I just returned from a James Hollis seminar at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, and it was the most inspirational and thought-provoking experience I've ever had. I have since been searching without success the usual Jung sites, to find an ongoing, educational resource.
Instead, I would most humbly like to begin a study group, based on Hollis' work. We would begin with: Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up.
Hollis' writing is poetic and inspirational--he tackles the BIG issues:
What happens between ages 35 and 70:
AFTER we "get it together" with the right job, the right person, etc.--commonly known as the "midlife crisis"; when we begin to question the choices we've made, realize our limitations, and feel stuck. Hollis believes it is only in the second half of life that we can truly come to know who we are and thus create a life that has meaning.
The Collision of Selves:
Warring factions within us-- the primal parental messages that we unquestioningly absorbed and sought to fulfil, vs. the need for discovering one's true nature, and expanding that unique Self.
Why relationships are doomed to fail:
This is a fascinating one--that romance is ALL about projection, since the unconscious IS just that; how can one ever know another if one's own self remains unexplored?
The distraction of modern society:
We are ALL addicted to distraction, increasingly. Solitude is a dirty word. What gets lost is immense.
Everyone wants to be "happy", but the search becomes more and more desperate and fruitless. Hollis offers a better frame of reference: to become authentic, to live your best, RISKIEST, largest life possible; instead of running from pain, acknowledge its necessity as the teacher that it truly is.
Embracing your Shadow:
And our biggest Shadow is that we are living small lives.
The only prerequisite for this group would be some familiarity with Hollis' writing: to have read, or reading now, one of his 13 books. We would discuss 1 chapter per meeting, so as to allow space and depth for personal relevance.
I guarantee that reading his work will be a life-altering experience!
Time and place to meet will be a joint decision.
where ?