculine in all its aspects, being strongly linked
to inspiration and creativity. The process of integrating the animus consists
in recognizing it in its manifestations of the masculine image of the psyche
itself, such as those occurring in dreams and in active imagination. The animus
is sometimes identified as the spirit, or as the representation of the uncon-
scious itself. There are significant theoretical variants as to its conception.
References
Jung C.G. Two essays on analytical psychology (CW, Vol VII), §§ 296-304.
Jung C.G. Aion (CW, Vol. IX-2), §§ 20-42.
References
Pathways 117
Essential glossary
References
ego – from the Greek ἐγώ, “I”. In German, das Ich. Complex factor with
which all conscious contents are related and which constitutes the center
of the field of consciousness. It has a high degree of continuity and identi-
ty, structuring the reference of oneself. Synonymous with "I" and also referred
to as ego complex, since it concentrates considerable psychic energy on a
network of correlated contents and dynamics. It is the center of conscious-
ness and should not be confused with the center or wholeness of the psyche.
References
References
References
Jung, C.G Two essays on analytical psychology (CW Vol. VII), §§ 243-253; 269
and 305-308.
Jung, C.G The archetypes and the collective unconscious (CW IX-1), § 221
Self – in Jung´s work in German, Das Selbst. It is the central archetype of the
psyche, which governs the other archetypes and at the same time is the totality
of the psyche. The psychic images through which it is expressed correspond to
the divinity, to the sacred, to the unknowable, to the supreme being far beyond
human, to the Philosopher's Stone, among others. Carlos Byington makes a
Pathways 119
Essential glossary
References
References
Referências
Jung, C.G. Two essays on analytical psychology (CW VII), §§ 97-120 and §§
202-220.
Pathways 121
In dialogue
We hope that this space be fertile in exchanges and creativity, with letters, information news and topics of interest.
In this issue, we present some of the many congratulations we received for the initiative of Jungian Dialogues and
we have reported on some events. Feel free to contribute!
Book Launches
With each passing year, Jungian literature increases in volume and quality. 2017
was a prolific year in the appearance of new works by Jungian analysts in Brazil.
We had the launch of important works such as (we have translated the titles for
better understanding, however, none are available in English):
Livia e Guma ou a história que Jorge conta e eu reconto navegando nos mares jungui-
anos [Livia and Guma or the story that Jorge tells and I retell sailing in the Jung-
ian seas], by Ana Suely Vieira (Iglu publishing house);
Etapas da família – quando a tela nos espelha [Family stages - when the screen
mirrors us], organized by Marfiza Reis (Appris publishing house), with texts by
twelve analysts;
Os Animais e a psique – volume 2 [Animals and the Psyche - Volume 2], by Denise
Ramos and others (Summus publishing house).
Eranois
The sixth edition of Eranois, a meeting of analysts from the 8th graduating class
of the Brazilian Society of Analytical Psychology (SBrPA), took place in Baru-
eri, São Paulo, on August 19, with the theme Friendship - the multiple faces of the
fraternal archetype. The creative presentations of analysts such as Mário Catel-
li, Dora Eli, Deusa Robles, Elizabeth Gimael, Ana Suely Vieira, Durval Luiz de
Faria, Laura Villares de Freitas and Carolina Luz took place in an atmosphere of
joyful reunion. The event ended with a workshop coordinated by Paula Esteves
and Grayce Vilas Boas, entitled The archetype of the fraternal. Without any previ-
ous arrangement, practically all the presentations had a strong emphasis on top-
ics related to art, music and literature, connected with the central theme of the
event, revealing perhaps that one of the facets of the fraternal is the artistic. The
7th edition of Eranois will take place in Araraquara-SP on August 24 and 25, 2018,
with the theme Death as an aspect of life.
Moitará
The 29th edition of Moitará, the traditional meeting of ana-
lysts of the Brazilian Society of Analytical Psychology (SBrPA),
will take place in Campos do Jordão-SP, on November 24 - 26.
This year's theme is Erotism and Sexuality in Brazil - transgres-
sions, transitions and transformations, and will feature speak-
ers such as Alexandre Saddeh, Álvaro Ancona de Faria, Ana Lia
Aufranc, Fernanda D'Umbra, Maria Filomena Gregori, Mari-
sa Santanna Penna, Miriam Chnaiderman, Reinaldo Moraes,
Vera Viveiros de Sá, and others. Moitará was created in 1978
and brings together analysts, as well as professionals from oth-
er areas of knowledge. Previous editions have had topics such
as Amazon, religion, slavery, theater, death and poetry, among
others. More information at www.sbps.org.br.
Pathways 123
Events
2017
Nov 11 Who is my Jung?
november
Celebrating 40 Years of the Association of Jungian Analysts
The British Library, London, United Kingdom
Dec 1
december
Analysis & Activism III
Czech Association for Analytical Psyhcology
to 3 Praga, Czech Republic
2018
july february
Feb 19 Winter Intensive Study Program
C G Jung Institute, Zurich, Suíça
to 24
Pathways 125
Instructions to authors
Review articles - critical and thorough review of a relevant theme, that 15,000 to 35,000
is original and innovative.
Case study - presentation, analysis and discussion of clinical cases of 15,000 to 25,000
interest. The anonymity of the patient shall be guaranteed and the
author must provide written authorization from the patient to publish
the case.
Reviews - appreciation, comments and observations, from the perspective 3,000 to 8,000
of analytical psychology, on literary work (poetry, fiction, technique) or
artistic work (including films, plays, exhibitions, works of art).
Text in Microsoft Word, font Times New Roman 12, spacing 1.5, standard mar-
gins, indented paragraphs.
Information about the author: name, profession, affiliation (if any), titles,
activities, city and country of origin and email address for contact. Maximum
of 90 words.
Quotations: in double quotation marks, followed by the author's name and the
year of publication stated in brackets. Do not use italics: “The shadow can be
projected on the other if it is not well integrated” (Silva, 2004, p.32).
Direct quotes (exact copy of the text) should include the page num-
ber (Silva, 2004, p.32). In the case of the complete works of C. G.
Jung, the paragraph should be stated (Jung, 1998, § 456).
Pathways 127
Instructions to authors
References
Only include the references used in the body of the text, in alphabetic order, by
author, see examples detailed below:
Theses and dissertations: Kasai, A. Images of pain, images of pain relief: Multimodal
expressive arts therapy and pain management. Ann Arbor:
California Institute of Integral Studies, 2008.
Music from the internet Stevens, Cat. Morning has broken. Avaliable at http://www.
lyrics.com/morning-has-broken-lyrics-cat-stevens.html
Accessed on April 10, 2016.
Jungian Dialogues
Pathways 129
ISSN 2448-2765