An Evening With Robert F. Mannis: Creating a Personal Myth for Dying

Carl Jung described death as the “fulfillment of life’s meaning and as its goal in the truest sense” (CW 8). In contrast to a view of death as a meaningless cessation, Jung presents it as integral to the individuation process — the deep work of becoming one’s whole self.

This discussion invites participants to explore the profound question of how one might consciously prepare for death through the creation of a personal myth. Drawing upon Jung’s psychology, Native American traditions, and broader mythological frameworks, the program will provide participants with perspectives that reframe death not as an end but as the culmination and fulfillment of life’s meaning.

To bring this vision into focus, we will discuss two contrasting frameworks:

Opus Divinum (Christian framework):

-- Death approached through the lens of judgment and the afterlife

-- Heaven or hell as ultimate destinations

-- The meaning of suffering within this paradigm

Opus Alchymicum (Transformative framework):

-- Death as a process of personal transformation

-- Incorporation of Taoist perspectives on consciousness after death

-- The role of soul work and individuation as preparation

-- Death viewed as the final challenge and fulfillment of life’s journey

The Native American tradition we consider most especially is the practice of preparing for death through song as a model for courage and surrender in facing the end of life.

Robert Mannis, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist in Frederick, MD. He earned his doctorate from the University of Maryland under the guidance of Professor Jake Goering, a Zürich-trained Jungian analyst. His dissertation was on a Jungian interpretation of the fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. His book, The Tao of Alchemy: A Path of Individuation, will be released by Chiron Publishers in October. Robert’s connections to the Jung Society reach back 50 years to 1976, when the Society was formed as the Jung Working Group of Washington, D.C. He served as treasurer of the group for 10 years.