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The Call to Individuation: Spirituality and Creative Practice

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The Call to Individuation: Spirituality and Creative Practice The Call to Individuation: Spirituality and Creative Practice Margaret Ann Gibb, M Ed College of Education Victoria University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2014 1 Abstract This research explores and documents a contemporary phenomenon in a selective historical context and seeks to elucidate Jung’s theory and the practice of Individuation as being a lifelong process. The thesis is constructed in two volumes. Volume one is the creative work: Kissed by a Deer; a travel memoir exploring journeying in the context of both the external and internal world. In essence the book is a search for identity, connection, belonging, and self acceptance. This search was undertaken in the form of a spiritual quest which makes up the content of the memoir, but also continues in the analysis of themes in the exegesis. Volume Two is the exegesis: The Call to Individuation. Themes which arose in the creative component of the research are critically analysed in the exegesis, elaborating, elucidating and contextualising the creative work. As well the exegesis seeks to analyse the importance of creativity in relation to Jung`s theory of individuation, and how the relationship between the process of individuation and creative practice can serve to form, inform, and transform our sense of self ,spirituality ,and wellbeing. Insights from other artists around the themes which emerged in the creative component of the study are also drawn upon in the exegesis, through informal interviews. In both volumes the study offers a naturalistic inquiry into the search for self; allowing for the observation and exploration of phenomena rather than forming a hypotheses and subsequent answer. As per the requirements for Victoria University creative theses, the creative component forms 70per cent of the thesis, and the critical exegesis, 30 per cent. The preferred reading order for the thesis is the book [Volume One: Kissed by a Deer] and then the exegesis [Volume Two: The Call to Individuation: Spirituality and Creative Practice]. 2 Student declaration ‘I, Margaret Ann Gibb, declare that the PhD thesis entitled `Kissed by a Deer’ [Book] and `The Call to Individuation: Spirituality and Creative Practice‘ [Exegesis] is no more than 100,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This thesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own work.’ Signature Date 3 Acknowledgements Firstly I would like to thank my primary supervisor Professor Maureen Ryan, for her guidance and insights and, for remaining for ever cheerful and optimistic, on what has proved to be a difficult journey. Next I would like to thank my associate supervisor Dr Cathryn Carpenter for her input, feedback and, for the enthusiasm she brought to the process. As well I would like to thank Dr Marion Kostanski for harnessing my original vision and for her supervision during the candidature process. I would also like to thank the artists who gave so generously of themselves and their time, Ms Jennyfer Stratman, Mr Alan Browne and, Ms Kavisha Mazzella. A big thank you is due to Ms Dana Katz for her endless patience and help with the diagram. Thanks are also due to Ms Deen Le Coz and Ms Jane Grant for their moral and practical support. I would also like to thank Associate Professor Patrick Lane and Professor Robert Power for indirect guidance and moral support. Lastly I would like to thank Victoria University for giving me the opportunity to pursue this study. 4 The Call to Individuation: Spirituality and Creative Practice .......................................... 1 Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 2 Student declaration ................................................................................................................. 3 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 4 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 8 2. Individuating ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Individuation ............................................................................................................................... 13 2.2 Individuation and Individuality .................................................................................................... 14 2.3 Stages of Individuation ................................................................................................................ 16 2.4 The Archetypes ............................................................................................................................ 18 2.5 The Persona ................................................................................................................................. 18 2.6 The Shadow ................................................................................................................................. 19 2.7 The anima and animus ................................................................................................................ 22 2.8 Centering ..................................................................................................................................... 23 2.9 The Principle of Individuation ..................................................................................................... 24 2.10 Raising Consciousness ............................................................................................................... 26 2.11 Integrating ................................................................................................................................. 29 2.12 Wisdom ..................................................................................................................................... 29 2.13 The Numinous ........................................................................................................................... 31 3. Forming .............................................................................................................................. 34 3.1 Self ............................................................................................................................................... 35 `In essence, Self is what it means to be human’(Roberts 2005, p. 3). .............................................. 35 3.2 The Self: a Jungian Perspective ................................................................................................... 36 3.3 Christ, a Symbol of the Self ......................................................................................................... 38 3.4 The Self is made of Stories .......................................................................................................... 39 3.5 Zen ............................................................................................................................................... 40 5 3.6 Buddhism and Self ....................................................................................................................... 41 3.7 Anatman ...................................................................................................................................... 42 3.8 Buddhism and the Psychology of Self ......................................................................................... 43 3.9 Identity ........................................................................................................................................ 44 3.10 Spiritual Identity ........................................................................................................................ 46 4.Informing ............................................................................................................................. 49 4.1 Spirituality ................................................................................................................................... 50 4.2 Spiritual but not Religious ........................................................................................................... 50 4.3 Spiritual Bypassing ...................................................................................................................... 54 4.4: Pseudo Religion .......................................................................................................................... 56 4.5 The Spirit of the Times ................................................................................................................ 57 4.6 The Spirituality Revolution .......................................................................................................... 58 4.7 The Spiritual Quest ...................................................................................................................... 61 4.8 Mysticism .................................................................................................................................... 63 5. Transforming ..................................................................................................................... 66 5.1 Artists
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