In Jungian Reflections on Grandiosity: From Destructive Fantasies to Passions and Purpose, Francesco Belviso presents a dual view of grandiosity as a destructive obsession that, when approached with curiosity and awareness, has the potential of fueling our lives with a sense of purpose, while being a positive force in the world.
Explaining Jungian psychological concepts in an engaging style, the book begins by examining the origins of grandiose fantasies in children, and how grandiosity persists well into adulthood, in our dreams, fantasies, and strivings. Exploring its relation to narcissism and delusions, the book describes how grandiosity can hijack many areas of our lives—as we chase fame, beauty, knowledge, youth, and even morality—often with disastrous consequences. The book’s second half explores how grandiosity can help us identify our passions and callings, ending with a discussion on how to pursue them with integrity and courage. Weaving stories from Greek mythology to Dante’s poetry, from the heroic lives of Rosa Parks to Captain Sully, from fairy tales to our everyday decisions about careers, finances, selfies, and dating, and from the lives and nighttime dreams of his patients and his own, Belviso invites us to explore the larger-than-life aspirations that stir us all.
This book offers ideas and tools to better understand our ambitions, challenging us to come to terms with our limitations and find personally meaningful paths forward. Jungian Reflections on Grandiosity will be essential reading for academics and students of Jungian studies, as well as analytical psychologists and analysts in practice and in training. It will also be of interest to those wishing to explore Jungian ideas and the role of grandiosity in public and private life.