A new book A Clear and Present Danger: Narcissism in the Era of Donald Trump has just been released by Chrion Publications. The book features twenty articles on the subject of narcissism, written by esteemed professors and professionals of psychology and depth psychology. I recently caught up with Dr. Susan Rowland, chair of Pacifica's M.A. Engaged Humanities and the Creative Life Program who wrote "The Demonic and Narcissistic Power of the Media in Shakespeare's Macbeth" for the section of the book titled Archetypal Narcissism. Here is our dialogue about the book:

By Mark Whitehurst, PhD / As Published in Voice

Asking “big questions” for over 40 years, Pacifica Graduate Institute celebrated their anniversary with challenging ideas, reflections on the past, and a tribute to internationally renowned scholar and psychologist James Hillman. The April conference was held at the sprawling 35 acre Ladera Campus, in Montecito.

“Oh what a journey it has been,” reflected Stephen Aizenstat, Chancellor and Founding President of Pacifica, as he welcomed honored guests, alumni, and friends. “Ideas have worked us and added to our edge... We must now dream forward... asking what is next?” he continued.

The event opened with a video clip of James Hillman speaking about important questions such as, “What horse did you ride in on?” and “Where are you in the world of psychotherapy?” Hillman, who pioneered the field of Archetypal Psychology and author of New York Times best seller, Soul Code has a collection of his papers in the Pacifica archive and was closely associated with the Institute from its earliest days. Hillman was one of the speakers at the formal dedication of the Institute in 1986 at the Lambert campus.

Dear Prospective Student,

Thank you so much for your continued interested in Pacifica Graduate Institute. We are excited to share that applicants who have been accepted for the Fall, 2016 term by March 31st will be invited to attend one of our upcoming Public Programs with our compliments. The registration fee will be waived for any one of the events listed below (but please note, accepted applicants will still be responsible for travel and accommodations). In order to be accepted by the March 31st deadline, all application documents would need to be received by mid-March to schedule faculty file reviews and interviews for an acceptance decision by the program.

On Monday, December 14, 2015 the The Narrative Project hosted a thoughtprovoking
and impromptu salon at the intersection of Storytelling, Myth, Dream Tending & Narrative. Ann Badillo of The Narrative Project hosted the evening with Ed Santana, Ph.D., Pacifica's Interim Director of Institutional Learning and Strategy and Stephen Aizenstat, Ph.D., Chancellor and Founding President of Pacifica Graduate Institute.

A guest post by Pacifica Alumnus Jacqueline Spoehel O’Connor

This Peace Pole called to me from across time and took me on a journey to explore its soul. What meaning does it carry for me? What brought me to it?

Sitting with a friend whose relative was a survivor of the Holocaust, I could only say weakly, “I’m sorry. There must be a lot of pain there.” My voice could not carry the depth of sorrow I felt for the loss of so many lives and the cloud that had been cast over this person’s family. It was beyond an individual to be able to bear that archetypal evil. Perhaps the presence of this Peace Pole archetype can somehow counter and help to heal that wounding. It is more than the words of my single voice alone could convey to my friend.

A guest post by Willow Young, M.A., L.M.F.T., Chair of Pacifica's M.A. Counseling Psychology Program

Faculty member Michael Elliott, Ph.D. of Pacifica's M.A. Counseling Psychology Program will present The Synchronicity of Ethics: Levinas and Jung at the 13th Annual Psychology for the Other Seminar, held at Seattle Universtiy from November 13 - November 15.

The following is taken from Dr. Elliot's abstract:

The presentation will address Synchronicity in Carl Jung through the Ethics of Emmanuel Levinas. The idea is provocative, as in arousing a divine call. Jung said:

God.....inasmuch as its origin is beyond my control....is the name by which I designate all things....positive as well as negative....which cross my willful path violently and recklessly....and upset my subjective views, plans, and intentions to change the course of my life for better or worse.

Ferguson, Missouri has a history that is worth exploring when looking at the 2014 incident between 18-year-old Michael Brown and Darren Wilson, a policeman with Ferguson Police Department. 

Dear Pacifica Community,