“… no one is more sensitive to companionship than the lonely man, and companionship thrives only when each individual remembers his individuality and does not identify himself with others.” ~ Memories, Dreams, Reflections, p. 356

 This fall, our Concept Series features four great films that highlight the iconic figure of the Loner. We seem fascinated by those who go it alone. Perhaps this fascination arises most within those who grew up feeling different, separate from family and surroundings. This state of loneliness places one on the hero’s journey. After all, the hero is one who retreats from this world to descend into another world. The life of ‘The Loner’ is not easy. But it is in this state that we find ourselves. Jung wrote, “It is in the state of complete abandonment and loneliness that we experience the helpful powers of our own natures.” The four films in this Concept Series explore the lives of men who follow their own path. In each case, their lonely journey leads to a connection with a world of depth and meaning.

This series is open to all levels of knowledge and group participation is encouraged. 
Please view each film prior to the presentation. 

 CLICK HERE for pre-registion information for the Concept series

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010 – Lee Walton, M.A.

Movie: Slumdog Millionaire                                                                                                

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) has captured the souls of the Western world and India alike. What is it about this story of the underdog that has intrigued so many? Why do so many relate personally to this narrative? Malik’s character appeals to the Slumdog orphan in each of us. We all have some marginalized aspect of ourselves that is consigned to the depths of Shadow. We find solace and redemption through the movement of the Slumdog’s heroic journey. Honoring the internal orphan enables us to retain the key to the complex problems that perplex us. We will explore the mythical warrior Hero as he battles his nemesis, the Trickster archetype, throughout his journey to save the ‘Damsel in Distress.’

Lee Walton, M.A. is a depth-oriented psychotherapist and recent graduate of Regis University’s Master of Arts in Counseling Program. He is currently working toward his Post-Graduate Certificate in Transformative Counseling. He is a recipient of the Regis Leadership Fellows Award.

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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 – Bruce Sindahl, B.S., M.S.

Movie: Forbidden Planet

Forbidden Planet (1956) was a landmark film, having won several Oscar nominations for its groundbreaking use of special effects. Unlike many films of its day, it remains a classic perhaps because of its Tempest-like Shakespearian storyline, larger-than-life characters and magical themes not unlike Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and most recently, Avatar. In the 50s and 60s, Hitchcock films and films like Forbidden Planet emerged from popularized ideas of Freud. Interestingly, fifty years later, we’ll process the film through a Jungian lens. As such, this talk will explore the presence of shadow, various archetypal images and the role of anima in the film.

Bruce Sindahl, B.S., M.S. is a Jungian enthusiast vis-à-vis spousal osmosis. He is currently an independent engineering consultant, has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an M.S. in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Vermont.

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Wednesday, October 20, 2010 – William Moats, M.A., LPC

Movie: ‘Round Midnight

Film critic, Roger Ebert says of the main character, Dale Turner, (portrayed brilliantly by the jazz great, Dexter Gordon),  “ ...[He] is a man who has gone too far and seen too much, and who knows that in one way or another his death is near. This film is pure magic, both musically and visually.”  One need not be a jazz fan to appreciate the story of an artist’s final journey into the creative abyss. We will explore themes of the musician (artist) archetype and the challenges of balancing the tension of the opposites while exploring at the creative edge.

William Moats, M.A., LPC is a licensed counselor and an Integrative Depth psychotherapist in Boulder. He holds advanced degrees in art, anthropology and psychology and is a Teaching Associate with the Boulder Psychotherapy Institute. His interests include the integration of Jungian concepts with existential and experiential psychotherapy.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010 – James Palmer, Ph.D.

Movie: Lonely Are the Brave

Lonely Are the Brave (1962), with Dalton Trumbo’s superb script adapted from Edward Abbey’s novel, The Brave Cowboy (1956), is unusual in several ways. First, this elegiac Western, set in the 1950s and filmed in New Mexico, is among the earliest and best ‘end of the West’ Westerns. Secondly, the film is distinctly superior to the novel and lead actor Kirk Douglas declares this work his personal favorite among his fifty plus movies. Finally, less violent and epic in scope than either Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch or Eastwood’s The Unforgiven, Lonely are the Brave’s closing frontier provides the setting for a deeply moving meditation on the cowboy— his values, his relationship to the land, his spirituality, his loner persona and his appeal (in both senses) to us. Archetypes abound such as Puer, Hero, Senex and Trickster. Additionally we will see two unforgettable performances: Kirk Douglas as cowboy, and an early quintessential role by a droll and sympathetic Walter Matthau as the pursuing sheriff.

James Palmer, Ph.D. is a President’s Teaching Scholar, Director of the Conference on World Affairs, and a film studies professor at CU. He publishes articles on Jung and film in numerous journals and teaches interdisciplinary courses, including “Jung, Film,
and Literature.”