Archive of Events - 2024


Friday 2nd February 2024

"Experiences of Providing Therapy in Nature"

Dr Saan Ecker, Clinical Psychologist

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT (and by Zoom)

video recording

Saan presented on experiences of providing therapy in nature including equine assisted therapy and eco-therapy.

Saan (psychologist) and her psychotherapist partner have provided therapy and workshops from their rural facility for 10 years and have worked with everyone from children living with neurodiversity to company directors, supplementing their therapy skills with time in nature and with the inclusion of a herd of Arabian horses.

Saan shared how interactions with the natural world enhance therapeutic experiences with references to Jungian concepts of synchronicity, interconnection, messages of meaning from external objects (pan-physicism) and the projection of our psychology onto nature. Saan will lead reflection on Jung’s knowing of the pathology associated with the absence of connection with nature and the ways we can help people accept the healing available in nature.

 Dr Saan Ecker (she, her) is a Clinical Psychologist (Masters of Clinical Psychology) and has membership with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and membership with the APS and ACPA. She also has a Diploma in Buddhist Psychotherapy and Counselling. Saan has provided psychology, psychotherapy and counselling for over 15 years to a range of people of all ages.

Saan also works in the not-for profit mental health sector. Saan has a PhD in human ecology and continues her long career in social science research including current research on the impacts of LGBTIQA+ minority stress.

Saan is also an ecologist and committed conservationist and combines eco-therapy in her practice model for those who value this.

We meet from 7:30 pm for tea and coffee and snacks, music, discussion and library.
The Guest Speaker's presentation is at 8pm for an hour or so,
then we resume for questions and discussion, finishing by 10 pm.

video recording

Friday 1st March 2024  7pm

Canberra Jung Society Inc
Annual General Meeting and Election of Office Bearers
at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham, ACT

All financial members are welcome, and eligible to stand for office.
This is when you can nominate for an office-holder position (President, Secretary etc) or as a Committee Member.  You can nominate yourself or somebody else, by email (as below) or by contacting Secretary Trish on (0432) 599 826.

So this is a great time to renew your membership or join-up for the current year: Cost: is $75 ($60 Concession / Senior). This entitles you to free entry to monthly meetings, two newsletters per year, use of the library, and discount on cost of workshops etc.

Pay on the night, or any time by bank transfer or TryBooking.  Here is our Constitution for your reference.

This 7pm AGM will be quite short, leaving us time to chat, to meet the evening's presenter Dr Craig San  Roque,
peruse the library and meet the new Committee! There might be some celebratory bubblies and things at this auspicious event :-). 

Then, we'll have our usual monthly Friday meeting (as below).

Canberra Jung Society Inc.
Annual General Meeting 01/3/2024

 Agenda

 1. Opening, Greetings

 2. Attendance:

 3. Apologies:

 4. Minutes of the last AGM 3rd March 2023.

 5. Business Arising

 6. Reports
        a. President
        b. Treasurer
        c. Membership Sec.
        d. Newsletter Editor
        e. Public Officer
         f. Librarian
        g. Internet Manager

 7. Elections:

        Appointment of Returning Officer, then:

        a. President
        b. Vice President
        c  Secretary
        d. Treasurer
        e. Membership Secretary
        f. Newsletter Editor
        g. Publicity Officer
        h. Librarian
        i. Public Officer
        j. Committee members

        k.Appointment of Auditor.

8. General Business

9. Closure.

Then ... Friday public meeting, with Dr Craig San Roque (below) ...

 

Friday 1st March 2024 (following the 7pm AGM)

"The Lemon Tree

Stillness Turbulence and Pressure –
a personal story from Central Australia”

With Dr Craig San Roque

<See the Video>

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT (and by Zoom)

Individuation is dependent upon relationships with others. Jung went so far as to say: “The self is relatedness…’ Schmidt

"The Lemon Tree" is the story of a remarkable man, Paul Quinlivan whose family live/d in Canberra and Central Australia, where Paul managed a remote aboriginal community and then a health clinic.

