“Discovering one’s personal myth is the central purpose of life,” says best-selling author and Jungian analyst Dr. James Hollis. Join him Friday, January 21, via Zoom at 7 p.m., as the C. G. Jung Society of Sarasota presents “The Personal Myth in Turbulent Times”—a powerful, in-depth exploration that will inspire participants to examine significant issues of community and the world through four personal connections: to the cosmos at large; to nature and the Earth; to the tribe or one’s society; and, ultimately, to one’s self psychologically. Register here.

In 1913, Carl Gustav Jung asked himself this question: “What is my myth?” and realized that he could not answer. Over a century later, the question is ever more compelling.

What is our “personal myth”? And how and why is it important to self-evolution and maintaining well-being in a rapidly changing world?

“In our postmodern era, the burden of meaning increasingly falls on the individual in one’s search for a personal myth so as not to suffer a ‘division with oneself,’” says Dr. Hollis. “Thus, discovering one’s personal myth has become the central purpose of life. The goal is nothing less than the integration of the unconscious with the conscious in the image of ‘my fable, my truth.’”

Myth can provide the capacity to tolerate change, reframe the ever-evolving cultural scene, and provide a source of personal authority that is critical for mental health. It also can serve as a framework to assist many who are experiencing anxiety and depression as a result of rapid social change, evolving models of society, and changing psycho-spiritual perspectives.

James Hollis, PhD, is and a Zurich-trained Jungian analyst in private practice in Washington, DC, and the author of 17 books, the latest being Prisms: Reflections on This Journey We Call Life. In addition to the Friday, Jan. 21, Zoom presentation, Dr. Hollis will lead a workshop on Saturday, Jan. 22, via Zoom, on the same topic of personal myth in turbulent times. Learn more here.

The C. G. Jung Society of Sarasota endeavors to encourage personal growth and raise the consciousness of individuals of all ages through lectures, workshops, classes, and small groups focused on the works inspired by Carl Gustav (C. G.) Jung, the world-renowned Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology.

Jung was one of the most influential thinkers of our time and profoundly influenced all aspects of our modern culture, including medicine, religion, philosophy, literature, and art. In the field of psychoanalysis, Jung developed his own system of analytical psychology. Through his pioneering theories of personality and the unconscious, Jung is responsible for many terms we now consider common: archetypes, the collective unconscious, introvert and extrovert, anima and animus, synchronicity, and individuation. Over the years, Jung’s ideas about dream interpretation, the integration of the psyche as the goal of personal development, and the common roots of all human mythologies have achieved worldwide recognition.

Join us Friday, January 21, via Zoom at 7 p.m., for “The Personal Myth in Turbulent Times” —register here. To learn more about this event and the Jung Society of Sarasota, visit cgjungsarasota.org.