Presented by Ronald Schenk , M.S.W., Ph.D. This presentation will elaborate on the concept of soul from the alchemical standpoint of anima mundi or world soul, in particular, the cultural soul of America, and how it relates it to the new science of complexity. Rather than analyzing a single individual or subject, we will examine some of the ways in which phenomena emerge from the interaction of multiple systems. Our focus will be on the contemporary phenomenon of “Trump” in the American political psyche as an autonomous symbolic image which from the interaction of multiple agencies, and suggests a more complex notion of a cultural soul with a life of its own which lies beyond political rhetoric. Ronald Schenk, Ph.D., M.S.W., is a  Jungian analyst in private practice in Dallas and Houston, and a member and past-President of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. His recently published essays on language, the city, and anger include The Soul of Beauty,  Dark Night: Imagination in Everyday Life, The Sunken Quest, The Wasted Fisher, The Pregnant Fish: Essays on a Post-Modern Depth Psychology and most recently,  American Soul: A Cultural Narrative. Future publications include The Analytical Mind, Anima Mundi, Archetypal Expressions, and The Way of the Psyche. This program is part of A Series with Ronald Schenk.

Presented by Ronald Schenk, M.S.W., Ph.D. “Journey” is a commonly used metaphor, which in its essence indicates a process of change. In this presentation will shall deconstruct the notion into an event employing various art forms including live singing and dance, poetry and multiple images from art and alchemy. Our predominate source will be from the gnostic and alchemical myth of the soul’s movement toward self-realization. For people facing major life transitions, the ability of the ego to tolerate the unknown can lead to a greater sense of flexibility, resilience, and ultimately a capacity for adaptation to a new and often challenging inner and outer reality. Ronald Schenk, Ph.D., M.S.W., is a  Jungian analyst in private practice in Dallas and Houston, and a member and past-President of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. His recently published essays on language, the city, and anger include The Soul of Beauty,  Dark Night: Imagination in Everyday Life, The Sunken Quest, The Wasted Fisher, The Pregnant Fish: Essays on a Post-Modern Depth Psychology and most recently,  American Soul: A Cultural Narrative. Future publications include The Analytical Mind, Anima Mundi, Archetypal Expressions, and The Way of the Psyche. This program is part of A Series with Ronald Schenk.

Presented by Ronald Schenk, M.S.W., Ph.D. The music of the Beatles is classified as “pop” which usually connotes temporary popularity, but the songs of the Beatles can be seen to hold archetypal meanings which allow them to reverberate with us decades after their composition. This presentation will explore the archetypes expressed in several Beatles songs, .juxtaposing them with pieces from classical musical, predominately Richard Wagner’s “Ring Cycle,”  depicting starkly mythical imagery of cosmic transformation.  We will see how different genres of music reflect each other, as well as giving us a ground for conscious experience of daily life. Ronald Schenk, Ph.D., M.S.W., is a  Jungian analyst in private practice in Dallas and Houston, and a member and past-President of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. His recently published essays on language, the city, and anger include The Soul of Beauty,  Dark Night: Imagination in Everyday Life, The Sunken Quest, The Wasted Fisher, The Pregnant Fish: Essays on a Post-Modern Depth Psychology and most recently,  American Soul: A Cultural Narrative. Future publications include The Analytical Mind, Anima Mundi, Archetypal Expressions, and The Way of the Psyche. This program is part of A Series with Ronald Schenk.