The Bible mentions water over 440 times only in the new testament Jungian Sandplay Water in sandplay Marion Anderson, PhD Certified Jungian analyst IAAP Sandplay therapist CST-T STA/ ISST 1 2 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Cherokee creation myth In the beginning, there was just water. All the animals lived above it and the sky was overcrowded. They were all curious about what was beneath the water and one day Dayuni’si, the water What does water beetle, volunteered to explore it. He explored the represent in the Psyche? surface but could not find any solid ground. He explored below the surface to the bottom and all he found was mud which he brought back to the surface. After collecting the mud, it began to grow in size and spread outwards until it became Earth as we know it. 3 4 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
• The eternal I Ching • Spiritual/celestial • Mother symbol/feminine realm, holding and • Hexagram 48 “the well” involving, protective, cleansing • Negative aspects: devouring, destructive, • Hexagram 29 K’AN undermining • Fluidity, impermanence • Fertility, new growth • Flexibility • Feelings • Representation of the inner flow of energy • Fairy tales: vital resources for the hero 5 6 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
“An old alchemical dictum says. ’Dissolve the “The real nature of matter was unknown to the matter in its own water.’ This is what we do alchemist; he knew it only in hints. Inasmuch when we try to understand the process of as he tried to explore it he projected the psychotherapy in terms of alchemy” unconscious into the darkness of matter in Edward Edinger, Anatomy of the psyche order to illuminate it… Jung in Psychology and Alchemy § 345 7 8 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
“While working on his alchemical experiences, the operator had certain psychic experiences which appeared to him as the particular behavior of the Why is this relevant to sandplay? chemical process. Since it was a question of projection, he was naturally unconscious on the fact, that the experience had nothing to do with matter itself. He experienced his projection as a property of matter, but what he was in reality experiencing was his own unconscious. “ Jung in Psychology and Alchemy § 345 9 10 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Sandtray : • “ what makes Alchemy so valuable for • Can be seen as an alchemical vessel where the psychotherapy is that its images concretize the psychic transformation can occur experiences of the transformation, that one • Space or uterus, a safe and sacred place where undergoes in psychotherapy. Taken as a whole, healing can take place Alchemy provides a kind of anatomy of • Interpretation of imagery is often helpful in the individuation. Its images will be most symbolic understanding of the process, be it through the color, content or through the processes meaningful of course to those who have had a described. personal experience of the unconscious “ 11 12 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Alchemical operations and processes in the Psyche • Solutio dissolution of the materia prima • Separatio separating the single components ” For sandplay joins the Operatio, the practical • Coagulatio solidifying contents work at the sandtray and Theoria, the • Calcinatio incinerating theoretical elaboration of the action. “ • Mortificatio death of the material to be reborn Ruth Ammann • Sublimatio process of evaporating • Coniunctio reuniting the opposites “major life transitions are commonly solutio experiences” Edinger Anatomy of the Psyche pg. 68 13 14 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Positive Solutio Negative Solutio Cleansing Tears Fertility Flood Bath Drowning Baptism Melting Venus Blackness Rejuvenation Decay Rebirth Desmemberment Healing Chaos Edinger, Anatomy f the psyche chapter Solutio 15 16 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Psychological Meaning • Alchemical stage of Solutio (Facilitates de- Water in Sandplay integration process) • Represents flow and immersion in the psyche • Depth of the psyche, the unconscious • Fertility and new meaning • Washing and cleansing • Rituals 17 18 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Psychological Meaning • Not much literature available • Contact and rebuild inner chaos • Personal experience and practice • Structure consciousness • The therapist’s attitude • Facilitate de-integration process • Challenges for therapists • Contact fertility and new meaning • Unleash regression at service of the ego • Washing and cleansing • How water is provided • Rituals 19 20 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Different ways how the symbol of water is present in Sandplay Different stages of the sand, symbolic meaning and counter-transference • Importance of water usage 1. The bottom of the tray appears 1. Dry sand 2. Symbols of water show up 2. Moist sand 3. Water is added to the sand 3. Wet sand 4. Water is added to a container 4. Saturated sand 5. Wet sand 5. Flooded sand 6. Sand is flooded with water 21 22 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Some clinical observations: • Important when water (symbolically or physically) appears And how does the analyst feel when Solutio • Excessive use of water is rare at the beginning of happens in the tray? therapy. • The end of therapy does not mean no water or flooding anymore. Usage and symbolism is different. • Inundations at the end of therapy process often related to client’s feeling about termination of process 23 24 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
Therapist’s perspective : Inner processes • Difficulty in dealing with the mud and disintegration on a Outer circumstances psychic level • Fear that the tray might leak or break • Bodily sensations of anxiety when a beautiful tray disintegrates • The miniatures might spoil or disintegrate • What happens in the live of the therapist at this moment? • Mess to clean up after the session • How does the therapist’s psyche influence what is going on in • Efforts to control the use of water the sand tray? 25 26 Handout Water presentation SD - December 9, 2019
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