After the collapse of the tower, we find ourselves in the desert. This episode explores the nature of this borderland experience. Specifically, we take a close look at the nature of "the good" and what it takes to cultivate world esteem. The goal of this discussion is to lay the groundwork for a theory of how we come to perceive something as good. What does it mean to live a good life? What is required for us to see the beauty in the world again? We touch on the symbolism of the desert, the d...
2025-02-28 05:15:54 +0000 UTC
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A guided "meditation" and shadow work training. Disclaimer (please read):
The first part of this episode is a framework for understanding what "shadow work" is in the context of the collapse of the tower and the broader K/A theory. The second half (roughly) is a guided meditation & a walkthrough of the technique itself. The goal of this episode is to lead you through the steps of this rapid-change framework, while also giving you the tools to walk yourself through this experience o...
2025-01-01 06:00:56 +0000 UTC
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A review and synthesis of this model of depression. How our understanding of reality impacts our direct experience. A final look back at the cartography of Hell. The two steps necessary for collapsing The Tower. The real nature of shadow work.
2024-11-01 02:14:33 +0000 UTC
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Or, The Weird Attachments Episode.
Moving beyond Jungian theory, this episode is about encountering The Other in contemporary society and the internet age. We discuss Sighswoon's concept of "tethers," Netflix's 'Baby Reindeer,' and philosopher Byung-Chul Han's The Expulsion of the Other. As we seek to explore how The Othe...
2024-08-31 18:39:12 +0000 UTC
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Or, Encountering The Other Beyond Our Projections.
This episode begins our multi-part exploration of the fantastic (and sometimes, terrifying) world beyond the horizons of the self. We take up the problem of The Other—an often nebulous concept that can refer to a range of experiences, from our romantic partners, to extraterrestrial life, to the imaginary versions of people we converse with in our heads. Here, we are specifically interested in the Jungian perspective on The Ot...
2024-08-21 23:16:13 +0000 UTC
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Friend, fellow meme admin, and shaman of the metapattern Arcane Wit joins us as our first-ever guest. Guided by frequently asked questions from both of our audiences (and our own pattern-finding obsessions) we attempt to chart a course through the increasingly alienated landscape of contemporary society (and reality). Drawing on insights from neuroscience, literature, historical figures, philosophy, and personal theories, Arcane Wit helps bring new life to many of the ideas discussed in previ...
2024-06-03 17:38:42 +0000 UTC
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A final look at the role of reality in depression, and a cartography of the underworld. This episode, we revisit Federico Campagna's concept of the "Tecnic" system of reality, with the goal of making his ideas easier to "picture" or imagine. We clarify the idea of Absolute Language, the difference between presence and existence, and what happens to us when we come to worship truth as our god. Finally, we reveal what The Tower has kept hidden from us all along. In myth, it is only by going to ...
2024-05-29 02:02:56 +0000 UTC
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Hi friends,
Just wanted to give a brief update on the status of our next episode (Collapse of the Tower Pt 3) and close friends.
As you may or may not have noticed, Part 3 did not come out last month as I had originally intended. It's my mission to get at least one episode out per month, and in the past, I've often been able to do two. At the very least, I strive to maintain a running average of at least one per month, but April has been... well, a bit difficult to say the least. ...
2024-05-05 23:02:51 +0000 UTC
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The core of this theory. Following our close examination of possibility and significance in Part 1, this odyssey of an episode seeks to tackle what, precisely, could cause a breakdown in significance and the flattened landscape of the world of depression. This is followed by a close examination, finally, of The Tower, how it controls our lives, and what it might look like for it to collapse. We explore this question from a variety of disciplines, ranging from psychology to philosophy, neurosc...
2024-04-02 00:34:39 +0000 UTC
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The final cycle of this series, the final ordeal of depression. With this episode, we're embarking on a journey that should end with the collapse of this mysterious tower—first, though, we have to set some things straight. Before we can even approach the tower, we need a more nuanced definition of depression. With the help of phenomenologist Matthew Ratcliffe, we closely examine what depression literally "is," possibility, and significance. We also look at anticipation, grief, and memory. W...