I will introduce you to my home in Alice Springs and surrounding sacred sites. It was here by the lemon tree in my yard where Paul and I met for three conversations on individuation, the civilisation of relationships and the dynamics of cultural pressures in Central Australia. He intended to contribute a chapter to Placing Psyche.

I see his story as revealing his relationship with the solar plexus of this country - a story of telos, of stillness and turbulence, of self-gathering and self-dispersal - specific to Australia’s cultural ferment and some hard dynamics of indigenous reality. Paul’s story and mine overlap.

As some of you may know I had a hand in the development of the local Jungian community from 1986 when I returned from London and began to practise in Sydney/ Canberra. In 1992, unexpectedly, I took on unique intercultural therapeutic projects in Central Australia, remaining there over 30 years, intimately involved in Aboriginal affairs, yet also able to stay involved with ANZSJA trainings, the Uni. of Western Sydney Masters in Analytic/Cultural Psychology and the Social Ecology/ Environmental Psychology linkages.

This personal integration of Jungian practice, indigenous involvement and ecological thinking expanded my sense of the nature of ‘Jungian individuation’ in an Australian context - such themes are also explored in Placing Psyche by David Russell, Amanda Dowd, Ute Eickelkamp, Patricia Please, Peter Bishop and others who you may know.

Please see this helpful account of Jung’s notions of individuation.
https://www.thesap.org.uk/articles-on-jungian-psychology-2/about-analysis-and-therapy/individuation/

This is the first of two talks for the Jung Society, set within the context of relationships.
In September In ‘The Grey Eyed Owl’ I will reflect upon and pay homage to the works and days of Glenda Cloughley.

Dr Craig San Roque: As well as psychological practice in diverse settings, Craig’s published works include:
* the award winning graphic novel The Long Weekend in Alice Springs, Sydney/Purgatorio,
* The Second Goya (on the American oligarch) in Singer’s Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America
and a keynote talk:
* An Older Voice - Things I heard in Warlpiri Country @ the 2023 Freud Conference, Indigenous Voice/s Psychoanalytic Listening. 

We meet from 7:30 pm for tea and coffee and snacks, music, discussion and library.
The Guest Speaker's presentation is at 8pm for an hour or so,
then we resume for questions and discussion, finishing by 10 pm.

Cost for attendance (at MacKillop House):
Jung Society members free,
Guests $15 (Seniors/Concession $10),
Pay by bank transfer or by vredit card or PayPal via TryBooking.

 Cost for on-line access:
 Jung Society members free (We'll send you a link).
Guests $10:
Pay by bank transfer or by credit card or PayPal via TryBooking.


<See the Video>

Friday 5th April 2024

"Moral Injury"

Dr Martin Hess

<See the video>

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT (and by Zoom)

Moral injury occurs when a person believes or realizes accurately or not that they have compromised their own standards of conduct or have violated universal moral standards and bear significant responsibility for that violation.

Relating to the pain you've caused someone or breaking your moral code are two of the core reasons you may experience guilt. Whether you broke your partner's favorite pen, forgot an important anniversary, or cheated your way to a promotion, feeling a sense of wrongdoing is equated with the emotion of guilt. 

Moral Injury arose from the 1999 UN sponsored ballot in East Timor, known as UNAMET, of which I was a police member.

This was a seminal mission for many reasons, not the least of which was that it paved the way for the eventual independence of the nation of Timor Leste in 2002. Unfortunately, UNAMET experienced a great deal of pre-mediated violence on the part of those tasked with security and protection, the Indonesian police, military and militia proxies.

The protectors became predators and the resultant destruction of most of the infrastructure and the murder of a confirmed 1,400 (suspected 1,600) East Timorese and the forced deportations of a further 250,000 East Timorese to West Timor marred this ballot.

