Spirituality

Spirituality is a very wide term with highly individual interpretations. Spirituality deals with our contact and relationship with the "numinous", unknown or holy in life and that which is the most intimate contact with the universe within and around us. Most of us have an intuitive understanding of the spiritual when we encounter it but, unfortunately, institutionalised spiritual traditions have worn down much of its original meaning. 

In one sense one can say that there is no meaning in life without some form of contact or relationship with the spiritual or eternal. Thus, one of the goals of Analytical Psychology is to help create an individual relationship to spirituality. The exact form or tradition is then less important than the actual experience. Advaita Vedanta, Zen Buddhism and Taoism are merely three examples of traditions that could be useful in reaching that goal.

Although Jung was strongly inspired by several spiritual traditions, he also highly valued ego consciousness and the scientific approach. He looked into the scientific background of human consciousness and had a strong interest in quantum physics. He also developed the Word Association Experiment, which he used to reveal unconscious complexes and which makes up the theoretical foundations for the lie detectors used today.