The purpose of the following live journal entry is to express my interest in the subject of how alchemical transformation was related to the transformation of the human psyche according to Jung and to make notes about new isights – things I agree with or don’t agree with.
I became interested in the term Alchemy when I realised that my focus on material investigation during unit 1.2 started to develop into a set of fascinating concoctions and sensory processes that resembled the processes of ancient alchemy. It was when I came across a book called “What painting is”, by James Elkins, that I saw the clear parallels between alchemy and my process-focussed practice.
I saw two concerns starting to emerge from my practice. Firstly a care for the environment and secondly a care for the state of human souls. When Hayley pointed out that my interest clearly lies in the realm of Care, I stated looking at care from a theoretical viewpoint and found the work of Maria Puig de la Bellacasa. There I was introduced to the quote below by Tronto and Bernice Fischer that totally resonated with my practice.
“Care is a species of activity that includes everything we do to maintain, contain, and repair our ‘world’ so that we can live in it as well as possible. That world includes our bodies, ourselves, and our environment”.
(Sourced: https://iep.utm.edu/care-ethics/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20popular,ourselves%2C%20and%20our%20environment”.)
I stared to see that perhaps my material investigation was not purely material but also metaphorical. As I entered unit 1.3 I felt a strong interest in psychological transformations and that this was at the heart of my research. I touched on this in my Contextual Study during unit 1.2. I knew vaguely about Carl Jung’s theory around alchemy and the psyche. I decided to learn more.
I believe working in dialogue with nature, has the potential to start a chain of alchemical reactions that not only physically manifest in the form of art but at the same time has the potential to ignite chemical reactions in my brain due to the embodied experience through reconnecting with nature which enables my body feel a sense of safety (reminding me of the ‘islands of safety’ quoted in my CS).
This has a strong link with the book that I am reading at them moment called ‘The body keeps a score’ by Bessel van der Kolk (a psychiatrist and neuroscientist). Van der Kolk supports perspective towards mental health that moves away from a disease model (with it’s over-medicalized, easily acquired prozac prescription) of understanding illness to thinking of mental illness as normal adaptations and responses to one’s environment or as he puts it: ‘the ecology of a person’s life’. Van der Kolk says: “when we ignore these quintessential dimensions of humanity. We deprive people of ways to heal from trauma and restore their autonomy”.
(Sourced from an interview found here: https://youtu.be/kHPz_pHR7mg?si=ZoXtzNsnPP_KVF8k)
The book asks the question: What are we treating? Mental Illness or flawed societal structures? Societies that are filled with trauma and disconnection from the natural environment, community, meaningful work and their core values. Van der Kolk emphasises a few approaches to treatment of which mindfullness, ‘bottom-up’ approach through somatic experiences to name a few. He ultimately emphasises that you are embodied. Moving away from dualistic philosophy. We are embodied souls and ensouled bodies that need to be brought into wellbeing through caring, holistic means. This book resonates with my practice and I am still in the process of working through it.
Final note:
I would like to explore the persona in my practical work. The Persona vs islands of safety within the soul.