"Who am I?"
For many, this most important question goes unaddressed. According to Psychiatrist Carl Jung, people who fail to form a mature, unique identity get lost in pseudo-identities and 'group-think'. Jung warned, "The world will ask you who you are and if you don't know, the world will tell you!" Without the anchor of Self, a person becomes an angry mouthpiece for causes, one more member of the raucous herd.
Annette Poizner, MSW, Ed.D., RSW, a social worker and therapist, has designed workbooks to help readers access Jung's insights into identity and Self. Readers will color images - to improve comprehension, facilitate reflection and also to promote concentration. Accessing Jung's wisdom through summaries, direct quotes and graphic images provides a 'stereophonic' learning experience.
In this volume, readers learn Jung's ideas while coloring mandalas, geometric renderings which Jung felt graphically represented the concept of the Self. As well, when introducing Jung's individuation process, readers unpack the concept through an interesting modality. Poizner, a certified graphologist, shows graphic signs that appear in handwriting, a soft marker that hints at the psycho-spiritual maturity of writers. Signatures of prominent public figures illustrate the phenomenon.
In the next volume, Inner Natures: A Carl Jung Coloring Book for Self-Exploration, we consider why we often reference the animal kingdom when describing people and situations: "He is a real shark!" "There's something fishy going on." "He's a teddy bear!" We will look at animals that embody character traits which play out in our own inner natures and find a range of archetypes represented in the animal kingdom, all archetypes we find within us. Each reader can discover the animal that corresponds to his or her own essence; also each must cultivate traits associated with the wide range of animals. Use this self-reflection exercise to explore the Jungian archetypes and to explore - and expand - your own inner nature.
Learning about Jung's archetypes will spur readers into more active dreaming. The dream journal serves as a log that readers can use to capture their dreams so they can review them over time in an effort to detect patterns.
Part guide, part coloring book, part journal, part mirror, Annette Poizner, a seasoned therapist, has assembled a compelling and personal introduction to the magical world of Carl Jung. In books that that are both educational and experiential, readers can engage in activities which bring Jung's fascinating insights to life.
"Individuation means becoming an 'in-dividual', . . . "individuality" embraces our innermost, last, and incomparable uniqueness . . . "