Jung, Ecopsychology, and Climate Change

This chapter examines Carl Jung's concern with the relationship between psyche and nature, arguing that his concepts of the psychoid, anima mundi, and synchronicity anticipated contemporary debates about ecological crisis and alienation. The author traces Jung's critique of industrial modernity and his insistence that individuation requires partnership with the natural world. The chapter then surveys post-Jungian contributions from Hillman, Romanyshyn, Fellows, Kiehl, Rowland, and others who apply Jungian thought to eco-anxiety, ecological trauma, and climate resilience. Lukács identifies three contributions of Jungian ecopsychology: uncovering psychic origins of ecological destruction, analyzing the psyche's response to environmental crisis, and proposing symbolic frameworks for transforming behavior. She argues that analytical psychology offers resources for reimagining humanity's relationship with nature.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This chapter explores Jung’s enduring concern with the relationship between psyche and nature, tracing how his reflections on the split between humans and the natural world have become foundational for Jungian ecopsychology. Although Jung did not address climate change directly, his concepts of the psychoid, anima mundi, and synchronicity anticipated contemporary debates about ecological crisis, alienation, and the erosion of numinous experience. Lukács examines Jung’s personal encounters with nature, his critique of industrial modernity, and his insistence that individuation requires renewed partnership with the natural world. She then surveys post-Jungian contributions, from Hillman’s revival of anima mundi and Romanyshyn’s critique of technological consciousness to recent work by Fellows, Kiehl, Rowland, and others who apply Jungian thought to eco-anxiety, ecological trauma, and climate resilience. The chapter identifies three key contributions of Jungian ecopsychology to the climate debate: uncovering the psychic origins of ecological destruction, analysing the psyche’s response to environmental crisis, and proposing symbolic and archetypal frameworks for transforming behaviour. Ultimately, Lukács argues that analytical psychology offers vital resources for reimagining humanity’s relationship with the natural world and confronting the climate emergency.