LITERATURE + LECTURES

The Jung Center of Houston presents The Wisdom of Uncertainty.   Discover how our encounters with chaos can lead to deeper understanding in this lecture and workshop with director Jerry Ruhl.

Lecture: The Wisdom of Uncertainty
Friday, June 18
7:30 - 9 pm
$15 ($10 Jung Center members)
1.5 CE hours

What does it mean to be human in a chaotic world? There are times, too many to count, in which we fall back into chaotic states: of anger, fear, confusion, ignorance, meaninglessness. In moments of chaotic breakdown, of individual or collective nature, our familiar and cherished positions become unraveled. Ancient myths about chaos uniquely transcend time and culture to speak to the universal human condition and the hopes, aspirations and fears that define our humanity. This lecture will explore how these mythic patterns can help to guide us in our own heroic struggles and cultivate wisdom from impermanence and uncertainty.

Workshop: Responding to Conflict and Confusion in Daily Life
Saturday, June 19
10 am - 4 pm (1.5 hour lunch break)
$90 ($80 Jung Center members)
4.5 CE hours

Explore spiritual enrichment in times of trouble through the writings of Carl Jung, Mahatma Gandhi, and one of the most important and beloved of Hindu texts, the Bhagavad-gita. Through desireless action, by renouncing fruits of action, by dedicating our actions to a higher purpose, we can learn to live in the world with greater detachment, peace, and contentment. But renunciation does not come from the mere talking about it. In Gandhi's words, "it is attainable only by constant heart-churn....Learned men possess a knowledge of a kind, however, devotion is not mere lip worship or blind faith—it requires active practice." In this workshop we will use lecture, discussion, and activities to explore how we can reduce neurotic patterns and dysfunctional habits and align our actions in daily life with our highest values.

Jerry M. Ruhl, PhD, is an author, psychologist, and executive director of The Jung Center. With Robert A. Johnson, he is the co-author of Living Your Unlived Life, Contentment, and Balancing Heaven and Earth.