Welcome to Depth Psychology of Love, an Online Course
Overview
Love, like water, has still ponds, rushing rivers, waterfalls, deep lakes, tidal waves, and tsunamis. When the flow of love fades or surges into unknown territory, can we find the courage to follow it and hear the hidden voices beneath the flow that offer meaning to the journey and insight into where it is trying to guide us?
*Scroll down to skip intro and go directly to Module One
Like walking a labyrinth, as we navigate the territory of the heart, we can find ourselves close to the elusive center, but a moment later be swept off to the wilds of the outer edges, with the central goal seemingly lost forever. And conversely, we can be traveling the outer reaches of the labyrinth, then make one turn and find ourselves in possession of that stone in the centre that represents the ultimate union.
I share with you in this course only that which resonates as deep truth, that which has moved my own soul. Along the path, there have been many descents, twists, turns, open spaces, and sharp edges, but in essence, it has been a path with heart that has always pushed me further into unknown territory. As I researched, synchronicities (points where the conscious and unconscious intersect meaningfully) entered my life to help me embody the knowledge further. This course is not about those synchronicities but about the labyrinth itself—the structure that allowed for the movements and insights into deepening my own understanding and experience of love. What I offer you here are the tools for navigating your own labyrinth.
Course Layout
Timeline
You are recommended to complete the course in three to four months. This leaves time between the modules for integration of the previous module and reflection on the material. It depends on the time you have available to devote to this exploration in your life at present, and how much you wish to allow for the vicissitudes of life.
Readings
The course consists of ten modules, each with a video talk/lecture component, exercises, and reading assignments. C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces is assigned as the primary required book for the course. This will have to be purchased separately and can be found on Amazon for approximately $20 Canadian. The course can be done without the book, but it is strongly recommended that you read it while completing the course, as it will deepen your understanding of many of the core themes.
Till We Have Faces is supplemented with articles and book chapters from some of the rock stars of depth psychology (past and present), authors who will spark insights and new ways of thinking about your relationship history and sexuality. These articles and chapters are included in the course in PDF format for download. An extended reading list and recommended film list are also included if you should choose to read, view, and research more deeply any of the course modules and topics. Most of these films and books should be easy to locate, however, some may require a bit of research. The exercises at the end of each module are designed to integrate the material with your own lived experience. You are strongly encouraged to do these exercises, as they will have transformative impacts. The average video portion of each module runs approximately 30–45 minutes.
There will be periodic updates to the course in order to maintain and optimize the learning environment. For example, new PDFs, exercises, and images may be added and/or existing ones changed out.
Module One
INTRODUCTION
This module introduces the course. The concept of love is considered through the lens of alchemical operations that must be performed on the individual soul to move from the phase of nigredo (initial state of confusion and non-differentiation) to that of the lapis, the philosopher’s stone (final phase that represents the possibility of real love).
These operations often come in the form of heartbreak and failed relationships that initiate the individual into fuller consciousness and deeper capacities for love. The history of the development of the course is described, and then the three main threads that run through the course are defined and discussed: Psychoanalytic, Jungian, and the Feminine. The psychoanalytic thread is illustrated through the tasks of Psyche in the myth of Psyche and Eros, which represent the psychological tasks necessary before Psyche (soul) and Eros (love) can be reunited. The Jungian thread is considered through the concept of individuation and the inner marriage. The feminine is depicted through the theories of contemporary Jungian theorists and scholars such as Marion Woodman and Christine Downing, who explore the feminine as that which has been relegated to the unconscious and is now rising into awareness in both men and women as psychic energies that need to be reckoned with in order for deeper, more authentic levels of love to be experienced.
Video
Reading
C.S. Lewis Book, Till We Have Faces, pages 1-56
EXERCISE
Your exercise is to write a journal entry around your current beliefs about the topic of love. Consider questions such as: What is love? How do you know when it is present? Are there layers or levels to it? How does it change or grow over time? Where and when have you felt most loved?