2024-02-29 17:22:44 +0000 UTC
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Moving forward with our rough definition of the "soul" from part 1, this episode seeks to answer the question, "How do we reclaim our souls?" We closely examine the last chapter of Jung's final (and possibly most challenging) major work, Mysterium Coniunctionis. We explore the 8~ stages of psychic development, the difference between differentiation and individuation, the real purpose of Jung's work, and the alchemical procedure required to bring the soul back into the body. While the first po...
2024-01-25 22:34:53 +0000 UTC
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Or, How I (Regrettably) Started a Cult. In this conversational and story-focused episode, we explore fictionality-as-phenomenology, the “Love Has Won: Cult of the Mother God” HBO docuseries, Jordan Peterson, and of course, my experience accidentally creating an online mermaid cult between the ages of eleven and twelve. Although this story gets a bit dark, my hope is that it will serve as both some entertaining (and downright weird) personal/internet lore, as well...
2024-01-12 15:00:11 +0000 UTC
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This episode, we continue our close examination of Jung's thought as we explore the final challenge the depressed individual must face before approaching the Collapse of the Tower stage of this model. Here, we're interested in a working definition of Jung's "soul," what it means to lose one's soul, and why this idea can be so difficult to define... even for well-studied Jungians. We start with a brief note on phenomenology vs. metaphysics before exploring the work of Ernesto De Martino...
2023-12-21 15:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Or, How Does Being an Outsider Serve? The second of a two-part series on the Outsider Complex and archetype, this episode explores the connection between the outsider and the prophet archetypes. We begin with a discussion of how the prophet can act as both medicine and poison to someone struggling with a chronic sense of "otheredness," before tackling the prison of language, what it means to be symbolically nameless, and how the Greek concept of "mêtis" helps the ou...
2023-11-22 16:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Hi again!
Just a quick heads up for those of you living in the area (and who may not have seen my Instagram story)—we're doing a very casual happy hour/evening drinks meetup at Union Station this upcoming Sunday.
We're starting 5:30pm at Homebound Brew Haus. Not sure how long it'll last, but I'll try to keep my Instagram stories updated. Right now I'm looking to get a headcount of yes's and maybe's, please shoot me a message either here or o...
2023-10-27 00:12:40 +0000 UTC
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Or, Why Do I Always Feel So Alone? The first of a two-part series on the Outsider Complex (and archetype), this episode explores the landscape of loneliness—why someone might find themselves repeating self-isolating patterns, and what to do about it. We tackle what "connection" actually involves, the importance of identity to the outsider, how we push "people" away, and what to do when no one is listening. This episode might be challenging for some—we're dancing in th...
2023-10-19 15:30:01 +0000 UTC
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Our first real Q and A episode is finally here! Clocking in at 2.5 hours in length, I tried to cover as many questions as I could. Broader sections, question topics, and books mentioned are listed below, along with time stamps.
INTRO: 0:00 - 5:43
PART 1: On the Performance of Self: 5:43
Choosing the right metaphors when it comes to dating: 5:43
How to deal with the fear of having an audience: 19:56
PART 2: On Finding the ...
2023-10-11 12:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Hi friends,
Let's start with the main point of this post. We're doing a Q&A/AMA/advice episode this month! I've been wanting to do a formal Q&A episode for a while, and it feels appropriate somehow to align an episode like this with this Patreon's birthday, which is tomorrow. Questions can be about anything—I imagine we'll spend a good portion of this episode on MBTI given that there are already a number of questions about our last two (very dense) episodes. With that sa...
2023-09-20 21:01:35 +0000 UTC
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This episode, we conclude our exploration of MBTI, explore Jung's types as he actually saw them, and examine why opposite types may find themselves in eerily similar mental health dilemmas. I explain my interpretation of Jung's "Psychological Types" after working with it for more time than any human being probably ever should. We take a close look at Jungian concepts such as assimilation, dissimilation, empathy, and abstraction. We end with my interpretation of the four type dilemmas—hidden...
2023-09-01 04:02:44 +0000 UTC
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This episode, we move away from our discussion of SSRIs and begin to lay the foundation for a close look at MBTI (that is, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). Based on the theories in one of Jung's most famous books, Psychological Types, MBTI is a personality test and system most commonly known for sorting individuals into types like "ENTJ" or "ISFP." We discuss what this system is, how it works, and how personality typing came to completely overshadow the central message of Jung's work. We dis...
