The Lion King part 1

Simba en Mufasa op Pride Rock (Lion King 2019)

“I myself am a question which is addressed to the world, and I must communicate my answer; otherwise I am dependent on the world’s answer.” - Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections

This quote from Carl Jung makes clear that we have to ask ourselves the right questions to individuate (the process of self-actualization or becoming our true self).

Mythology and stories, in general, can help us reflect on our own lives and can 'move' / animate us. When I was six years old the story of Simba completely blew me away. I was moved deeply. Archetypes are instinctual, even without the cognitive capacity, I could 'understand' the symbolic language or feel the story on a deep level (using the power of the right hemisphere of the brain). Children understand movies like these because the images, the sounds are touching our limbic system, where our emotions are and the reptilian brain, where the archetypes could be living. It is before we develop a strong neo-cortex, that we are still very much aligned to the mythical world (the language of stories and symbols) and not so much 'stuck in our head'.

Jung's hypothesis is that most problems in our modern western lives are rooted in the fact that we have no connection to the archetypes anymore.

Let's look at the story of Simba to clarify this.

This image shows Simba and Scar after his father died while rescuing his son. (a screenshot from the movie The Lion King 2019 version).

"Your father had such high hopes for you, he gave you so many changes, and this is how you repay him. What will your mother think? A son who causes his fathers death. A boy who kills a king.” - Scar, Lion King 2019

Simba was shamed, traumatized by his uncle Scar, cut off from his instinct, not living a life as a lion, not taking his place in the circle of life. A clear example of someone that is not able to individuate. Simba was not his true self. This is the case for many of us. It is part of our hero/heroin journey. Being 'stuck' in life is meaningful. Initiation and transformation happen in a phase called the liminal phase. We pass a threshold into the unknown, to become something new. This often feels like an uncertain, scary stage in life. The scene where Simba leaves everything behind and walks for days in the desert is the liminal phase.

Hakuna Matata

Avoiding our purpose is one response to trauma and overwhelming experiences. Like Simba, we often start to dissociate from our true selves out of shame at a very young age. Simba was a confident, golden child, a bit naive (like a young fool), curious about the world (a sign of a healthy nervous system), and adventurous. Also, there was a form of grandiosity. A healthy part of boy psychology. His father was Mufasa the king, and very powerful, Simba felt powerful too. We could say that Simba had a good connection to the father archetype and the king archetype. Literally, he was the son of a king. We all need a proper relationship with the king and queen archetype within is. The powerful energies that make us confident to lead as a mother, partner, teacher, or CEO for example. We should be able to cultivate this energy that is stored in our psyche as potential. However, subtle or less subtle events can destroy this grandiosity. A school teacher making fun of you, an uncle with harsh jokes about your body, events that shame us and make us feel unsafe in our bodies. A professional term for it is dissociation. It is a response to trauma, a trauma symptom that stays in the body.

When we do not learn how to feel safe again, we are influenced in many ways by the trauma symptoms. For example, it could cause a strong increase in the frequency and amount of air we breathe in. As a result, the chemistry in our body will change and we will not be able to return to a safe feeling. Dissociating can also be very subtle. When we feel overwhelmed by the needs of our loved ones, we can also dissociate. It is, therefore, crucial to identify and work with your trauma symptoms. Feeling safe in your body is a prerequisite for individuation. Social connection is also crucial for our individuation. Relationships can only work when we feel safe in our bodies. We will need to open our hearts and let love in if we want to individuate. This is scary for a lot of people. Only 40-50% of the people are safely attached, meaning at least half of us are dealing with the fear of love. I believe this number is even higher. Our way back to feeling safe is confronting our shadow. This is what Simba needs to do. Confront his Uncle and his past. Accept his faith. Accept his role in the circle of life.

Hakuna Matata is the living rule for people that do not want to take responsibility for anything. Simba needs to wake up. The contrasexual (the feminine or yin energy if our core is yang and masculine and vice versa) energy will play a big part in most of our lives. In the story of the lion king, Nala plays a huge role.

“Together the patient and I address ourselves to the 2.000.000-year-old man that is in all of us. In the last analysis, most of our difficulties come from losing contact with our instincts, with the age-old unforgotten wisdom stored up in us.” - Carl Jung, NY Times, October 4, 1936

Nala confronts Simba - she pins him down. This happens a lot in real life too.

