The Guild of Pastoral Psychology
As Above, So Below: Trauma, The Individual Psyche and the Soul of Society
Notice: Bookings will open on the 17th March 2027
Drawing on clinical work with survivors of torture and forced displacement, this lecture explores the dynamic relationship between individual suffering and the wider psychological life of communities. Trauma is never solely a personal experience: it is embedded within historical, political, and cultural realities that shape both psychic life and the possibilities for healing. At the same time, individual psychological processes contribute to the symbolic life of the collective, creating a continuous dialogue between inner and outer worlds.
Jung’s understanding of the Self provides a framework for thinking about this reciprocal relationship, suggesting that the movement toward wholeness cannot be separated from the social and cultural contexts in which it unfolds. The Hermetic principle As Above, So Below offers a symbolic image for this interdependence, inviting us to consider how the psyche mirrors the world and how the world, in turn, is reflected within the psyche.
