Alum Scott Hill Teaching at Jung Institute of San Francisco

On April 16, 2016 at the Jung Institute of San Francisco, Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness, alumnus Scott Hill, Ph.D. taught a half-day course entitled "Confrontation with the Unconscious: Jungian Insights into Psychedelic Experience and Psychedelic-Enhanced Therapy."

The course is based on Dr. Hill's book, Confrontation with the Unconscious: Jungian Depth Psychology and Psychedelic Experience, which emerged out his dissertation for the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program.

The course description is as follows:

Carl Jung understood that psychedelic substances provide access to the deepest realms of the unconscious, and Jungian psychology provides penetrating insights into psychedelic experiences. With the resurgence of research into the therapeutic potential of substances like LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA, the time is ripe for discussing the rich relationship between psychedelic research and Jungian psychology. Scott Hill will first cover Jung's explanation of psychedelic experience and the challenge of integrating unconscious material released during a psychedelic session. He will then discuss difficult psychedelic experiences ("bad trips") in the light of Jung's approach to trauma, the shadow, psychosis, and transformation. Dr. Hill will also discuss the transformative potential of psychedelic-induced religious experiences.

Dr. Hill's presentation included dialogue with Dr. Alan Ruskin and Dr. Charles Garfield and opportunities for audience contributions.