Customer Reviews

Dancing Between Two Worlds: Jung and the Native American Soul (Jung and Spirituality Series)

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This is an incredibly insightful book by Gustafson, who shares his own story combined with the teachings of NA people and Jungian psychology. Definitely a "must have" book for therapists working among NA populations.

Any book comes with the hazard that the author is both expert and ambassador for his particular view. While there is much to be learned from reading Dancing Between Two Worlds, it is filled with comments which suggest that the author is bent on defending a view rather than seeking to focus on and differentiate between potentially conflicting views. In essence I find that rather than dancing between two worlds, Gustafson motive is to discount, if not destroy the validity of what he conceives of as opposing views.

The bases of my contention is found in the dream illustrations given on pages 35,36,39. It is known that many great and lesser Indians have received great wisdom from dreams. I am remind, for example of Chief Plenty Coups dream which is attributed to the survival of the Crow Indians. Dreams, however, carry with them some clear deceptions about the reality of one's own as well as other's life. To use a dream as on page 35, to prove that because man is living and has a soul that because a tree lives, it also has a soul reflect a sort of logic that would never pass a course in logic. Such lack of logic raises more question about the author than the subject at hand. Furthermore, in the illustration on page 36-37 which suggest that the workman whose creative ability conceived in the love of Christ passes that love on to the created object is more than misleading. What is missing is that the fundamentalist recognizes that in Genesis Chapter 1 God only breathed his spirit into human, not trees, animals, or sealife. His illustrations smack of a bias toward the promotion of a point of view akin, rather than offering a valid point of view.

Furthermore to construe that a rock, or other matter (created or not) is alive based upon the action of molecules is to me, at least, a stretch.

I discuss the above as I believe that any such logic or absence of logic which is put forth as truth, even if it is associated with a well recognized name, is not necessarily true or worth getting excited about. I say this recognizing that Jung's view has achieved acceptance as a viable approach to understanding and treating the Indian. I suggest that anyone who is inclined to read this book and rate it as most others have, consider first the logic and philosophy expounded, and whether it is generalizable across all Indian tribes, or is an effort to gain popularity.

A beautiful work of sensitivity and insight from a man who truly understands not only his soul, but the spirit of the Native Americans he has come to grow with. An amazing Jungian analyst and talented writer, this book opened my eyes to a world I could not see before.

This book is well written and comes from the many seasons of the author life and work. Dr.Gustafson draws from his many years as a Jungian Anayst and his personal experience with his native american friends. There are some wonderful stories here from the authors life and some powerful insights that will be helpful to those seeking a deeper understanding of their soul.

This book is well written and comes from the many seasons of the author life and work. Dr.Gustafson draws from his many years as a Jungian Anayst and his personal experience with his native american friends. There are some wonderful stories here from the authors life and some powerful insights that will be helpful to those seeking a deeper understanding of their soul.

This book was a gem. It propelled me to look deeper into my own issues. His analogies with inner truths and the collective unconcious are done well. I over identified with his analysis of John Dunbar in Dances with Wolves. Ironically the author and myself are both from Rockford.

This book helped me write my own memoir, " Above His Shoulders " I reference this book and it's tremendous benefit. I would highly recommend it.

Eduardo is an awesome person. I saw him speak in person. He is very good at helping to put the audience in the right 'space' in regard to working with/understanding Native people.

A wonderful and deeper telling of Dances with wolves. I liked it very much.

Well written. Thoughtful. Sensitive