Simba needs his old friend Nala to wake him up. Nala is the symbol of animation (the anima in Jungian terms) that can make a young person self-conscious and help re-engage him/her/them to life. The first time you fall in love did you not feel alive ;)

Jungians like to work with dreams. As Nala showed up to wake Simba up, I often see the anima in the men I work with showing up in dreams. Like Nala, they can be a bridge towards the true self. Jungians see the anima as the relational function. The same goes for women. The symbol in the dream would then be called animus.

Nala, confronts Simba about his abandonment from his people and community, she called him a coward. This of course was triggering for Simba. His shadow (the part about his true self and his purpose that is repressed) was now triggered by the anima. In real life, we will find our spouses and contrasexual characters trigger us a lot. Relationships are the greatest tool to grow. But it is not easy to stay grounded and reflect if you are triggered. Simba needed some time, but Nala did ignite a process inside of him. He started to ask himself important questions. Immediately Rafiki the old wise man (also a Jungian Archetype) came to help Simba. This teaches us that when we start to ask the right questions, help will come our way. He guides Simba to a vision of his father in the water (symbol in Jungian Psychology for the unconscious (and the shadow) / underworld. Simba needs to retrieve his father from the underworld and integrate him. Of course, Simba feels guilty about the loss of his dad and the king, believing it was his fault his father died while he was saving him. He needs to step over this fear and let his father back into his life. The archetype of the father needs to come back alive. For all of us. This is the phase that Joseph Campbell describes as the reunion with the father in his bestseller: The hero with a thousand faces. After Simba has 'spoken' to his father he stands on a rock and roars like a Lion. His instinct is back. He is ready to take action and lead his people.What is the shadow?

The shadow consists of the parts of ourselves that we do not want or cannot see directly. In our younger years, these parts were often unwelcome and we found a way to suppress them. They are not gone however, but live on in the unconscious. From the unconscious, the repressed parts come to the surface at unexpected moments and sabotage our goals, our relationships and our well-being. The shadow is characterized by primitive, childish and/or destructive behavior.

An example is the dear family man or woman who rarely expresses himself, but suddenly gets an outburst of anger or suffers from self-hatred. The anger is repressed, but sooner or later comes to the surface in an immature way. Each of us has our own shadow that manifests itself in different ways.

Conclusion: 

Individuation can be slowed down or stagnate when we do not feel safe in our bodies. Make sure you do everything you can to feel safe in your body as much as you can.

We need others to individuate, we can not do it on a mountain in the Himilaya.

Stop using coffee, alcohol, or other ways to escape or dissociate. Identify what is making you feel unsafe, what makes you breath faster and deeper. Use the Buteyko method to normalize your breath and always breathe through your nose.

A good relationship to the body is helping your individuation, being mindful about your body, listen to its needs.

Reconnect to the archetypes and instincts by reconnecting to the body with meditation, kung fu, fasting, and breathwork. Breathing techniques that can trigger anger, grief, or sadness are also the way to our instinct. Emotion -> Instinct. Limbic System -> Reptilian Brain.

In order to individuate we should have access to our Neocortex, limbic system, and reptilian brain. Not only our neo-cortex ;)

Individuation can be stimulated by doing exercises like walking and qigong, we can use our body to stimulate chi and make it flow more. If we have more libido we can individuate more. As within so without. Individuation can also be libido flowing inwards not outwards. Burnout or depression can also be part of individuation. The soul needs attention too. In this phase, the libido is not directed to the outer world but should be directed to the inner world. You need to be recharged in the deeper parts of the psyche/soul. These periods are normal. It is the balance between Ying and Yang of mother nature running through you. Day and Night. We are not supposed to shine in the outer world 24/7. Try to make space for the unconscious. Do dreamwork or start therapy to get some guidance. Of course, you can not avoid life completely but it is a strong sign that your body and soul need more attention.

Some practical tips to help initiate yourself and stimulate the process of individuation:

- Get into the unknown (nature, get lost)
- Do a vision quest
- Wake up your instinct with things like a Hell Week
- Switch things up in your life, get out of the comfort zone
- Watch movies like The Lion King to feel these archetypes, emotions, and the energy running through your life. 
- Do QiGong exercises to help the libido flow
- Use bodywork like trauma releasing exercises to make sure you feel safe in your body and trauma symptoms can be released from the body.
- Keep a dream journal and engage with the content of the dream, like our analysis in this email. Dreams will show you a lot about yourself. 

*Please work with a certified TRE practitioner or body-oriented psychotherapist before you do these exercises by yourself if you have experienced any form of trauma.