Write 11 pages thesis on the topic the theory of jungian therapy in practice. As a hospital chaplain I have always wondered about a Christian chaplain’s role in a hospital, its aspects, how far a chaplain can go while dealing with patients, and how much can he be the guiding beacon. I have also wondered at the theological reflections of the Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Gustav Jung1, which, according to me, of great solace to patients with a terminal illness, or patients with unbearable pain or the mentally unstable patients, whose mental condition has resulted in physical incapacity.
Jungian Therapy, known as Analytical or Depth Psychology, uses dream analysis, music, any kind of spontaneous art form, or creative writing, the analysis of which would, in turn, help the patients to reach their unconscious or inner domain and this therapy promises better self-realization in them. It is not just the dreams, but any material that could be coming out of the unconscious senses like impulsive drawing, sculpture, or painting. These are usually examined and analyzed in the same way in which dreams are examined. His theory is a slightly different form of psychoanalysis. Though he and Freud had been together for a while and shared much of their research, these two titans of psychology parted company in 1914, presumably over libido. Jung’s theory differs from Freud in many ways, especially in the concepts of individuation, or the human potential theory. From a Christian chaplain’s point of view, this is connected with spirituality and transcendence.
The core of Jung’s theory is its encounter with the unconscious. No other psychologist, even Freud, attached that kind of importance to the unconscious. He said this would result in much greater and more powerful consciousness both inner and outer and allow the individual to attain wholeness. More people search for deeper meaning into their lives, especially while being faced with an approaching death or long hospitalization.