Summaries for Modules Two to Ten
Module Two: Projection and Projective Identification
The history of the psychoanalytic concepts of projection and projective identification are explored in this module. Originating with Sigmund Freud and then evolving with later theorists such as Melanie Klein and Wilfred Bion, these evolving theories are explained. Examples are then given of how projection and projective identification work in relationships and why these concepts are so essential to understanding romantic and primary relationships. This is followed by a brief discussion of how the Jungian theory of projection differs and is also of primary relevance to issues of love. The process of exploring one’s own projections through the use of a projection paper exercise is explained, and an example is provided.
Module Three: Anima and Animus
The classic Jungian theory of anima/animus is explored in depth as well as more contemporary applications and developments of this theory. The concepts are defined, followed by a consideration of the unique characteristics and dangers of anima/animus projections. The projections are shown from the moment the arrows fly to the later possibility that their deadly unconscious sides will colonize the psyche of the other, “the object of desire.” The proper use of the archetypes of the anima/animus as inner guides to the depths of the unconscious is considered, as well as why they are most often projected rather than held in their proper place at the threshold to psychic depths. Unique applications and limitations of the origins of this theory for LGBTQ2 communities are discussed.
Module Four: Theseus and Ariadne: The Hero and the Anima Woman
This module begins to apply the theories of projection, projective identification, and anima/animus to archetypal pairings of the masculine and feminine from mythology. The myth of Hades and Persephone is briefly told and then used as an example of the most primitive relationship between two individuals: one that is based on possession. The demon lover complex explicates the core of this idea of possession, and Dr. Mozol’s original research on this complex is shared as well as how it connects to Freud’s theory of the Oedipal complex—a theory that is mostly misunderstood at the collective level of consciousness as well as in contemporary psychology. Then the module moves to a more subtle and harder to detect example of this relational complex through the myth of Theseus and Ariadne. The myth is shared, and then the anima animus projections are exposed as well as their inevitable consequences. For in the end, no one can hold an anima or animus projection for another eternally. The theme of the hero and anima woman is considered, as well as the commonly projected psychic aspects that connect to this archetypal pairing, which is incredibly common in contemporary relationships. The hero and the anima woman are magnetically drawn to one another, as each holds projected pieces of the other that have incredible importance and power. The relationship is often characterized by obsessive compulsion with the fervor of addiction.
Module Five: Separation and Betrayal: Death in the House of Love
In this module, we delve into the depths of despair that are evoked when love goes wrong—when there is a separation or betrayal. As painful as this kind of experience is from a depth psychological perspective, it also holds the possibility of initiation into new levels of consciousness and eventually to entirely new levels of relationship—that is, if the despair can be held, navigated, and comprehended. Otherwise, the individual is in danger of merely repeating the same relational cycle and dynamics with another partner. The experiment with “real love” that we are in for the first time in history, according to Jungian analysist Marie Louise von Franz, which began with troubadours and the idea of courtly love, is considered a psychological evolution that is still in process. We look at examples of betrayal here to try to glean where the psyche may be led through such experiences, or what exactly the individual is being initiated into. We do this again through story and myth. When Ariadne is abandoned and betrayed by Theseus, she is collected by the god Dionysus, whom she eventually weds. In this module, we consider what the archetypal movement from Theseus to Dionysus represents psychologically. Marion Woodman’s theory of the Virgin and the Puer is also discussed.
Module Six: Salomé and the Prophet
In this module, we look at Salomé, a drama by the Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde inspired by the biblical story. Dr. Mozol tells an abbreviated version of the play and then analyzes the anima/animus projections that run through virtually every character of the play, the main focus being on Salomé and the prophet Jokanaan. The play is a transitional space where both the prophet and Salomé represent characters struggling with re-collecting the projections of the anima woman and the hero/saviour. It ends in tragedy, which is also an accurate reflection of how a relationship usually plays out when individuals first start to wake up from this projective, entangled, co-dependent state.
