Episodes

Ep. 163: Robert H. Langan, Ph.D.

Aug. 13, 2026 ~ Robert H. Langan holds a doctorate in Psychoanalytic Studies from the University of Essex in England. A scholar of Jung and Spinoza, he also specializes in speculative metaphysics and psychological types. Posting under the name Wrath Mania on Substack, he delves into Complex Psychology after Jung, theory, culture, and dreams. His book, Jung and Spinoza: Passage Through the Blessed Self, was published by last year by Routledge.

In this episode we discuss Dr. Langan’s journey through the master’s and Ph.D. programs in the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies at the University of Essex; the influence of his professors – Roderick Main (Ep. 117), Harald Atmanspacher (Ep. 116), Christian McMillan, and Mark Saban (Ep. 60); the comment made by Joseph Cambray (Ep. 130) in The Pauli-Jung Conjecture that led to Dr. Langan’s research on Jung’s relationship with Baruch Spinoza; and we end by sharing our thoughts on the new Steven Spielberg film, Disclosure Day.

September 2nd: On the next episode of Speaking of Jung we will be announcing the launch of a new scholarly journal, Individuation – East and West, with founding editor Murray Stein, Ph.D. and editor-in-chief Leslie Stein, J.D.

The aim of this Journal is to explore and advance the processes of psychological transformation, which relies on the organizing structure of the Self, by creating a dialogue between East and West on the theme of individuation. Jung’s understanding of the individuation process crystalized when he studied a translation of the Chinese Daoist text, The Secret of the Golden Flower, and his theory of the Self expanded through his study of the Hindu concept of the Atman.

Engaging East and West in further dialogue today can sharpen a lens to see the individuation process as both diverse culturally and universally archetypal, and to advance its goals with a deeper understanding of the wisdom in the interplay of civilizations that may contribute to the greater psychological and spiritual consciousness of individuals, cultures, and humanity.

September 18th: Yvonne Smith-Tarnas, Ph.D., is a practicing Jungian psychoanalyst, astrologer, and Marriage & Family Therapist. She is a clinical supervisor and instructor for the San Francisco Jung Institute where she lectures on psychology and astrology. Her publications include “Synchronicity, Intentionality, Archetypal Meaning in Therapy” and “Destined Meetings and the Healing Force of Relationships.” She lectures for the Astrological Association of Great Britain, OPA, and ISAR.

I will be attending Dr. Smith-Tarnas’ presentation “Lost in the Wilderness and Becoming a Self” at the United Astrology Conference (UAC) here in Chicago on September 6th. And on Friday, September 4th, our October guest, Laurence Hillman, Ph.D. (James Hillman’s son), will be presenting “Astrology and AI: Embracing Uranus without Losing Your Soul” which I will attend as well.

When you contribute just $5 per month to our Tip Jar on Patreon you receive access to our WEEKLY posts which include all of my research notes, book excerpts and quotes, and recording notes from previous episodes in addition to each and every new episode of Speaking of Jung.

Last month’s posts:

• August 5: Notes from Ep. 96 with Jungian analyst Marian Dunlea (Nov. 3, 2021) on her book, BodyDreaming in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma: An Embodied Therapeutic Approach.

• August 14: Notes from Ep. 163 with Robert H. Langan, Ph.D. (Aug. 13, 2026) on his book, Jung and Spinoza: Passage Through the Blessed Self.

• August 18: Notes from Ep. 130 with Jungian analyst Joseph Cambray, Ph.D. (Dec. 20, 2023) on his Fay Lecture Series book, Synchronicity: Nature and Psyche in an Interconnected Universe.

• August 26: Notes from Ep. 27 with Jungian analyst James Hollis, Ph.D. (Aug. 16, 2017) on his book The Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other – A Jungian Perspective on Relationship.

A new post every week! Join now.

Live Online Classes

Jung’s Map of the Soul – Deeper Explorations

with Murray Stein, Ph.D., Jungian Analyst (Ep. 9, 42, 44, 47, 49, 53, 54, 55, 67, 77, 92, 105, 111, 122, 151, 159, 164)

Chiron Publications is hosting a free 4-part live seminar series with Murray Stein speaking on his newly released book, Jung’s Map of the Soul – Deeper Explorations. Hosted by Dr. Steven Buser (Ep. 49, 55, 78), Dr. Stein will teach from his book in four parts. While there is no charge for the seminar series, participants should purchase and read Dr. Stein’s book prior to the first seminar if at all possible.