2023-08-18 23:05:11 +0000 UTC
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In this episode, we explore the question, "Why am I not doing the things I say I want to/should do?" To answer this, we turn to Jung's conception of the libido (intentionality, desire & willpower) and what is necessary for us to have the energy we need for external success and transformation. We also discuss the difference between "I want," "I should," "I must," and "I will." I explore why it was so difficult to write a novel compared to my experience of working on this podcast. We also t...
2023-07-24 15:00:07 +0000 UTC
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It's finally here!
Below you'll find a PDF for every script written for this podcast. It's over 100,000 words and 320 pages. I've included a table of contents so that you can jump to whichever episode you'd like.
I've tried to edit it as best I can, but, to be honest, there are many mistakes. As is probably obvious, this was all written to be spoken aloud, so I hope you'll excuse some of the phrasing or possible spelling/grammatical mistakes.
You're welcome...
2023-07-13 20:25:32 +0000 UTC
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The SSRI episode (sort of).
In this stage, we're finally covering the ubiquitous serotonin hypothesis—the once-widespread (and still very influential) understanding that depression arises from a dysregulation of serotonin in the brain. More specifically, we cover how the narrative created by this understanding of depression impacts an individual's conception of self, authority, and "illness." Our conversation winds between meditations on current research, the "labyrinth" as an analogy...
2023-06-26 02:36:14 +0000 UTC
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Hi friends,
A quick update on CF content. I've been a little less active, largely because Instagram seems to have changed the way I am able to search for people's usernames on the app, and I've felt a little bad about posting without having everyone signed up. I haven't been able to find some of you, unfortunately.
For that reason, I'd like to switch to another system for adding new people to Close Friends. Instead of messaging me here or commenting, please DM me direc...
2023-05-09 20:49:58 +0000 UTC
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Part 2 is here!
As I mentioned in Part 1, these last two episodes of Katabasis/Anabasis have been an attempt to revise the original second episode of this series. I highly encourage new patrons to start with the revised episodes, and for older patrons to revisit the material—while most of the content is similar, the line of argument should be a lot easier to follow.
In this episode, we introduce the moth analogy and attempt to tackle the second mystery from part one...
2023-05-02 16:00:06 +0000 UTC
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The first episode of the Nekyias pod, exploring "special topics," mainly centering around important themes within my own research & popular questions on @CarlJungMemes. Specifically, in the first hour of this episode, I attempt to get to the bottom of & tease out common misconceptions about Shadow Work, particularly with regard to how it's talked about on social media (#shadowwork)—we discuss the difference between shadow and trauma, and why the work with the "inner child" should be...
2023-04-05 16:22:30 +0000 UTC
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Back to the beginning—I've been wanting to do this for a while, and I am so, so excited to finally be able to post it.
In this episode, we talk metaphysics—specifically, the dream vs materialist views of reality, and how the dream view opens up not only greater tools for tackling depression, but a deeper experience of life itself. I lead us through what it looks and feels like to be stuck within the materialist view, and how to "shift" your experience of reality. This material is hi...
2023-03-16 02:11:56 +0000 UTC
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In this episode, we introduce the new reality that begins to form in the aftermath of the empowered surrender... in other words, the world of an individual whose depression has at least partially gone into remission. To prepare us for this topic, I've attempted to synthesize some of the major ideas we've covered so far—we return to metaphysics, the ineffable, the dream vs materialist views of reality, reference points, the "radical elsewhere," and how these more philosophical concepts relat...
2023-02-15 00:26:18 +0000 UTC
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Episode 7 is finally here, and it's a long one! Continuing on from the previous stage, The Empowered Surrender, we take a look at the rebellious psychological figure that emerges from the ruins of the collapsing dream. We start with a discussion of consciousness (as Jung would define it, according to Decoding Jung's Metaphysics by Bernardo Kastrup), and move into an exploration of bicameral mind theory (as articulated in Julian Jaynes's book, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of th...
2023-01-18 01:57:55 +0000 UTC
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Hi friends!
I believe I've gotten everyone added to close friends—I just posted a cf story on instagram, if you don't see a green ring around my profile picture that means I must have missed you. Please message me, if that's the case! Additionally, for all new subscribers, please comment your instagram handle below if you'd like to be added.
Quick update on the posting schedule as well! The last two episodes have been two-parters, as you may have noticed. Although it...
2023-01-07 04:07:05 +0000 UTC
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