Hey Everyone - Adam here.
On March 27th, 2023 I published a newsletter devoted to something I called my “Psychology Reading Challenge”.
I am here to report that all is well, and I have just finished reading the longest book of what I assigned myself to read.
What book? An incredibly deep and insightful read into the history and development of the study of Psychology entitled: “The Discovery of The Unconscious” by: Henri Ellenberger.
This was the fourth of the ten books I originally assigned myself, that I have completed reading in full.
Today, I’ll highlight four ideas from this beast of a book that I frankly found fascinating and that I had to share with you!
Creative Illness.
Pg. 447: "A [[creative illness]] succeeds a period of intense preoccupation with an idea and search for a certain truth."
To contextualize this quote, it was prefaced by sharing the pursuit of Carl Jung and his deeply introspective period where he really took the time to encounter & learn from his world of dreams. In other words, Jung took a pilgrimage internally to truly discover what was at his core, but perhaps most importantly he took time to learn who he was becoming.
That intrepid search… the insistence of pursuing a higher calling… following the series of perpetual hunches.. continuing to pull on the threads that fascinate us. Whether encountered in ones day-to-day experience, or experienced and explored in one’s dreams.
To undergo this [[creative illness]] is the idea that this journey will lead you else from where you had once started.
I find myself fascinated by this idea of a “creative illness” but I think rather than getting steered by the negative connotation of an “illness”.. I want to re-frame this period of intense precoccupation with an idea..
I’m opting to rebrand a “creative illness” as this period of intense preoccupation with an idea and search for a certain truth as a “creative kernel”.
What is the creative kernel that you are on the search for?
Have any answers revealed themselves to you in the pursuit of this curiosity?
What happens when we shift the framing of a “creative illness” to one of creative wellness?
How can we ensure that this preoccupation doesn’t turn into an illness, but instead can allow us to challenge ourselves in giving us a deeper sense of purpose to pursue? Leaving us with a life mission instead of merely being caught in flux and not knowing what to take action on in our lives.
Day Residue.
Pg. 492: "[[Day residue]], that is, some more or less insignificant event of the day preceding the dream."
You ever have a dream that has no concrete ideas realized from it?
Where the dream images that are presented to you as an amalgamation of random things that you experienced in recent memory, information you encountered, conversations you had…
Well, reading more into the famous depth psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung for example.. made me realize the gold in the internal treasure chest that a dream can be.
The branch of psychology that gives primacy to the unconscious.. is depth psychology. In other words, it’s the branch of psychology that decided to no longer neglect or write off one’s dreams but instead viewed them as very valuable psychic experiences in which we can learn from.
However, bear no worry my friend. Not every dream is of VAST significance. Not every dream is something we can learn from. Some dreams may actually be merely a repetition of things we have encountered in the previous day. Some dreams may merely be remnants from our day, with no concise meaning.
Freud termed this insignifcant content within our world of dreams as day residue. Mere bread crumbs to the totality of our psychic experience, that world in which we swim in every moment, of every day. Yes, even while we sleep.. this experience accrues.
So measure the dreams in which you have with a grain of salt. One dream may be transformative, and sometimes even life changing. But also.. some dreams actually may not mean anything.
You my friend get to make the decision. Did this dream you just have change everything? OR does it mean merely nothing at all.
Dreams are tricky, but I’d advise you to pay close attention to them.
The Dead Need Us.
Pg. 726: "Jung notes a common feature to them all: far from revealing or teaching us anything, the [[dead need us]] and ask us questions. Since they live outside time and space they must resort to the help of those who still participate in spatio-temporal life."
The idea of the dead needing us, sound quite intense. But really let’s run through this idea… that the dead do actually need us….
First and foremost, what is spatio-temporal life? This is living in the embodied present.
I think the compelling thing about the afterlife is the fact that just because someone has passed from this carnation… doesn’t necessarily mean that they are still not influencing the world.
I think of someone like Avicii, whose life and whose music has transformed a generation of aspiring electronic music creators such as myself. Yet, he is someone who is sadly no longer with us. This isn’t to say his “existence” in the world ended with him no longer being here spatially. As spiritually, he is very much still influencing the world.
His music. His words. His impact that is now felt through his family carrying on his legacy with the Tim Bergling Foundation.
So just because someone isn’t necessarily “here” anymore, doesn’t mean that they aren’t going to make an impact.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a ton about my grandpa whose sadly no longer with us. He passed away when I was at a young age, and my memories associated with him are frankly fragemented. However, one thing I always recall him being passionate about was books and education.
So in a way, to stay connected with him, I choose and am influenced by the things in which I know were a big influence to him. Devoting much of my time to reading, as well as pursuing a lifestyle in which I am able to educate & influence others whether through my music or in teaching in a traditional classroom setting.
The dead while not here spatially, are by all means still with us spiritually. It is just a matter of finding what is in tune.. with what the spirits are communicating to us.
Sometimes, it may be a question, sometimes, it may be an answer. Regardless, leaving ourselves open to the curiosities as well as pathways those no longer with us paved before us.. is the ante to play.
The dead need us and will continue to need us… don’t you forget it!
Turning of Life.
Pg. 711: "One of the main metamorphoses in human life is the [[turning of life]]. Between the ages of thirty-two and thirty-eight a profound change is bound to occur in a person; it comes about gradually or suddenly, and is sometimes announced by an impressive dream of archetypical quality."
For some reason this quote gives me reassurance.
As a twenty-seven year old, I feel like I’ve already gone through a few profound changes in my life. The most recent one, around the age of twenty-one. A moment where suddenly, I realized the path in which I was on, was one I wasn’t pleased with. So it was at that moment I decided I was ready for a change.
Perhaps it was a change from a “fixed mindset” to a “growth mindset” at a time in which I was ready to mature. To really discover what my passions are and were at that time, and discover how I could take immediate & action towards things in which my gratification is delayed on a day-to-day basis.
Enough about me though, I think of those in my life that are at this age, this point in life… Between the ages of thirty-two and thirty-eight. What happens at this age?
Perhaps they have just become a father/a mother, undergone a change in career towards work more meaningful, just married, have launched a successful business, received their PhD, etc.. undoubetedly they experience the world through fresh eyes. One with renowned interest, one seen through the eyes of “expertise” due to the accumulated life experience.
Yet, how many adults who are at this age, neglect the wisdom of their dreams?
Regardless, I really enjoy this quote as it makes me think about the stories in which we tell ourselves as far as our lives go.
What are we choosing to write in our individual biographies?
What chapter are we presently in? What chapters did you previously write for yourself?
When will you take ownership in the story that you have lived thus far? If you don’t choose to write your story for yourself… someone else will write it for you.
Claim ownership of your life narrative. You don’t need to wait until the age of thirty-two to undergo a metamorhposis in your character as well as life story.
Also if you’re past the age of thirty-two through thirty-eight. Well guess what? You can still undergo a metamorphosis of the soul! There is still time to transform your character. There is still time to transform your life.
Parting Words
Don’t be intimidated by really long books.
If the book is on a topic of great interest, it’ll make it that much more worthwhile.
Although, I have the goal of reading 1,000 books.. it doesn’t matter if it takes you 4 months or even a year to finish a book. The fact that you make it all the way through the book shows dedication and is further proof you should study into that subject more.
So yes, I am getting incredibly interested in the study of the unconscious and what we can learn about ourselves from this. This will definitely not be the last time I write about it.
Also, PERMADREAM: THE ALBUM will be out in 7 short days.
Click here to pre-save the album on Spotify.
Cheers to lifelong learning,