Swamplands of the Soul: New Life in Dismal Places (Studies in Jungian psychology by Jungian analysts)

Swamplands of the Soul is a magnificent book that hands a powerful torch to the reader to descend into his/her dark areas and to be brave enough to support the horrendous anxiety and fear of facing the demons that live in the underground of our psiquis and eat the pleasure and real meaning of life. I am at the moment going throght a swampland and thank to this book I have been able to carry on doing the taks that my soul is asking me to do in order to set myself free of my fear of being alone and feeling abandoned. The book has operated like a magical master talking to my ear and reminding me how important is to be responsible with myself and not to run away falling in another relationship. My taks is to heal my soul and this book is the manual to every reader to do that. Highly recommended to every person that want to take responsibility of his/her own misery.

Excellent - insightful and memorable. The very best in Jungian theory and practice. Absolutely fascinating.

A difficult read. I haven't got through it yet. One of those books you return to when you have another, deeper question.

The swamplands are inevitable; its the places in which we question, where we ruminate, where we fear, we feel guilty, where we obsess and distract and ultimately where we deny. By sitting with, listeing to and accepting the swampland states and *appreciating* them, we can humbly grow and realise our human condition. We are, without choice, inevitably redirected back to the swamplands through various points in our lives: how we perceive them, how we treat them, and how we learn and go through them, is our choice.... :) James Hollis has clearly worked hard at this book and I consider it s masterpiece in recognising the darker and more difficult sides of our existence.

Not an easy read, but very informative on an area largely ignored by relentlessly upbeat self-help books.

Enjoyed this book so much despite the title! Don't let it put you off. Brilliant look at the darker deeper side of human nature that so often gets swept under the proverbial rug.

great book to read and full informaiton.

EVERYONE should read this book now.

If you are serious to look into your Self and can accept the challenge to delve deep and not be discouraged you must read the last chapter first. If you don't like what you read you may not be ready yet to undertake the journey. The longer one waits to undertake the journey the less time you may have to find liberation.

This book has a big place in my heart. It discusses what ‘the essence’ of life is gently and carefully. As a person who has always been confused about the concept of ‘happiness’ and decides to deny it eventually, I felt so validated by this book. There is not a formula for happiness or an absolute definition for the meaning of life. One can only hope for being lucky enough and emotionally intelligent enough to discover what brings meaning to their existence one day.

It may look like corny self-help, but instead it's a beautful synthesis of Jungian analysis, eastern philosophy, western poetry, and greek myth all centered around owning our suffering and walking through it instead of avoiding or anesthesizng it, the goal being to understand what that suffering is trying to tell us about our unhealed psychic wounds and incomplete tasks of individuation. If you're struggling through a second adulthood or simply want to find meaning in the madness, I cannot recommend this book any higher.

LOve the book

This book does not reflect what is portrayed on the cover. The book seems to just state the obvious with random quotes from historic authors, short stories and observations from the author. I didn't bother ready the book from cover to cover as it was just so uninspiring and didn't present anything of value.