Due to a flawed security agreement negotiated between Indonesia and Portugal, under the auspices of the UN, unarmed UN Civilian Police (UNCIVPOL) lacked a mandate and capacity to prevent this violence as we were outnumbered and out gunned, but stood as witnesses to many of these atrocities, until we were withdrawn to Darwin under threat of death. Many UNCIVPOL stood between predator and intended prey at the extreme risk to their own lives.

The violence was so extensive that an international military intervention led by Australia (INTERFET) was raised and deployed.

Service with UNAMET was traumatic but has been overshadowed by INTERFET and has been downplayed for various reasons, including the strategic relationship between Australia and Indonesia, in the light of an ascendant China and increased Islamic jihadism. This has resulted in inadequate post mission support and recognition for police, which has compounded the trauma experienced during the mission itself.

This is a complex story with many moving parts and various agendas, which we will consider and discuss.

Dr Martin Hess was a member of the Australian Federal Police for 30 years. Detective. Background in investigations, intelligence, surveillance, close protection and international police deployments. PhD in Australian international policing from Asia Pacific College of Diplomacy at Australian National University. Interested in inter-agency, whole if government cooperation, criminology and geo-strategic affairs.

<See the video>


Friday 3rd May 2024

"Walking the Labyrinth with Carl Jung"

Dr Kirstin Robertson-Gillam

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT (and by Zoom)

<See the video> 

Join Kirstin for the Friday night presentation about Carl Jung's perspectives on the spiritual and psychological significance of the labyrinth. Drawing upon Jung's writings, we'll examine how this ancient technique represents the winding path of inner transformation and self-discovery.

Learn how Jung used labyrinth symbolism therapeutically with patients to access inner wisdom and integrate conscious and unconscious parts of the self. You will also learn tips for walking the labyrinth mindfully and reflecting deeply.

On Saturday morning 10am, we'll have the opportunity to walk the full-sized labyrinth laid out in the grounds of the Australian Centre for Christianity & Culture in Barton. This will essentially be an open-eyed walking meditation.

Whether you're new to labyrinths or have walked many, come and explore this powerful tool for centering and personal growth.

Emerge renewed from this winding journey toward inner truth with a deepened connection to your authentic self and a feeling of sacred wholeness from integrating shadow and light on the labyrinth path.

Dr Kirstin Robertson-Gillam completed a psychology major in her BA degree along with ethnomusicology and musicology majors at the University of New England. She then did a number of higher degrees at Western Sydney University: A of Master Counselling; a Master of Arts (Hons); and, a PhD. Her PhD focused on reducing depression in mid to later life by participating in a community choir therapy program to reduce depression in mid to later life.

You can contact Kirstin directly:
Phone: (0409) 533 466
Email: kirstinrg@bigpond.com
Web: www.kirstinrg.com

We meet from 7:30 pm for tea and coffee and snacks, music, discussion and library.
The Guest Speaker's presentation is at 8pm for an hour or so,
then we resume for questions and discussion, finishing by 10 pm.


    <See the video>

 
 Saturday 4th May 2024  10am - 12 noon (Workshop experience)

"Walking the Labyrinth with Carl Jung"

Dr Kirstin Robertson-Gillam

At the Australian Centre for Christianity & Culture, 15 Blackhall Street, Barton.
  

On Saturday morning, we had the opportunity to walk the full-sized labyrinth
laid out in the grounds of the Australian Centre for Christianity & Culture in Barton.

This was essentially be an open-eyed walking meditation.

Time 10am - 12 noon.

For more details of the Garden, see
  * The Bible Garden (csu.edu.au)   
  * The Bible Garden | VisitCanberra




Dr Kirstin Robertson-Gillam completed a psychology major in her BA degree along with ethnomusicology and musicology majors at the University of New England. She then did a number of higher degrees at Western Sydney University: A of Master Counselling; a Master of Arts (Hons); and, a PhD. Her PhD focused on reducing depression in mid to later life by participating in a community choir therapy program to reduce depression in mid to later life.

