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Imaginal mind, indigenous Self: Activating deep relationships with nature through dreams, poetry & pilgrimage


  • The Heritage Room, University College, University of Melbourne 40 College Crescent Parkville, VIC, 3052 Australia (map)

Imaginal mind, indigenous Self:
Activating deep relationships with nature through dreams, poetry and pilgrimage

An experiential lecture - workshop weekend
presented by Robert Romanyshyn and Veronica Goodchild,
Professors Emeriti, Pacifica Graduate Institute (USA)

Day One:  Dr Veronica Goodchild

The Call to Pilgrimage:  Dreams, Walking, and our Sacred Bond with Nature — Toward the Embodiment of Jung's Synchronicity Principle

In Songlines of the Soul, I explored Jung's synchronicity principle and its implications, how it led to the subtle imaginal worlds of soul in both personal and collective ways.  Since writing that book, I have been led further, by dreams and grief about our environmental crises, towards walking as a meditation, a Pilgrimage, a ritual of recollection and a magical doorway through which we can glimpse the subtle world in this one and be taught about the Journey from our heads to our hearts.  For me, this speaks to a need for a profound change in our worldview, already hinted at in Jung's alchemical studies and his relationship with physicist Wolfgang Pauli.

In the lecture, I’ll discuss some of these ideas and experiences.  In the workshop, we will share experiences of these themes in conversation and experiential symbolic work.  Please be prepared to share dreams and other experiences with the group.

Day Two:  Dr Robert Romanyshyn  

The Dreamer and the Poet

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on..."

Depth psychology began with the dream as the royal road to the unconscious. My workshop begins with the theme of the dream as a vocation, a calling to remember what has been forgotten and left by the side of the road. Drawing on Jung’s idea of the Psychoid Archetype, I suggest that at that level of the unconscious mind it is our collective broken connection with nature that now displays itself in the various ecological crises we face today.

To heal our broken connections with the natural world requires a recovery of the erotic ties between the sensuous body and the sensual world, a development of practices of embodied enactment. One of those practices that I have used in workshops focuses on the cultivation of a poetic sensibility and the power of the poem when it is read aloud to evoke images and memories that awaken the play of imagination. But to practice this craft, one has to have a change of mood, and it is the poet and the dreamer who can lead us into the mood where the possibility of possibility runs counter to the mood disorder of much of our technological world view and much of psychology.

The experiential part of my presentation illustrates these points with an example of dream work and examples of poetry readings from some participants. Please bring a poem and a dream that has transformed the mood of your relation to yourself, others and nature.

About the presenters

Veronica Goodchild

Veronica Goodchild PhD is Professor Emerita at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she taught Jungian and Imaginal Psychology, Depth Psychology and Alchemy, The Grail Myth, Depth Psychology and the Sacred, Jungian Psychology and Quantum Physics, Dreams, Soulful Research, and Clinical Case Colloquia.  She has practiced as a Jungian psychotherapist for over 30 years, and is an Affiliate Member of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts.  Dr Goodchild is a Pilgrimage Leader and author of Eros and Chaos: The Sacred Mysteries and Dark Shadows of Love (2001, 2008) and Songlines of the Soul: Pathways to a New Vision for a New Century (2012).  

Read more about Dr Veronica Goodhild's work here. 

Robert Romanyshyn

Robert D. Romanyshyn PhD is an Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, an Affiliate Member of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts and a Fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture.  He is the author of seven books including The Wounded Researcher: Research with Soul in Mind (2007); The Soul in Grief: Love Death and Transformation (1999); Technology as Symptom and Dream (1989); and Leaning Toward the Poet: Eavesdropping on the Poetry of Everyday Life (2014). He has authored more than fifty articles in psychology, philosophy, literary and education journals.  Dr Romanyshyn has recently completed a new book, The Frankenstein Prophecies: Who is the Monster?  

Read more about Dr Robert Romanyshyn's work here.

What participants have said about past Life Artistry seminars:

"I attended the opening weekend seminars of the Life Artistry Centre in 2016, with the intention to discern a deeper purpose and quality in my work beyond conventional standards and to understand the gentle but relentless sense of calling I have to a meaningful vocation and life. There was a soulful community energy present, which helped facilitate a safe and deep sharing of reflections and insights on the journey towards authentic vocation.

