Narratives of Individuation

In Narratives of Individuation, Raya A. Jones and Leslie Gardner present 12 cutting-edge essays that bridge Jungian and narrative approaches to self-understanding, and offer critical appraisal of both approaches. Exploring the Jungian concept of individuation and the related interest in dreams, as well as the premise of the narrative self and the related interest in life-stories, this innovative volume interprets the topic in unique and unprecedented ways.

An outstanding selection of contributors cover several overarching themes to provide a comprehensive understanding of these two powerful narratives. The contributors explore historical and conceptual issues concerning the narrative self, as well as applying it, including to Jung?s autobiography. Chapters also examine how Jung developed his theory of individuation, and engage with contemporary thinking in anthropology, psychology (including the dialogical self) and Jungian psychotherapy, towards refiguring how people arrive at self-understanding. Written by leaders in the field, Narratives of Individuation is a valuable interdisciplinary resource that illuminates a multitude of perspectives on individuation and self-realisation.

Owing to its original ideas and breadth of scope, Narratives of Individuation will appeal to academics and students of Jungian and post-Jungian studies, anthropology, psychology, literary studies and anyone examining concepts of selfhood and the significance of narrativity. It will also be of great interest to Jungian analysts and psychotherapists, and analytical psychologists.

Introduction, Raya A. Jones; Chapter 1: Dialogues with a Talking Skull That Refuses To Speak: Jungian and narrative psychologies, Raya A. Jones; Chapter 2: Moments of Becoming: Narrative Knowing and the Ethics of Individuation, Mark Freeman; Chapter 3: Listening to A Dream-Narrative: A Language for Narrating Boundaries, Megumi Yama; Chapter 4: Autobiographical Narrative: Augustine, Vico and Jung, Leslie Gardner; Chapter 5: Jung’s ‘personal myth’ and the Two Personalities, Mark Saban; Chapter 6: Telling Stories: Jung’s Red Book as an Exercise in Narrative, Paul Bishop; Chapter 7: Between Two Worlds: The Narrative and Psychological Implications of Hoffmann’s ‘The Golden Pot’, Terence Dawson; Chapter 8: Affectivity in Narratio and Individuation, Leslie Gardner; Chapter 9: Co-Individuation As An Open Mandala, Fabrice Olivier Dubosc; Chapter 10: Challenges to Dialogicality and Individuation in Techno-Digital Culture, Vincent W. Hevern; Chapter 11: Narratives of Transformation: the Structural Dream Analysis Method, Christian Roesler; Chapter 12. Narrating the Archetypal Images: The Road Less Travelled, Inna Semetsky; Index.

Raya A. Jones, PhD, is Reader in the School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK. Her academic interests include Jungian, narrative and dialogical perspectives on the self. She has authored, edited and co-edited several books in the field, as well as numerous journal articles.

Leslie Gardner, PhD, is Fellow in the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic studies at the University of Essex, UK. She was among the founders of the International Association of Jungian Studies, and its journal, International Journal of Jungian Studies. She has authored and co-edited several books in Jungian studies.