 

 

Cost:  $10  (Cash / Cheque / Credit-card on the day)

RSVP please to Kirstin:
    Phone: (0409) 533 466 
   Email: kirstinrg@bigpond.com
   Web: www.kirstinrg.com

Friday 7th June 2024

"Disinformation - a Jungin Perspective"

John Gillam

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham (and by Zoom)

 

Disinformation, defined as the deliberate provision of misleading information, can be understood by using Carl Jung's profound insights into the collective unconscious and archetypal dynamics. Jung did not specifically address the concept of disinformation in the modern sense during his lifetime. However, his work on the collective unconscious, archetypes, and the exploration of the shadow aspects of the psyche provides insights that can be applied to the understanding of disinformation.

Jung's main message, when extrapolated to the issue of disinformation, revolves around the profound influence of unconscious elements on human behavior and perception. He emphasised the existence of archetypes—universal symbols and themes deeply ingrained in the collective unconscious of humanity. These archetypes, such as the hero, the shadow, and others, serve as powerful templates that shape human experiences and narratives.

In the context of disinformation, Jung's insights suggest that manipulators may tap into these archetypal elements to evoke specific emotional responses and shape public opinion. The deliberate use of symbols, narratives, and cultural references in disinformation campaigns can exploit these deep-seated psychological patterns, influencing individuals on a subconscious level.

Jung's exploration of the shadow - the hidden, often repressed, aspects of the individual and collective psyche - offers a cautionary perspective. Disinformation may thrive by amplifying societal fears, biases, and prejudices present in the collective shadow. Jung's message underscores the importance of acknowledging and confronting these hidden elements to foster a more self-aware and resilient society.

Join us for a journey into the murky waters of disinformation, gaining insights into psychological mechanisms and how Jung's guidance can help unravel misleading narratives. A must for those navigating psychology and disinformation in today's world!

 John Gillam, a retired librarian and former technology innovations officer at the National Library of Australia, contributed to cost reduction initiatives by helping to implement an online national shared bibliographic database for publications.

His expertise extended to assisting in the development of the Australian national satellite system over a decade, eventually earning him the position of European Manager for a leading Australian telecommunications company. The latter part of his career was focused on Freedom of Information processing and contributing to government efforts in analysing foreign interference in Australia’s democratic systems.

In retirement, John continues to actively engage with the ever-evolving landscape of information dissemination through various media, publications, and the internet.

We meet from 7:30 pm for tea and coffee and snacks, music, discussion and library.
The Guest Speaker's presentation is at 8pm for an hour or so,
then we resume for questions and discussion, finishing by 10 pm.

 

Friday 5th July 2024

"Seeing Your True Nature:
The Headless Way Approach to Self-Inquiry"

 Dr Brentyn Ramm

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT (and by Zoom)

<video recording>

Contemplative traditions have variously described your true nature as void-like, empty and yet full of the world, a clear light, pure awareness.

Douglas Harding developed innovative experiments for directly seeing your true nature. This approach, the Headless Way, is simple and practical and offers techniques for investigating who or what you really are for yourself. As a first-person method of self-inquiry,

it is based upon your own experience, hence, you are the authority - no one else. Brentyn will introduce the Headless Way approach and guide the audience through some Douglas Harding’s first-person experiments.

Dr Brentyn Ramm is a philosopher whose research focuses on using first-person experimental methods to inform the nature of consciousness and the self. He is based in Sydney and a guest scientist at Witten/Herdecke University.

He was a Humboldt postdoctoral fellow at Witten/Herdecke University (Germany) in the Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2021-2023. He completed his philosophy PhD in the School of Philosophy at the Australian National University in 2016. He also completed a PhD in cognitive psychology at the University of Queensland in 2006.

