Psychological Trauma and Listening with the Heart

In lecture and workshop we will explore how each one of us can contribute to healing the anima mundi, the soul of the world. After the trauma of World War II and the genocide of the Holocaust, C.G. Jung asked, “Is it really only brute force that decides everything?” Over the past seven years I have learned from individuals and communities who are suffering the posttraumatic consequences of war and violence in eastern Congo, northern Uganda, South Sudan, and western Kenya. In essence, I invite us to explore and appreciate how, in a rapidly changing world, paying attention to innate capacities, such as what Jung calls the transcendent function, does make a difference. The mythopoetic layers of the psyche and creative activities of the arts function as agents of transformation by overcoming stuckness and pressures to conform. A summons to “purposeful action” can help transcend personal and cultural layers of reference and rekindle the struggle of giving birth to one’s future. In a globally traumatized world, taking a stand and modeling principled humane behavior through listening with the heart opens paths to building community and creating future.