The sea is the source of animal life on earth; the unconscious is the source of our consciousness; thus the sea is a marvellous metaphor for the unconscious. If you imagine treading water in an upright position in the deep sea, your head out of water represents your conscious mind, your body under the water represents your personal unconscious and the deep sea surrounding you represents the collective unconscious. Jungians theorise that, as well as it dwelling in you, you exist in psyche –you are surrounded by it, and through it, you are connected to others. It is for this reason, that when a person engages in the deep work of psychotherapy, people who are connected to them also feel changed. If we imagine building a boat that sits on the sea, this could be a representation of our ego. We need a sound craft if we are to sound the depths.
I was swimming in deep water earlier this year, within sight of the shore, when, to my rather fearful delight, up popped a seal! It was an experience that I shall never forget which made me think of how, not only are we connected to animals on this planet, but messages from the unconscious pop through the surface of our minds just like this. Not always so benignly of course. Common expressions concerning the sea can capture and express something of the movement of psyche:
On the rocks: A dangerous place to be when there is not enough water between the surface and what lies underneath. People often feel like this when they are burnt out and exhausted. Counselling and therapy can provide some support and buoyancy to get us off the rocks and into a safer place.
Tide you over: This is an expression used as an offer of some temporary help. As the tide comes in, we can hitch a free ride on the waves to get safely to the shore or off the rocks. Sometimes, people come back to see me after they have finished their main work and a few more sessions tides them over.
All at sea: An overwhelming place to be where everything looks the same and there is no clear direction. People feel as if they are getting nowhere fast when occupying this position.
Going under: The ego is not strong enough to resist the pull of sinking into the unconscious. This would describe a serious mental illness where the mind is flooded by unconscious contents which we describe as ‘madness’ in common parlance.
The tide is turning: This is a subtle feel of the current changing direction as the tide begins to go in rather than going out. Psychically, this is a felt sense that something is changing, usually for the better in psychotherapy. A shift is taking place in the inner world and will soon be reflected in changes in the outside world. Other people may also sense this shift and begin to treat the person concerned differently.
Full tide: The person feels full of life – not the same as being ‘bubbly’ or energetic. This can be a good and safe time to set sail and make some changes.
Spring tide: This refers to the ‘springing forth’ of the tide during new and full moon. People who tune into themselves can sense the changes in their cycles of mood and energy levels. Knowing when to spring forth can be a useful asset.
Neap tide: This occurs seven days after a spring tide when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other. This is a period of moderate tides because high tides are a little lower and low tides are a little higher. Jungian mythology thinks of the sun as representing the masculine energies and the moon as representing the feminine energies. The relationship between different parts of us and how well they work together can determine whether our moods and energies are moderate or severe and can exert a force on us, just as planetary bodies exert a gravitational force on the waters of the earth.
When people come to see me for help, sometimes a short series of sessions are all that is needed either to get off the rocks or to steer the boat in a different direction. Sometimes, we go out into deeper water and this tends to be a longer and more intensive journey. What happens will be up to us to decide together but whatever we do cannot be predicted and cannot be repeated because it is a unique combination of your psyche and mine working together. It can be something to look forward to, believe it or not!
Psychotherapy and Counselling 