A theme that appears to re-occur in my personal and research process is that of ‘liminality’and existing at ‘liminal spaces’. I thought that is worth exploring this concept. I have been reading the book by Murray Stein (2003b) In Midlife. Putnam, CT: Spring Publications. He is a Jungian and used Greek Myth, (the ancient Greek God, Hermes, in particular, as the Messenger and ‘Guide of Souls through Liminality’), He says in Chapter one that:
“the presence, and the role, of the archetypal unconscious within transitional periods is a central theme of this book, and Hermes is a figure who represents this presence” (my emphasis). … Read more »
Today I received a letter from C. that reflected upon the conversation i had with her around ‘where is home?’, the struggle of returning to one’s homeland where is feels like a ‘foreign land’ and the whole area of ‘cross-cultural transitions’ as my research topic. I can see links with the Odyssey and the return to Ithaka etc…but she also sent me a poem by an english poet that reflects come of this ‘journeying’ through the seas…in a feverish way of emotion. Here is it: … Read more »
Well, today it is really a positive day…after a lot of inner battle and waves of procrastination and resistance, i worlked very hard during the last few days in particular and produced a research proposal as a draft which actually received such positive feedback from my supervisor. I sent it to W. yesterday and this morning he responded as follows:
“Your writing is a tour de force absolutely brilliant! You show so much depth and breathd. I would hope that any concerns they might have could be explored in a useful way in the review meeting. You show good scholarship. I had forgotten what an impressive writer you are. With this quality you could get a job in an English Uni – you probably don’t want this but it bears saying whatever your Greeks think. Don’t forget Manchester is in the top 40 world wide. -”Life is what happens when we are busy making other plans”
How wonderful words from my supervisor! … Read more »
It feels like embarking into a research journey, the PhD process, is like a relationship with a lover…you sometimes adore them and other times just want to ‘kill’ them…I have been feeling ‘out of passion’ with the PhD for quite a while now, mostly due to my present personal difficulties in my life and how the Phd topic is actually related to my situation and my ‘wounds’
Following the workshop on existentialism yesterday, i spent most of the day today reading the PhD Thesis by Greg Madison on what he called ‘existential migration’…my personal story is definitelly in there and i have been trying to find links and triggers to formulate my own research proposal around counselling and culture…the day began with me feeling quite anxious and although I havent gone that far with my writing up for the panel, i kind of feel less upset towards the end of the day…am i becoming more tolerant of the topic and my relationship to it? Am i coming to some sort of inner acceptance? Am i just tired? Is it cause I earlier prayed that i receive some help to get away from that place of ’stuckness’? I am not sure what it is…it feels as if sth is changing but am not quite capable of seeing or naming it yet…please come…I am opening up
I am not sure I want to write more on this now but just wanted to say that during the last couple of days, i have been strugling to find ’signs’ or ways to give me some direction around what to focus on for my PhD study as all the dilemmas until now actually make me very stuck and out of energy. I need to make a shift, to channel my potential in a meaningful way. … Read more »
