The Power of Dreams

Carl Jung was a man fascinated by the human psyche. A student of Sigmund Freud, Jung decided to break away and create his own school of thought based on the collective unconscious. The Jung Center in Houston has tried to present his ideas and continues to help others learn about him and his beliefs.

Established in 1958, the Jung Center offers several courses, lectures and conferences every year. The goal each year is to address issues of “personal growth and development” while leading visitors through a spiritual journey. The center believes analytic psychology holds equal importance with art, dance and music, and offers three semesters of classes each year to introduce students to the same concept.

Some summer courses include, Writing the Waves of a Woman’s Life, Mother: Lost and Present in our Lives, and Sex and the Psyche.

Also, since Jung was interested in the “whole person,” the center aims to offer Jungian analysis through its various contacts in Houston. This is a different kind of treatment for those seeking mental wellbeing as it strives to also find the symbolic meaning behind an illness. It then sets out to cure the person from within, as well as other perceivable symptoms a patient exhibits. It is psychology of the unconscious and involves dream interpretation. To become a Jungian psychologist, an individual must undergo training through the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association.

The Jung Center also concerns itself with community involvement. The center offers free sessions for patients, survivors and caregivers at M.D. Anderson’s Cancer Center. The classes focus on the Feldenkrais Method, a form of exercise that incorporates slow and balanced movement to improve flexibility and coordination. Students learn peaceful relaxation and also how to increase their movement spectrum. Additionally, the Jung Center offers classes for children at the Houston Area Women’s Center, which focus on yoga and art classes for senior citizens at St. Dominic’s Village. H