#33 - Season 3 Introduction

This episode analyzes the recurring concept of "Sophia" in Gnosticism and Orthodox Christian heresy, and how she relates to Carl Jung's idea of the Anima Archetype. The goal of this episode is to preserve Ecclesiastical beliefs regarding Mary (Theotokos), Holy Wisdom, and The Logos while creating a psychoanalytic framework that accounts for the hallucinations and mystical experiences reported by Christian Mystics.

The Deconstructionist philosophy of Jacques Derrida began as a way of criticizing language and exploded into a method of dismissing the inherent meaning of art, architecture, and literature. This episode explores, "The Derrida Virus," and how it poisons the humanities and embraces Aesthetic Nihilism. Watch this episode on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RlrmSREhow

What is the secret meaning of a Gothic Cathedral? Looking at this architectural style can be awe-inspiring and even psychedelic, but how do these buildings elicit such profound effects? The art of Gothic Cathedrals was largely developed by believers in Esoteric Christianity, Catholicism, Freemasonry, and Alchemy, and one can uncover their hidden messages using the principles of geometry, Theology, and Jungian Psychoanalysis.

In this live recording, I quickly recap the successes and failures of my daily podcast, explain why I started a YouTube channel, and conduct a live Q&A session with some of my Instagram followers. During the Q&A, I answered a number of questions related to Friedrich Nietzsche, Catholic Theology, and Carl Jung's psychoanalysis. You can subscribe to my new YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-N2UiQ-6s9eghbGYY_2zIA

Every generation faces its own existential anxiety; Carl Jung's generation witnessed a world at war, Jordan Peterson's was haunted by visions of nuclear holocaust, and Americans in 2001 were scared by a newfound vulnerability to terror. Today, the Coronavirus is forcing our species into consciousness regarding its own biological vulnerability, and the dangers of genetic engineering, drug-resistant disease, and global travel. This pandemic will linger in our Collective Unconscious for years to come; and like in an infected cell, our DNA will never be the same again.

The French Symbolist movement was a brief moment in art history that bridged gothic romanticism with decadent, surreal modernism. The movement was concerned with articulating immortal human truths through art, rather than reason, and as a result, it invoked the psychological resonance of Carl Jung's Archetypes in profoundly unique ways. This episode analyzes the uncanny masterpiece of Gustav Adolf Mossa, a painting of Elle, the sublime goddess of death and devourer of men.

Who is Pablo? In Kanye West's 2016 album, he invokes the images of the three different "Pablos" who inspire him (Pablo Escobar, Pablo Picasso, and Saint Paul), and mediates on the "Pablo" who he is, and the "Pablo" who he wants to become. This episode analyzes the structure, aesthetics, and lyrics of The Life of Pablo, in order to understand the internal conflict within Kanye West.

Can giving sight to one blind man enlighten the entire world? When Jesus cured a man of blindness, He divided the community, and forced the people to question, "Who is the bearer of God's power?" The Pharisees believed that authority lies in the status quo and the teachings of the past, while Jesus' disciples believed that authority lies in the people who act out God's virtues. Through this story, we learn that only through The Logos can a person come to consciousness and elevate others out of blind unconsciousness.

What happens when The Logos converges with The Anima Archetype? In a 2009 Pokemon video game, a bizarrely surreal event happens where a woman named Cynthia communicates with the Pokemon god, Arceus, and creates the egg of a new god. When examined using a Jungian-Archetypal framework, the sequence takes on many deeper meanings, with hallucinogenic, alchemical, and Christian allusions.

The philosophies of Christianity and Daoism both warn about the tragedy of violence, and describe the strengths that a person can achieve through peacefulness. While these philosophies offer parables and poetic sayings, Friedrich Nietzsche argued that Christianity champions weakness as its highest virtue, and in doing so, causes people to repress their own drives and will to power. Is it possible to embrace a philosophy of Christian or Daoist peace without starving the drives of our human nature?