Episode 35
The Visionary Psyche: Jung's Analytical Psychology and Its Impact on Theories of Shamanic Imagery
May 20th, 2026
1 hr 50 mins 54 secs
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About this Episode
In this episode we examine a 2014 paper written by Australian academic Emma Scott titled “The Visionary Psyche: Jung's Analytical Psychology and Its Impact on Theories of Shamanic Imagery”. The paper considers the shaman’s visionary experiences (especially with spirit beings) from the critical viewpoint of Richard Noll’s cognitive approach and Michael Winkelman’s neurophenomenological perspective on shamanism. In her paper, Scott analyses these two approaches in light of Jung’s concepts of the archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the individuation process.
We begin our discussion by trying establish what set of assumptions we each bring to this kind of study, after which we attempt to make sense of the paper and cover Scott’s key arguments. Along the way, of-course, we make time to speculate on how Disney et al is colonising the visionary aspects of the psyche and how AI is colonising the cognitive aspects of the psyche and so we are effectively offloading the entirety of our brain/mind to corporate-machines (as our brains are super effective at conserving energy we are following that to its logical conclusion which is to outsource our whole brain). We draw comparisons between the art of Tolkien and the healing functions of shamans, and we end up discussing Jungian individuation. If you enjoy this conversation, then please check out our Patreon and/or Substack in a week, as we will release an extra hour or so of this discussion over there.
References
- Emma Scott (2014) The Visionary Psyche: Jung’s Analytical Psychology and Its Impact on Theories of Shamanic Imagery
- Tool — Lipan Conjuring — 10,000 Days
- Ramsey Dukes (1974) — S.S.O.T.B.M.E: an essay on magic
- Altered Mates — Episodes 23 — Sex Secrets of the Black Magicians EXPOSED: On Magical Thinking
- Altered Mates — Episode 24 — MORE Sex Secrets of the Black Magicians EXPOSED!
- Richard Noll (1983) Shamanism and Schizophrenia: A State-Specific Approach to the "Schizophrenia Metaphor" of Shamanic States
- Altered Mates — Episode 30 — Where are my minds? On the Left Brain / Right Brain Divide
- J.R.R. Tolkien — The Lord of the Rings
- Mike Judge (2006) Idiocracy
- Andrew Stanton (2008) WALL-E
- Ursula Le Guin (1968) A Wizard of Earthsea
- Altered Mates — Episode 7 — Jung, The Shadow, and A Wizard of Earthsea
Links
Altered Mates Substack
Altered Mates Patreon
Music for the show by Si Mulumby
A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama