This Jungian Life Podcast

Author: Joseph Lee, Deborah Stewart, Lisa Marchiano

Eavesdrop on three Jungian analysts as they engage in lively, sometimes irreverent conversations about a wide range of topics as they share what its like to see the world through the depth psychological lens provided by Carl Jung. Half of each episode is spent discussing a dream submitted by a listener.
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Language: en-us

Genres: Health & Fitness, Mental Health

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Dark Forces in the Psyche: Our Self-Destructive Impulses
Episode 422
Thursday, 30 April, 2026

Why is it that we sometimes fail to rise to life’s most important challenges? Why do we instead procrastinate, withdraw, self-sabotage, or feel unable to move toward the life we want?This week, at a listener’s suggestion, Jungian analysts Lisa Marchiano and Deborah Stewart explore the concept of anti-libidinal forces in the psyche: those self-destructive impulses that oppose growth, pleasure, and forward movement. We discuss the ways this phenomenon has been addressed within the profession, including Freud’s death drive, Melanie Klein’s concept of the bad breast, Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ predator in the psyche, and Donald Kalsched’s protector/persecutor.Libido was understood by Jung to mean life energy, rather than being purely sexual. We explore how blocked libido can become depression, paralyzing fear, hoarding behavior, vicious self-criticism, or simply an inability to begin or complete what matters most. Through stories such as Bluebeard, Jonah and the Whale, and Marduk and Tiamat, we consider inner monsters that threaten to devour vitality.Anti-libidinal forces, however, are not the end of the story. We also discuss the heroic task of meeting fear, reclaiming disowned energies, and choosing life one step at a time.Read the dream we analyze in full on our website.Connect With This Jungian LifeDownload our free Dream Recall Meditation Guide.Send a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠dream⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for us to analyze on the show.Check out our TJL ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow This Jungian Life on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.