ONLINE: Richard Jenkins - The Power of Symbols and the Poetics of Peace

The talk explores the significance of Jung’s notion of the ‘uniting symbol’ in relation to  healing the body politic. Drawing on The Red Book, it examines the conditions necessary for such symbols to emerge not just in the clinic but in communities, emphasizing the vital role of imagination.

The talk invites parallels between the historical conflict in Northern Ireland and today's society where competing truth claims undermine social trust, limit our capacity to think and fuel cycles of violence.

Jung warned “not to be indifferent to the poets,” as they “create from the very depths of the collective unconscious, voicing aloud what others only dream” (CW VI, §323). The talk highlights what analytical psychology today can learn from the struggles of poets from the North of Ireland to articulate this symbolic depth.

The talk offers a personal reflection on the making of a Jungian Analyst born and raised in Belfast at the height of ‘The Troubles’.

Richard Jenkins is a Jungian Analyst, Supervisor, Psychodynamic Psychotherapist, and Training Analyst for the Association of Jungian Analysts (AJA). Following his initial training at WPF Therapy, he now teaches at the Bowlby Centre, the SAP, the WMIP, and on AJA’s Analytic training. Holding degrees in Law and Theology, a Master’s in Contemporary Theology, and postgraduate diplomas in Pastoral Counselling and Psychodynamic Theory, his practice is deeply informed by a lifelong interest in the intersection of psyche, culture, and meaning.

Online admission with open at 10:15am; the lecture will begin at 10:30am