America On the Couch—A Case Study of the State of Discourse in the U.S.A. — How Americans Can Come Together in the Age of Twitter Barbs, Temper Tantrums, and Discord Among Family and Friends
Carol S. Pearson, Ph.D., D.Min., author of the forthcoming book America on the Couch: What Story Do You, Want Us, to Live, will speak on February 23 at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Sarasota. Dr. Pearson is a contributing columnist for Psychology Today (online) and is the author of several books, including the Nautilus Gold Medal award-winning Persephone Rising: Awakening the Heroine Within. Her lecture, entitled Archetypal Narrative Intelligence Case Study: The USA in Analysis, will explore universal stories in American culture that offer both warnings and solutions to the current stalemate in American discourse. Presented by the C. G. Jung Society of Sarasota, the lecture is from 7-9 p.m. and includes a Q&A. The Unitarian church is located at 3975 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota. Tickets are $25; $15 for members, and may be purchased via http://www.cgjungsarasota.org or at the door.
America on the Couch, currently in progress, centers on the need for Americans to reject the idea that the country is embroiled in an unwinnable culture “war.” Every day brings intense debate and consternation in the media over Twitter “wars,” “fake news,” and “he said/she said” battles, which, in turn, create profound discomfort and disagreement among family, friends, and coworkers. However, disagreeing profoundly does not require Americans to view one another as enemies to be demonized and defeated, according to Dr. Pearson.
Drawing from some of the most popular American stories, Dr. Pearson’s lecture will illuminate the hero narrative behind archetypal U.S. storytelling, as seen in literature, film, and plays such as “Little Orphan Annie,” “the Wizard of Oz,” and the contemporary Broadway smash musical “Hamilton.” Examining the imagery of these pop culture icons along with those emerging today, Dr. Pearson builds a roadmap for how Americans might embrace warnings and possibilities that can help us relinquish feelings of being at “war” with one another on political issues, and, instead, accept the role of individual heroes and rise collectively to meet the challenges of 21st-century USA.
Dr. Pearson also will lead a Saturday, Feb. 24 workshop, My Story, Your Story, Our Story: Narrative Intelligence in Individuation, which will draw extensively on concepts featured in her upcoming book. This workshop will help participants increase their ability to observe and name archetypal narratives in themselves, others, and the systems of which they are a part, including those in our politics. Such messages can also resonate with—and shed light on—what we receive from the unconscious in dreams, Active Imagination exercises, synchronistic experiences and bodily sensations. Open to the public, the workshop will be held at the Unitarian church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; tickets are $65 ($55 for members).
The lecture and workshop by Dr. Pearson are part of the C. G. Jung Society of Sarasota’s 2018 national guest speaker lecture and workshop series. The 2018 lineup features Jungian thought leaders including Dr. Lionel Corbett, who will speak about The Soul in Anguish: Psychological and Spiritual Approaches to Suffering on March 16-17. The Society also offers special classes, free monthly film salons, and discussion groups on topics including dream analysis, Joseph Campbell’s work in mythology, and mythopoetic literature. Learn more at http://www.cgjungsarasota.org, or by contacting Executive Director Lisa Cedrone at 941.952.8188.