Iaap newsletter 28 - The new Israeli Jungian society

The theme for our spring conference of 2008 circumambulated the topic of “Secrets.”
Jacqueline Zeller Levine presented a case to the analysts, “Secrets in the Analytic
Process”, and Jutta von Buchholtz discussed a case entitled “Mystery/Secrets of the
Right and Left hand.” Pamela Powers and Claire Allphin brought us two papers,
“Unbearable Countertransference” (Powers) and “Unspeakable Transferences”
(Allphin). Both analysts and candidates were present for these papers. Following
these papers, the entire society broke into small groups to explore further the value
of making conscious this matter of “secrets.” The Training Committee contributed to
this exploration and presented a panel of senior analysts who discussed “How We
Challenge Each Other and are Challenged on Committees.” Our program concluded
with a lecture by Patrizia Michan on “Analysis and Individuation in the Mexican
Psyche: Culture and Context.” The Alchemy Interest Group continues to meet
informally to provide a space for diversity of study. Our society was asked to come
together to mourn the loss of three esteemed members, Eugene Qualls, James
Barnett, and Eugene Monick. Analyst Janet Dallett led us in a very meaningful and
moving remembrance ceremony in honor of them.
Finally, on a lighter note, perhaps a bit Dionysian, we ended the spirit of our spring
conference with celebration, dancing to the tunes of Deja Blu Dance Band. We
admitted four new candidates who completed training and were awarded diplomas:
Mary Bachman Burke, Tim Pilgrim, James Michel and Stewart Gabel. We also accepted
into training five new candidates: Gretchen Deters-Smith (Florida), Mark Dean
(Philadelphia), Linda Denniston (Arizona), Peggy Hanson (Minnesota), and Larry
Rayburn (New Mexico).
The I-RSJA convened its fall 2008 conference in Virginia Beach,Virginia. Our society
maintains an interest in selecting places to meet whenever possible that bring us
closer to nature. The theme for this conference was timely, “Fundamental-isms.” We
met less than a month before the election of the next president of the United States.
The atmosphere of the election carried us on a wave into this conference topic with
pathos, anxiety, hope and a quest for greater consciousness. The Training Committee
introduced the important topic of reviewing requirements for final case exams. Tom
Kelly, Gus Cwik, and Lyn Cowan offered divergent thoughts and philosophies. The I-
RSJA strives towards an open process of reflecting on the nature of our training
program. We feasted upon fascinating and penetrating papers on our theme of
“Fundamental-isms” beginning with James Yandell’s “Graven Images, Idolatry in
Religion and Politics.” A panel of alchemists consisting of Janet Muff, Maury Krasnow,
Gus Cwik, Monika Wikman, Stan Marlan, moderator, and Charles Zeltzer presented on
”Fundamentals and Fundamentalisms.” Wynette Barton spoke to us about “What’s
Fundamental about Fundamentalism” and Eberhard Riedel offered “Fundamentalism
and the Quest for the Grail: the Parzival Myth as a Postmodern Redemption Story.”
We heard two moving papers on “Beyond Fundamentalisms: Of Dancing Angels and
Apocalyptic Times” by Marilyn Matthews and Medora Woods. Tom Lavin and Ben Toole
offered “Black Belt Fundamentalists.” We finished with “The Mechanization of
Psychotherapy/Possible Alternatives” by Frances Parks and Robert Romanyshyn’s,
“Epistomological Violence.” No doubt one can appreciate the intensity and relevance
pg. 84