The exact identifications that are being broken and the projections that the main characters are attempting to reclaim are examined as a reflection of what is trying to happen in the collective consciousness between the masculine and feminine in general. Jung’s encounter with the archetype of Salomé in his own visions, described in the Red Book, are critically analyzed. The privileged position that Jung gave to the prophet figure of Elijah exemplifies the devaluation of the feminine visible in Jung’s work and is seen as a reflection of the collective fear of the feminine energy that is rising from the unconscious, represented by the character of Salomé. Wilde’s Salomé is a complex feminine character who holds within her echoes of past pagan worldviews, surges of authentic sexual energy, and anger at the kingdom in which she finds herself—a kingdom that splits the feminine into lost or fallen, abandoned or desired.
Module Seven: A Clinical View: Narcissism and Borderline
In this module, narcissistic and borderline personality tendencies are explored as the collective neuroses of our time and as specific reactions to early trauma. Dr. Mozol shows how
historically, men’s trauma has typically shown up in the form of narcissistic tendencies and women’s trauma in the form of borderline tendencies, although this has changed as rigid concepts of gender roles have loosened. The psychodynamics of both Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder are explored in depth to show how they appear in the average individual and how they impact primary relationships. Individuals who present borderline or narcissistic characteristics are drawn to each other, as they perfectly mirror the shadow sides of one another. The relationship between Carl Jung and Sabina Spielrein is used as an example to explore the depths of what is really going on in such complex attractions.
Module Eight: Sexuality
In this module, Dr. Mozol looks at sexuality primarily through Freud’s original theory. Freud, in the words of Dr. Christine Downing, has given us a mythology of sexuality. In this way, he offers us a way to navigate the depths of our own sexual experiences, longings, and desires. Thomas Mann said the world had not caught up with Freud yet, and this module exposes why this is still the case. It also looks at the eloquence, beauty, and complexity of his original theory, which is almost entirely misunderstood and misinterpreted in our collective culture. Concepts such as polyperversity and the perversity that exists in “normal” adult heterosexual relationships are explored through Freudian theory, as well as what he considered to be the hidden depths and secret unconscious wishes beneath sexual longing and objects of desire. Archetypal and numinous aspects of sexuality are discussed. Freud believed we need to expand our notions of what sexuality is and to reclaim aspects of it that have been repressed to adapt to collective pressures and assumptions of what sexuality should be. The connections Freud makes between sex and aggression and eros and thanatos—love and death—are also explored.
Module Nine: psyche and Eros
This module starts with Dr. Mozol telling the tale of Psyche and Eros. The module then explores the four tasks that Psyche (soul) must complete to be reunited with Eros (love), which represent the inner work necessary to be initiated into the deeper mysteries of love. The tasks include pulling back projections and freeing oneself from identification with others’ projections; facing violence and finding the hidden gold in these shadow lands; developing a psychic container/body that is capable of holding the highest and lowest aspects of self without inflating or collapsing; and lastly, a confrontation with death and the underworld that allows one to see the soul’s beauty in the self and other. Themes of primary focus in this module include the idea of the Naked Sword in relationships, and the collective pressures and projections that connect to notions of beauty and ugliness. C.S. Lewis’ book Till We Have Faces focuses on this last task of Psyche, which represents the need to get beyond these illusions so we are capable of seeing the unique soul beauty of the individual, and be free to experience ourselves beyond the imprisonment of such projections.
Module Ten: Conclusion: Where Is It All Going?
In this final module, Dr. Mozol weaves together the three main threads of the course: Freudian (psychoanalytic), Jungian, and the Feminine. Each of the threads is summarized, and the evolving masculine and feminine energies are explored through the mythic pairings of Hades/Persephone, Theseus/Ariadne, Salomé/the prophet, and Dionysus/Sophia. Dreams that represent these different stages of individuation are briefly described. The archetype of Sophia from the gnostic gospels is explored in depth. Marion Woodman’s concept of going deeper into the feminine to bring the authentic masculine forward is shared through a personal story and dream. The course is brought to its conclusion.
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*$550
Please note: due to the experiential nature of digital materials we do not offer refunds for our online classes. Please be sure to read the entire course page and take advantage of this free sneak peak at Module One (above), along with summaries of each module, to get a sense of the course before you purchase it.
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*lifetime access is available for as long as this course is hosted on dreamworktheatre.com