We meet from 7:30pm for tea, coffee and snacks, music, discussion and library.
The Guest Speaker's presentation is at 8pm for an hour or so,
then we resume for questions and discussion, finishing by 10 pm.

<video recording>

Friday 2nd August 2024

"Is My Enemy's Enemy, My Friend?
AI as Spiritual Companion"

Dr Nikolai Blaskow

<See the video>

Our 10-minute clip from "The Fog of War"video has been removed from the recording, because of the copyright requirement. 
But you can see full "Fog of War interview" here.  Start at 6:20.

Friedrich Nietzsche:
"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

 René Girard:
“Scandal” means, not one of those ordinary obstacles that we avoid easily after we run into it the first time, but a paradoxical obstacle that is almost impossible to avoid: the more this obstacle, or scandal repels us, the more it attracts us. Scandals are responsible for the false infinity of mimetic rivalry …"

 Dr Nikolai Blaskow is an Adjunct Research Fellow with Charles Sturt University, located at the Centre for Christianity and Culture. He is currently working on a Book focused on AI and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) exploring the existential, philosophical, psychological and theological implications of AI.

 He teaches English Literature at Narrabundah College, Canberra ACT.

 For more examples of Dr Blaskow's presentations, see eg: Dr Nikolai David Blaskow - YouTube.

 See Nikolai's article



Friday 6th September 2024

"A Jungian Cosmology"
With Robbie Tulip 

<See the video>

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT (and by Zoom)

Carl Jung’s effort to integrate a scientific worldview with a spiritual psychology is grounded in his concept of synchronicity, the observation of the underlying causal unity of each moment in time.

In this talk I will present a scientific description of the causal unity of the Solar System as the spiritual and actual home of humanity, expanding Jung’s Earth-centred perspective in psychology to explore how the temporal structure of the Solar System governs our cultural and spiritual evolution and provides the context to understand the fragile sensitivity of our living planet.

Robbie Tulip has an MA Honours degree in ethics and ontology, and a career in international development. His primary interest is building practical understanding and strategic vision of methods to reverse global warming, incorporating insights from psychology and climate science.

We meet from 7:30 pm for tea and coffee and snacks, music, discussion and library.
The Guest Speaker's presentation is at 8pm for an hour or so,
then we resume for questions and discussion, finishing by 10 pm.


Friday 4th October 2024

"Ghosts of Early Modern London"

With Dr Charlotte-Rose Millar

We meet at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT (and Charlotte joins us by Zoom)

This paper will explore a number of ghost stories circulating in late seventeenth and early eighteenth century London.

It will show how these supernatural stories created new understandings of space in the early modern world, and will argue that these stories shaped people's perceptions of the early modern cityscape.

The talk will relate tales of ghostly midwives, former landlords, and disobedient wives, all of whom came back from the dead for specific reasons.

It will then discuss how neighbours and the broader community reacted to these ghosts and how the specific spaces in which they appeared helped people to interpret their post-mortem appearances.

Dr Charlotte-Rose Millar is Lecturer in History at the University of Melbourne. Her work focuses on early modern English print culture, supernatural belief, the history of emotions, and diabolism.

She has held fellowships at the University of Queensland and the University of Cambridge. Her first book, "Witchcraft, the Devil and Emotions in Early Modern England" was published by Routledge in 2017. Her second book, "Haunting Emotions: Space and the Supernatural in Early Modern England" is under contract with Manchester University Press. She is also the author of volume three of Bloomsbury’s six volume series "A Cultural History of Magic".   

Saturday Workshop 26th October

"Carl Jung: His Passion of Unconscious Forces
and our Capacity to be both Self-Centred and Selfless"
 
Dr David Russell

at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham ACT

A special day-time workshop in Canberra, with our friend David Russell.