Throughout the presentations I began to feel an eruption of new ideas, renewed dreams, and fresh healing insights. Since then I have been reflecting on these insights and my vocational path, by moving my attention to the margins of my consciousness and listening into the multiple 'voices' and images that had been previously exiled. A new way of being in the world is slowly emerging within me. I am listening and nurturing my inspirations with a new ‘lens’, which was born out of the seminar with Life Artistry."  

-- Leigh Johnston, Psychologist

"There is a lot of material floating about these days around spirituality, psychology and the soul. But what made this weekend seminar unique for me was the rigour, scholarship and lived soulfulness of each of the presenters. The content was trustworthy and had a depth I could sink into.  This was a beautiful, enriching and nourishing experience for me. I have come away with a new sensibility or perspective with which to engage my psychic life. Thank you for creating a space for such a quality exchange."   

-- Susie, Academic Researcher

“Thank you again for an excellent weekend, not just for the outstanding and user-friendly scholarship so ably presented, but also for the creative and generous spirit pervading the organisation and logistics of the event. Terrific."   

-- Chris Caldwell, Psychologist and Dream Therapist

"Thank you for brilliant seminars this year.  I appreciate the engaging content, the quality of speakers and the sacredness of the space that we are embraced and held in."

-- Jo Mawdsley, Career Educator and Counsellor --

"I have attended a number of Life Artistry events and always found them to be of the highest quality and well worth the investment of time and resources.   The presentations are thoughtfully considered and most enlivening, co-ordinated with great attention to detail and delivered with the spirit of animation and personal devotion to topic, that lifts all such material into a realm of contribution that provokes the deepest response within the hearer.  The quality of engagement among the participants was outstanding as a result.  There were many memorable moments during the day, which was thoroughly well-organized for maximum benefit.  

Thank you to Life Artistry for its continued commitment to excellence!"

-- Sheila Lamont-Stacey, Vice President, C G Jung Society of Melbourne Inc.

YOUR REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

  • Two days' tuition with Professors Romanyshyn and Goodchild

  • Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea each day
    (please advise us of your dietary requirements)

  • Certificate of attendance

‘Imaginal mind, indigenous Self’ will accumulate 12 CPD hours (Category A) for PACFA members.

A flyer for this event in PDF format is available here.

Attendance at Life Artistry events is conditional upon our standard terms and conditions.

To register:

Registration will be confirmed on receipt of payment for the Seminar. Payment may be via Direct Deposit, Credit Card or PayPal. Register now to avoid disappointment!

Full rate $385; Concession $335 (ends 5 November 2018); Early bird $290 (ends 20 August 2018)

A partial scholarship may be available for applicants who would benefit from this seminar but would otherwise be unable to attend. If this applies to you, please contact us to outline your situation.

Pay by Direct Deposit (preferred method):

BSB: 313 140 (Bank Australia, Kew, Victoria) 
Account number: 14073170
Account name: eContent t/a Life Artistry

Please advise us of direct deposit payment transfer, specifying your name, the amount, date, event and dietary requirements — james@lifeartistry.com.au or telephone +61 3 9444 0570.

or Credit Card/ PayPal:

Imaginal Mind, Indigenous Self 10-11 November 2018
Dietary Preference
Other dietary preference

Cancellation policy:

  • $75 fee applies if received by 31 August 2018

  • $100 fee applies from 1 September 2018

  • No refund applicable after 31 October 2018

SEMINAR Accommodation:

Accommodation is usually available at University of Melbourne Colleges (International House, Ormond College, Queens College). Other affordable options close to University College include:

The Larwill Studio
Naughtons Parkville Hotel
Rydges on Swanston

Check their websites to see which meets your preferences.

We have arranged a seminar discount with Vibe Hotel, 441 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC - 15 minutes walk or tram to seminar. Check the daily rate or request a 'University of Melbourne discount': tel. +61-3-9380 9222; carlton@vibehotels.com.au

There are plenty of accommodation options in Melbourne city, which is about 20 minutes on a tram from the seminar venue.