• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.51-58
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• 2020

Middle-aged women who have experienced the depression have been in pain for a long time. Depression in middle-aged women, which is rapidly increasing from their forties, has a problem that do not decrease in spite of various treatment methods. If the essential cause of depression in middle-aged women is due to the inability to detect the meaning of life because of the lack of the perception about the identity resulting from self-loss, a more qualitative research for a fundamental treatment method is required. The purpose of this study is to find out the essence and meaning of the experience of depression in middle-aged women and to help them to find their own selves through the process of individualization and to recover the whole health as well as to live as a self-transcendent being. Three Christian middle-aged women falling on critical and serious condition by BDI diagnosis were selected for the study. In-depth counseling and interviews were held from January to August 2018. In-depth counseling has provided detailed statements about the process of individualization of middle-aged women who have experienced depression, which applied 5 stages of Giorgi's Phenomenological Research Methodology. As a result, 261 semantic units and 11 sub-components were derived and structured by dividing them into two themes: depression experience and the process of individualization process, which are the subject group. This study has its significance in realizing essential meaning of pain by middle-aged women who experience depression and fundamentally preparing an opportunity to be cured through the process of individualization, as well as contributing for such middle-aged women to have abundant living by suggesting preventive measures to general middle-aged women who prepare for their old age.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2008

In Jungian theory the developmental stages of human life are symbolized as a circle that represents the wholeness, and the open ended process towards the wholeness is called Individuation. In the belief that every human being has his or her own "Music Child" that represents one of the creative, genuine, healthy cores of the self, we are all musical beings, and each individual has his or her own relationship to music. Musical individuation therefore refers an open-ended process towards the wholeness in music. Being a Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapist, who values the therapeutic essence of innate creativity and uses improvisational music to maximize it, helped me realize that not only the client but also the therapist has to reach his or her own musical self, Music Child, in order to facilitate any change or growth through music. This realization led me to start a journey towards my own musical individuation. Hence, this essay is a very personal document illustrating my ongoing journey towards musical individuation that will allow me to become more whole and genuine in music.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.74
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• pp.159-188
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• 2023

This study examines the process of Chou Sun-Ae's spiritual formation in the light of Carl Jung's conception of individuation. Spirituality is defined in different ways by different scholars, but most consider self-transcendence as a necessary element. This self-transcendence can occur in the relationship with self, with others, and with the transcendent. In the relationship with the self, it appears as self-objectification; with others, it is as moving toward others; and in the relationship with the transcendent, it moves toward the transcendent. Spirituality is closely related to individual identity, in that it surrounds and integrates life. Spiritual formation is thus closely related to Jung's concept of individuation, as this involves the separation of persona and ego, and shadow recognition which are closely related to the level of self-objectification. In addition, the withdrawal of shadow projection that occurs in individuation is closely related to moving toward others, in that it recognizes the shadow instead of blaming others, allowing one to look at others without prejudice. The fact that Jesus Christ is the symbol of the Self, the driving force of the individuation process, tells us that spirituality leading to a relationship with the transcendent God and Jung's theory are closely related to each other. Thus, if we examine the process of spiritual formation through the Jung's individuation process, we can better understand the psychodynamic dimension of spirituality. This article investigates the process of Chou Sun-Ae's spiritual formation through Jung's individuation process. Throughout her 98 years, Chou Sun-Ae experienced national pain and hardships, as well as personal adversity and difficulties; but through all of these hardships, conflicts, and difficult moments, she accomplished individualization. Therefore, by examining the spiritual formation through individuation in Chou Sun-Ae, I consider the direction of Christian spiritual education. In this study, three main characteristics of Chou Sun-Ae's spiritual formation can be identified. First, through a life of repentance, the identification between persona and ego can be weakened. Second, the ego develops, and individualization is achieved, through a new calling. Third, in shadow integration, the spiritual development comes to recognize Jesus Christ on the cross and achieve the process of sanctification. Investigating the direction of Christian spiritual education through Chou Sun-Ae's spiritual formation indicates that Christian spiritual education should harmonize vertical and horizontal relations and should develop an experience of the transcendent God in everyday life. By this means, the believer can achieve Self-realization and be a true Christian who practices love for God and love for neighbors.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.99-140
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• 2018

After a careful review on the concept of transference from the perspective of analytical psychology with Jung's view in the center, the author had proposed that an interpretation for the whole series of 'Rosarium Philosophorum' including its posterior part to which Jung didn't refer in 'The Psychology of The Transference' be carried out for the genuine understanding of transference. The symbolic meaning of the twenty woodcuts' pictures in 'Rosarium Philosophorum' could be interpreted as the alchemical stages of blackening, whitening, yellowing, reddening and etc. The transformation through each stage could be associated with the process of psychotherapy as well as individuation process and the meaning of transference could be elucidated as a kind of initiating process for the individuation process. The eastern traditional thoughts on psychic transformation and human development were also compared. The individuation process would be coexistent with the development of human relationship including the therapeutic relationship and the concept of human (人 and 人間) in the eastern traditional thoughts would have many meaningful implications for further studies.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.152-158
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• 2023

This study analyzed the consciousness, unconsciousness, and individuation process of 'Cheongmyeong', the protagonist presented in the webtoon "Return of the Blossoming Blade", based on Jung's theory of individuation. The subject of the research was the webtoon "Return of the Blossoming Blade", which has formed a readership across various genders and age groups, based on a successful web novel. The individuation process of the protagonist of "Return of the Blossoming Blade", analyzed using Jung's theory, is as follows: Firstly, the protagonist's ego originated from the shadow derived from the unconscious. Secondly, the protagonist's persona is social and positive in reality, but the personal persona manifested as an unrevealed shadow. Thirdly, the protagonist's anima/animus connects the profound inner consciousness with reality, maintaining a complementary relationship with the persona. Fourthly, the protagonist's Self symbolizes the collective ideal human and the essence of the volcano. The protagonist was shown to achieve individuation through a continuous repetitive process of integrating consciousness and unconsciousness, and through the compensatory process.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.111-144
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• 2015