🗓️ Saturdays, Sept. 19, 2026–Jan. 9, 2027 | 10 AM ET (New York, USA)

• Seminar #1: Chapter 1 – Ego-Consciousness, Psychological Type

• Seminar #2: Chapters 2 & 3 – The Unconscious: Personal and Collective; Persona, Shadow, Anima and Animus

• Seminar #3: Chapter 5 – Individuation

• Seminar #4: Chapters 6 & 7 – The Self, Synchronicity and Meaning

Registration via Chiron Publications

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Emily Dickinson: A Medicine Woman for Our Times

with Steven Herrmann, Ph.D., Jungian Analyst (Ep. 151)

This three-hour online workshop explores Emily Dickinson’s poetry as a source of psychological insight and creative renewal through the lens of C.G. Jung’s writings on fate, destiny, and the Self.

Participants will engage in journaling, poetic reverie, and dreamwork to cultivate imagination, deepen self-understanding, and explore the relationship between inner transformation, vocation, and democratic life.

🗓️ Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 | 1–4 PM PDT (Los Angeles, USA)

Registration via the C.G. Jung Society of Seattle

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Redeeming Narcissism: Jung & the Paradox of Self-Worth

with Morgan Stebbins, D.Min., Jungian Analyst (Ep. 158 & 162)

Is there anything new to say about narcissism? Do we need yet another course on the social evils of narcissism, on avoiding the dangers of the narcissist, or the difficulties of the narcissistic psychoanalytic patient, or on a critique of the narcissistic age we live in?

I believe the answer is yes, and this course aims to redeem Narcissus. In doing so, we will use the tools that Jung developed and rely on his deep understanding of the core dynamic of narcissism. We will see that Narcissus’ story is not merely a tale of bad behavior, of morality transgressed, or of “I told you so.” Rather it represents a universal psychological dynamic the aim of which is to develop an examined life and in so doing, to become more oneself.

Narcissism is perhaps the least understood category in the mental health world today. In deploying this label, we typically point to someone else in horror. We do not ask about their suffering, explore their inner dynamic, or even more radically, look at ourselves as players in the dynamic. In doing so we forget Jung’s adage that “Projections change the world into the replica of one’s own unknown face.”

🗓️ 8 Tuesdays | Sept. 22–Nov. 10, 2026 | 7–8:30 PM ET (New York, USA)

Sponsored by The Jungian Psychoanalytic Association (JPA)

Registration via Eventbrite

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The Others: The Class

with Professor Diana Walsh Pasulka, Ph.D. (Ep. Q14)

Go Behind the Book with D.W. Pasulka: The Visionaries, Ideas, and People Who Predicted Our Era

Explore the visions behind the New York Times bestselling book.

Important thinkers of the past century saw our present coming. Who were they, and what did they see? This is an opportunity to go inside the research behind the visionaries of The Others. In this six-session live seminar D. W. Pasulka takes you behind the book to explore the extraordinary visionaries, ideas, traditions, and encounters that shaped it. Together, we will go deeper into the work of figures who anticipated a world transformed by artificial intelligence, advanced technology, new forms of belief, and encounters with realities that challenge our understanding of what it means to be human.

(I will be attending this, live.)

🗓️ 6 Tuesdays | Oct. 6–Nov. 10, 2026 | 6–7:30 PM ET (New York, USA)

• René Girard: Desire, Imitation, and the Sacred

• Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: Evolution Toward the Future

• Marshall McLuhan: The Medium is the Message

• Arthur C. Clarke: Imagining the World Before It Arrived

• Mark Stahlman, Norbert Wiener, and the Human Future

• The Convergence: UAP, AI, and Garabandal

Registration via Teachable

Temenos Dream

Record, organize, interpret, and share your dreams with the app Jungians use.

• Capture dreams effortlessly – Record dreams seamlessly with voice-activated transcription. Highlight key symbols and add context for deeper understanding.

• Unlock meanings – Let the AI-powered interpreter guide you through insightful analysis, as well as unveiling the myths and legends behind your dreams.

• Connect through dream sharing – Share dreams within your personal Dream Circles for human-powered discussion.

• Your privacy is paramount – Temenos Dream uses high-grade encryption to keep your dreams safe, and does not sell user data.

Search the online Dream Symbols guide.

Download the app and create a free account. Unlimited use is available with a premium subscription.

🎨: “A Woman in the Summer,” Jana Brike.

New Books

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