 Programme:

 10 am:
   Presentation
11am - 12noon:
   Q & A
12noon - 1pm:
   Lunch
1pm – 2pm:
   Presentation:
   "The life cycle of one’s therapeutic practice from the initial enthusiasm
   through to the inevitable ‘growing old’ through to a necessary rebirth"
2-pm – 3pm:
   Group Discussion
Summary:

Both intuitively and experimentally, Jung was convinced that this interplay of our capacity to be both self-centred and selfless was at the heart of his life’s work.

Jung used the term ‘complex’ to convey the interplay not just between our capacity to be self-centred and selfless but also between conscious and unconscious experiences.  The term is used to express feelings, images, emotions, thoughts and ideas. Jung referred to it as a feeling-toned complex. What we have is a network of images-awash-with-emotions. An emotion is not a thing, rather, it is a collection of processes preparing us for action.

The complexes appear physically in our symptoms and walk around nightly in our dreams … we are always unconscious; the unconscious is everywhere.  Our dreams manifest our capacity to be both compassionate, loving and mean spirited, selfish. The dark side of our psyche/mind is always present along-side out light side. How could it be otherwise. Denying our psychological dark side makes it easy to unconsciously turn our spiritual life into an achievement; thus, a commodification of desire.

I invite you to listen to the folk story of The Three Feathers.  Following the telling of the story I’ll illustrate its archetypal nature and the relationship between the archetype of the Self and the ego complex.

Some key issues:
  * How our brains create our own and our shared reality,
  * How our social reality is in constant change,
  * Our individual agency,
  * Unconscious, pre-conscious and conscious processes.
Dr David Russell's initial studies were at the Pontifical University in Rome, Italy. His main area of study were the works of two Spanish mystics, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.

Back in Sydney he studied psychology completing his BSc (Hons) and the PhD. After a couple of years in private practice he joined the fledgling Western Sydney University and taught first in the Department of Social Ecology and then in the School of Psychology.  The high point of his academic career was initiating, along with Dr Brendon Stewart, the Master of Analytical Psychology degree based on the works of Carl Jung and post Jungian writers.

On leaving the university he moved back into private practice where he is still engaged on a part-time basis.  During this latter period, he was President of the Sydney Jung Society for a number of years.

Location: MacKillop Conference Centre, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham (Canberra).

Time: 26th October 2024  10am - 3pm

Lunch is provided.
Cost for attendance (at MacKillop House):
Jung Soc members: $40, Senior / Concession: $30,  Standard Guest rate: $50
Pay at the door by cash, cheque or credit card, or in advance by bank transfer or TryBooking.

RSVP: Jeanne  (0406) 375 670     (for catering)

 


** Postponed **

 Friday 6th September 2024

"Homage to Glenda”

With Dr Craig San Roque

This Craig's second event for the year, will be a kind of ‘Homage to Glenda’ - reflections on themes of Glenda Cloughley’s life and works - told from my personal experience with her from 1988 to 2023.

It may be that this would work better as a Sunday afternoon symposium style event.

Details to be advised.

Dr Craig San Roque: As well as psychological practice in diverse settings, Craig’s published works include:
 * the award winning graphic novel The Long Weekend in Alice Springs, Sydney/Purgatorio,
* The Second Goya (on the American oligarch) in Singer’s Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America and a keynote talk:
* An Older Voice - Things I heard in Warlpiri Country @ the 2023 Freud Conference, Indigenous Voice/s Psychoanalytic Listening.

Everyone is welcome. 

We normally meet at 7:30pm on the first Friday each month for music and coffee and chat,
Guest Speaker at 8pm, break for supper around 9pm, resume for questions and discussion until 10pm.

Location: Usually at MacKillop House, 50 Archibald St, Lyneham, ACT.
              *** Please check the website for any changes to date/time and locaton of events ***

Web:    www.CanberraJungSociety.org.au
Email:   CanberraJungSociety@yahoo.com 
Postal: PO Box 82, Belconnen, ACT 2616, Australia

Updated by Robert James 5th October 2024

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