Chilseongpul-i is a Korean shamanic myth in which the life story full of hardships of seven sons is told, until they will take up the sacredness of Chilseong god. The seven sons, who were born from Chilseongnim and his wife Okneobuin, are abandoned by their father, Chilseongnim. But sometime later they are born with new characters after going through a special growth process of suffering, dying, and rebirth. They finally recover the sacred position to save their mother. As considered by the analytical psychology, the fact that the seven sons became Chilseong gods shows an individuation process of the heroic mythology. The individuation process might be regarded as a symbol of Self-archetype of Koreans. Self-archetype functions as a healing which gets one's split heart and mind together. An imago dei of healers should be projected upon the seven gods by ancestors.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.201-207
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• 2023

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-60
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• 2018

The paper was inspired by Jung's words in the Red Book "just as Christ tormented the flesh through the spirit, the God of this time will torment the spirit through the flesh." I propose that the new form of torment in this era could be eroticism as a way of the individuation process because it seems to be one of a very few ways left to modern men to grasp the sense of permanence, the essence of the divine, without religion because of its peculiar nature of transcendence. I suppose that it is not only a man who is tortured but also god is in torment since the divine needs a man as a womb for his incarnation. Therefore I suggest that man and god are fated to seduce each other to be redeemed by each other. I imagine that Eros with numinous sexuality seduces a man who has potentials for the god's incarnation and who would be willing to give in to the god's demand. This god needs a man who desires his essence of perpetuity, the eternal water of life, in ecstasy. Thus the purpose of the divine's seduction is to make a man awake from unconsciousness to pursue god himself, namely the individuation process. I call such divine seduction "eroticism of god" There seem to be a certain type of people who are destined to live eroticism as a way of individuation process. Through investigations, a melancholic tendency appears to be suitable for this type of individuation. Melancholia is deeply related to the poignant awareness of impermanence as the existential condition, which is a precondition for seeking permanence through eroticism. Melancholia essentially causes deep longing for eternity that bears fulfillment, which exists in eroticism, so melancholic agony seems inevitable for eroticism as the path for individuation in that, without knowing about deficiency, we never seek what is lacking in us. It can also be viewed that while a lover is driven to seduce lost love, what actually waits to become seduced for redemption is the god of love itself behind the human beloved. Man and god are fated to seduce each other for redemption. I suppose that the initiation to Eros implies how to seduce Eros. In a woman's psyche, psychological virginity is one of the essential qualities that her ego needs to attain. To the male it is vital to live his sensuality thoroughly and to experience his own and his lover's emotions to their limit. It cannot be an easy task because it demands us to give up our egotism entirely. Through eroticism, unconsciousness seduces us to make us live life as a whole. The god of love brings powerful sexuality as a means of "spiritual crisis" to redeem our lukewarm soul. Only a few can withstand the experience since it requires a strong will to bear the brunt of the sword despite the keen awareness that it may leave us bleeding in pain.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.92-128
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• 2024

This study examines Gijesa, a Korean tradition of memorial worship for departed ancestors, from the perspective of analytical psychology. To understand the psychological background of ancestral rites, a literature search was conducted to examine the basis for ancestral spirits, the objects of ancestral rites, the symbolic meaning of the customs and practice of Gijesa, and the contents of volume 3 of the book Jhuza-uryu about 'Ghosts and Ancestral Rituals'. Gijesa, the Korean ancestor worship, may appear as a complicated formal ritual, but it reveals a psychological phenomenon of individuation. Gijesa facilitates a conversation between descendants and ancestors, bridging the conscious and the unconscious, leading to a realization of totality. The creative aspect of spirit worship lies in the 'realization of the individuation process' in that it fosters a connection with the collective unconscious, the root of consciousness. When an individual develops into a new integrated personality, we could gain strength from the support of ancestors, the support of the unconscious. The relationship with the spirits of ancestors is essential because consciousness has an important relationship with its root, the collective unconscious, especially for those of us living in an era of chaos where the fundamental meaning of human existence is lost due to rationalism and materialism.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.41-94
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• 2016

A Korean fairy tale "The uproot of an archenemy in the underworld" is discussed and interpreted from the perspective of analytical psychology. The essence of the story is as follows; When the three princesses were kidnapped by an archenemy in the underworld, a warrior appeared to save the princesses. He went to the underworld and killed the archenemy with the princesses help. When they tried to come back to the castle, he had difficulties because king's soldiers betrayed him. But a old wise man and a flying horse helped him to come back to the castle. He killed the soldiers that betrayed him and married one of the princesses and got the wealth from the underworld. The kingdom could be prosperous and peace because of the marriage. The psychological meaning of the three princesses were taken by the archenemy is that the archetypal shadow appeared from the unconscious and grasped a part of consciousness and repressed it in unconsciousness. This status could be called the lost of soul. So the warrior ego went through an unconscious trip, saving his anima from the archetypal shadow, and taking her back to consciousness and renewing the collective consciousness. The ego's trip is the individuation process like Shaman in primitive society. This fairy tale has hero motif. It reveals the feature of archetypal shadow. It also shows us man can make conscious with cautious attitude in the individuation process.