What Does Jung Say Is Our Greatest Spiritual Aim as Humans Questions

 

 

  read the article found on the following link

https://www.thesap.org.uk/resources/articles-on-jungian-psychology-2/about-analysis-and-therapy/spirituality-and-religion/

Copy and Paste each question and type answer below.

Answer all questions in complete sentences and in your own words. Be careful not to lift phrases or sentences from the original work or this will result in point deductions.

Each answer should be at least 1-2 paragraphs in length (4-6 sentences per para.)

Each answer is worth roughly 15 points.

Questions:

1.a) What does Jung say is our greatest spiritual aim as humans? And, how do we achieve it?

b)How can this (our spiritual aim) sometimes “go astray” and lead to negative outcomes rather than positive ones?

2.What do you see as the difference between being spiritual and being religious? Please answer in your own words.

3.Why do you think Jung considered fundamentalism as a “danger in the path to spiritualism,” and in opposition to individualism?

4.a) Why does Jung believe that in order to achieve individuation people will need ego-strength?

b) What’s involved in ego-strength, and why might some people have it while others don’t?

5.Read the following excerpt from the reading: “So the self-sacrifice of Jesus in his death is eternally present in this timeless dimension of our lives, and so is always powerfully available as a symbol with immediate and current relevance – the death of the ego and the resurrection of a new ‘I’ (which no-one recognizes at first, as none of the disciples immediately recognized the risen Christ), the death in seeming failure and the resurrection in new hope and a new way of life, the ending of all familiar security and then the coming, after a descent into Hell / despair, of something recognizably the same yet amazingly new and different– we have all had such experiences on a smaller or a larger scale.”

a)According to Jung, how would it be possible to achieve such an experience? That is, what process must we go through?

b) Can you recall such an experience in your own life? Please provide a few details. (*It does not have to be a religious experience.)

6.The conclusion of the article reads as follows: “For Jung, it is the internal life of the psyche not external events which are of paramount importance (MDR, Prologue). We may think this is too one-sided, and that our external life has its own equal importance. But for Jung, the external forms of religion are one means to follow our true spiritual path, which he saw as individuation, and in this quest all external events can be understood symbolically.”

a)   Would Behaviorists agree with Jung’s analysis as reflected in this quote?

b)Given what you know about Jung’s theory, how can external events be important to us if Jung says our internal life is “way more important” than external events? (Be sure to include some specific Jungian concepts/language in your answer.)

c)How do you think Jung views the role of organized religion in a person’s life?