The arts therapy and psychodynamic psychology communities were abuzz recently with the publication of Carl Gustav Jung's The Red Book--a facsimile of Jung's previously unpublished record of his own journey from emotional trauma and mental illness to recovery and beyond.

As a member of the triumvirate of great early twentieth century psychologists of Jung, Freud and Adler, each of whom created his own brand of depth psychology, Jung is perhaps best known today for his conception of the introvert-extrovert scale and his work on the collective unconscious.

In 1913, Jung and Freud had an irrevocable falling out over differences in their understandings of the workings of the psyche and the future course of psychoanalysis. Jung, who much admired the work of Freud and valued his connections with the older and more famous psychiatrist, experienced, what he, himself, called a near-psychotic break as he sought to separate himself from Freud's good will and to develop his own psychology independent of Freud. Jung overcame the psychological trauma this separation brought about through surrendering to his impulse to paint freely and to re-experience the games of his childhood.

Between 1914 and 1930, Jung's process was to write down his thoughts and memories and paint images which came into his conscious mind in his red-bound journal. By giving himself over completely to this forgotten or previously unknown material buried deeply in his psyche, Jung not only healed himself from the trauma of his split with Freud but also developed the emotional strength to found his own system of psychology--a daunting task given the preeminence of Freud at that time.

In the process of this work, Jung also created the therapeutic method he came to call 'active imagination.' Active imagination is Jung's term for the process of allowing, through a semi-meditative state, previously unconscious material to filter into the conscious mind. Once a person becomes aware of this material, it can become the impetus for spontaneous self-expression through art work. The art work then serves as a guide to self-discovery and healing. Jung's work into the relationship between the unconscious and visual imagery is invaluable to our understanding of human creativity. His work laid the foundation for art therapy as a psychological technique. Jung can rightly be called the father of present day art therapy.

In The Red Book, we see the spontaneous outpourings from Jung's own unconscious which he later interpreted from both a personal viewpoint and a collective perspective--recognizing that we all share similar memories, experiences and aspirations which can take either personal symbolic shape or the shape of symbols which we all--regardless of culture or ethnicity--share. The act of allowing himself to record whatever came from his hidden self allowed him to attend to his inner self, its needs, and to find, within the images, a way forward where the way before had seemed dark and impenetrable.Jung's personal work, as documented in The Red Book, came to be the foundation for the use of art and other creative expression therapies. Although Freud had previously recognized the value of visual images in therapy, recording that, when trying to relate their dreams to him, his patients would often say: "I cannot describe it, but I could draw it for you"-- it was Jung who began to encourage his patients to draw, play and write during the course of their own therapy. Once Jung had experienced the healing power of his own method, and after he had satisfied himself of its universality, he began to encourage his patients to use art as an integral part of their own therapy. He believed that only art conceived and executed without self-consciousness and with little or no forethought could yield material capable of producing lasting healing. In this context, Jung made a distinction between what he called 'true' art--that produced by great artists--and the spontaneous art produced by himself and his clients.

In retrospect, many believe that Jung himself could be called a 'true artist', just as much of the work of art therapy clients could also be called 'true' art. However, as Jung's method of active imagination requires a suspension of critical faculties, it differs from traditionally accepted views of what art is. But, it is the act of suspending self-criticism and conscious planning by which, paradoxically, we become more self-aware. As spontaneous art is free from the taint of our conscious selves--that is, how we would like to be seen, or how we think we are--it enables us to confront and then accept those parts of ourselves which have previously been rejected or neglected. 

As this therapy involves bringing experiences and thoughts previously forgotten or unacknowledged to awareness, it implies the existence of a complex psyche made up of different parts each capable of interacting with each other. Because Freud and Jung both conceived of the human psyche as a  dynamic multi-leveled system their theories have come to be known as 'psychodynamic' psychologies. Central to understanding psychodynamic theories is the notion of the existence of both a conscious and an unconscious self. Both Jung-based and Freudian therapies centre are based on helping a person become aware of feelings and experiences which, although held in the unconscious,   nevertheless control  conscious behaviour. Art therapists working in the psychodynamic tradition seek to help people experience their unconscious selves through their own art making. Once feelings and experiences coming from the unconscious can, quite literally, be seen, they are no long unconscious and become part of the person's conscious awareness.

Contemporary art therapists are a motley crew each bringing to their work different approaches based on their prior training, personal interests, and philosophical view of life. The approach to work with each client is based, not only on the therapist's own training and life view, but also, most importantly, on the particular client's needs at any one time. To this end, it may not always be the right time for a client to work imaginatively. Jung recognized this and did not require his patients to engage in their own art making--often waiting until they reached a point in their therapy where active imagination was both possible and helpful. However, the point at which meaningful art could be produced often took many months of therapy.

Today, undertaking long-term therapy, of whatever kind, requires a major investment in time and money. In light of the economic reality of the times, some art therapists are constrained to work within short-term models which typically are limited from six to twelve sessions.

Such well-researched and accepted short-term models as cognitive behavioural therapy or brief focused solution therapy lend themselves easily to art therapy as the verbal techniques they use can easily be translated into visual forms. In this context, the art therapist may give directed arts-based assignments such as "draw what a panic attack feels like" or "paint that brick wall you keep running into." Seeing such a feeling or situation on paper provides distance, objectivity and broadens the viewer's understanding of a circumstance.

Even within a short-term model,  the work of the Jung-based art therapist is still informed by the concept that clients' art work conveys much more than a direct representation of an experience or a feeling; it also presents a context and a frame within which we can consider the image.

Longer term therapy opens the possibility of real personal growth and change. Long-term art therapy is appropriate either as a primary or adjunct treatment for many deep-seated mental health issues--especially depression and anxiety as well as those life transitional issues typically occurring in middle and later years such as a loss of direction or purpose. In these cases, the art therapist may use directed art in the early stages of therapy in order to bring symptoms under control before then going on to work on deeper issues using the process of active imagination.

Although directed assignments provide a foundation from which to build, in my experience, it is when the client begins to explore images that come to mind spontaneously and are created without consultation with the therapist that the real work of healing and psychic development begins. When emotional stability is achieved, spontaneous expressive art often contains visual reflections of inner states which are far too complex to be rendered into speech. However, this complexity can be grasped by the art maker and recognized as a manifestation of the totality of an experience or feeling, with all the variations and equivocations that make each human unique.

In his life work, Jung sought to help each individual attain his or her full potential. He believed this was possible through a long and arduous journey that each of us must take--a journey into our unconscious selves where those painful experiences, timeless memories and darkly held feelings reside. Only by confronting this material can we become who we can be.
Art coming from our depths through the process of active imagination is a tool available to all--from children to the elderly--to help us deal with our difficult and challenging lives. Jung's own journey documented in The Red Book, when seen in light of Jung's later life and achievements, is a testament to the healing power of his therapeutic methods and stands as a guide for all who choose to follow.
 

Comments (0) >>

Write comment

You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.