My argument in this lecture is that for Jung the membrane that separated the natural world from the supernatural world was gossamer thin; it might be ruptured at any moment.

Jung was challenged by this rupture but he was never deterred from addressing it.

In fact, he came to see these frequent disturbances as threshold experiences. These problematic psychological symptoms were in his words: encounters with the divine.

Throughout his life he struggled to articulate this ongoing and never-ending relationship with his unconscious forces. And knowingly or unknowingly, so do we.

It wasn’t that Jung saw the unconscious as being a healing force as much as it was an essential aspect of the human condition.

While doing his best to avoid falling into an essentialism of sorts, any Big Idea, that would give consolation to his lived experience, he continuously opened his mind, his psyche, to the attitude of being curious about, and excited by, his capacity to give over to his imagination.

Dr David Russell’s initial studies were at the Pontifical University in Rome, Italy. His main areas of study were the works of two Spanish mystics, St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Ávila.

David completed his psychology studies at the University of Sydney obtaining a BSc (Hons) and then a PhD.

After a period in private practice he joined Western Sydney University (WSU) and worked first in the Social Ecology program and then, was instrumental in establishing a Master's Degree based on the works of Carl Jung, and the post Jungians.

He is a past President of the Sydney Jung Society. Prior to leaving academic life, David held the position of Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at WSU. He is currently in part-time private practice in Darlinghurst where he offers psychodynamic psychotherapy.