Collective Unconscious

Working on the labyrinth project has made me think more openly about this idea. Moving through the journey of the maze…even though you cannot always see your fellow journeyers, you are all on the same path. Or perhaps living in the city and depending on public transportatoin helped me first notice it, but I can’t shake the feeling that people are angry – and all at the same time. Perhaps angry is not the right word. Perhaps it’s disturbed. I’ve seen more people – strangers – get into verbal arguments over nothing over the past month or so than I have in the past year. Not to mention everywhere I turn in the world news is mass destruction, natural disasters and general chaos; there’s also so much local disruption. Brutally violent and positively distressing events everywhere you turn. They’re not accidents and they’re not over money or power. Or perhaps if there were money issues involved they were disproportionate to the crimes commited. It’s like there is some sort of collective or contagious disturbance of the mind. It’s true that we live in very uncertain times. People can’t get jobs, pay their rent or their bills. People cannot get proper mental health care, we are fighting wars and engaging in “humanitarian efforts” that cost us our lives and our sanity. We are quickly running out of energy and natural resources. When you list and consider all of these things, our world right now is truly precarious.

But there’s always something we can do. Good will, compassion and awareness are not blessed to certain individuals or awarded certain groups. These things must be actively desired and sought out. Goodness is an action and not a feeling. If you are not spiritual, perhaps it sounds overly-zen to accept the idea of minds moving together, or forces of good and evil at work in the physical world. But I think the sooner we acknowledge this possibility, the better. Good fortune is not going to save your mind from anxiety and it will surely overlook your struggling next door neighbor who is dealing with eviction or unemployment. So will the government. Pray for our leaders and be involved in legislation, but don’t forget to take care of your own mind. Then let any small amount of positivity, energy and generosity flow freely in all that you do.