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##  Transformative Learning and the Journey of Individuation. ERIC                  Digest No. 223.                                                              

Over the last 20 years, transformation theory has deepened our                  understanding of what it means to learn in adulthood. Collectively,             the work of Paulo Freire, Phyllis Cunningham, Laurent Daloz, and                Jack Mezirow, among others, addresses the sociocultural and personal            dimensions of transformative learning. Dominant views of                        transformative learning emphasize rational, cognitive processes                 related to critical reflection. An additional perspective on                    transformation, however, has emerged, led by Robert Boyd and his                colleagues (Boyd 1989, 1991; Boyd and Myers 1988). This work focuses            on deeper emotional and spiritual dimensions of learning that many              have suggested are underdeveloped in dominant conceptions of                    transformative learning (Merriam and Caffarella 1999). This Digest              summarizes and expands on Boyd's notion of transformative learning,             discussing the role of image, symbol, ritual, fantasy, and                      imagination in transformation. BOYD'S VIEW OF TRANSFORMATIVE                  EDUCATIONFor many years, Boyd's research on the nature of adult             learning in small groups has reflected a long-standing commitment to            understanding the psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual dimensions             of adult learning. This work is grounded in the field of depth                  psychology, which is based on a fundamental belief in the powerful              role that the dynamic unconscious plays in shaping our thoughts,                feelings, and actions on a day-to-day basis. In Boyd's view,                    powerful feelings, emotions, and affect that arise within our                   learning experiences draw attention and energies to unconscious                 issues or concerns seeking to gain voice. 
Boyd's earlier work                 reflected a more Freudian influence, particularly that of Erik                  Erikson. It was his study of Carl Jung, however, which led him to               formulate a view of transformative learning grounded in Jung's                  concept of individuation (Boyd 1991; Boyd and Myers 1988).                      Jung (1921, quoted in Jacoby 1990) defines individuation as                     a "process by which individual beings are being formed and                      differentiated...having as its goal the development of the                      individual personality" (p. 94). The forces and dynamics associated             with individuation are largely unconscious and manifest themselves,             independent from the conscious ego, within the emotional, affective,            and spiritual dimensions of our lives. 
We often discover that,                despite our best intentions, our being in the world seems to take on            a life of its own. More accurately, we find that our lives are                  actually made up of multiple selves, each seeming to have its own               sense of direction and purpose. Our conscious will is often quite               one sided, reflecting the influence of our sociocultural contexts               and personal biographies (Clark and Dirkx 2000). From Jung's                    perspective of individuation, however, we understand that the ego is            just one player within the psyche, and not a very powerful one at               that. When we begin to participate consciously in this process of               individuation, we often discover that our conscious, ego-based                  striving to be what we want to be is not the same as being who we               are (Jacoby 1990). Without conscious participation, we are much more            subject to compulsions, obsessions, and complexes, which may be the             darker, more unconscious manifestation of the individuation or                  transformation process. 
Individuation involves differentiating and            becoming aware of the presence of the different selves operating                within the psyche. This requires an imaginative engagement with the             unconscious, a working dialogue between ego consciousness and the               powerful contents of the unconscious. According to Boyd, a                      transformative education fosters the natural processes of                       individuation through imaginative engagement with these different               dimensions of one's unconscious life. This engagement reflects an               ongoing dialogue between ego consciousness and one's                            unconscious. THE IMPORTANCE OF IMAGESBoyd's notion of                     transformative education reflects a psyche- or soul-centered                    psychology (Dirkx 1997; Moore 1992; Scott 1997). That is, what                  matters most in learning is what matters to the deep ground of our              being, the psyche or soul, what is "primary, original, basic, and               necessary" (Sells 2000, p. 3). In depth psychology, soul represents             a third way, in addition to mind and matter, of thinking about human            nature. Some authors have loosely equated soul in education                     with "heart." This way of knowing is felt to be mediated largely                through images rather than directly through concepts or traditional             forms of rationalism. Images convey the ways in which we invest or              withdraw meaning from the social world. By image, we intend here not            mental pictures derived from perception or memories but more in the             sense of poetic usage, a kind of psychic representation with no                 actual correspondence in an outer reality. For this reason, I refer             to this perspective as the "mytho-poetic" view of transformative                learning (Dirkx 1998). The mytho-poetic view relies on images and               symbols, the language of poetry. In this sense, this view                       complements the idea of perspective transformation as described by              Mezirow (1991) and Cranton (1994). Perspective transformation relies            primarily on critical reflection, reason, and rationality. Although             Mezirow (1991) mentions the role of imagination in this process, he             does not fully develop its role in transformative learning. 
From              the mytho-poetic perspective, transformative learning leads not back            to the life of the mind, as we might find with reflection and                   analysis, but to soul. From this perspective, we focus on images,               which are thought to represent powerful motifs that represent, at an            unconscious level, deep-seated emotional or spiritual issues and                concerns. They represent our imaginative engagement with the world,             expressing what is not known or knowable through words alone in the             self-world relationship. They are manifest through dreams,                      fantasies, myth, legends, fairy tales, stories, rituals, poetry, and            performing arts, such as dance. But images may also be evoked or                activated through emotionally laden aspects of interactions with                others or with the text being studied. 
Boyd's work in this area               primarily focused on elaborating the structures and dynamics of                 transformation as they were manifest within the context of small                adult learning groups (Boyd 1989, 1991). Within the last 10 years,              several scholars, using depth psychology, have focused more                     specifically on the imaginative and spiritual aspects of                        transformative learning. For example, Scott (1997) explores the                 sense of loss and grief that can accompany personal transformation.             In positing transformative learning as autobiography, Nelson (1997)             suggests that learners compose their lives by using imagination and             critical reflection to interpret their life story within the social             context. Clark (1997) relies on ancient myths as well as more                   contemporary Western stories to deepen her understanding of the                 interconnections among writing, the imagination, and dialogue. In               some of my own work, I seek to develop a better understanding of the            role that fantasy and imagination play in transformative                        learning (Dirkx 1998, 2000; Kritskaya and Dirkx 2000) and of                    nurturing soul as a means of fostering inner work (Dirkx 1997; Dirkx            and Deems 1996). This research is providing a foundation for further            exploring imaginative and spiritual dimensions of transformative                learning. WORKING WITH IMAGESMany learning situations are                 capable of evoking potentially powerful emotions and images among               adults. In a transformative pedagogy informed by the mytho-poetic               perspective, these emotions and images are given voice, expression,             and elaboration. Strategies to foster this form of learning engage              the adult imaginatively with the content or processes of the                    learning situation. Educators working from this perspective will                make substantial use, regardless of the subject matter, of story,               myths, poetry, music, drawing, art, journaling, dance, rituals, or              performance. Such approaches allow learners to become aware of and              give voice to the images and unconscious dynamics that may be                   animating their psychic lives within the context of the subject                 matter and the learning process. 
These unconscious aspects of                 psyches are almost continuously seeking expression within our lives,            often in unconscious and disruptive ways. The intent here is to                 deepen a sense of wholeness by, paradoxically, differentiating,                 naming, and elaborating all the different selves that make up who we            are as persons. Engaging in dialog with these structures is a way of            consciously participating in the process of individuation and                   integrating them more fully within our conscious lives. Research and            theory in depth psychology provides us with some ideas about how to             work with the images that might arise within educational                        contexts (Sells 2000; Ulanov 1999). This process, referred to as                the "imaginal method," reflects a general collection of strategies              useful in fostering learners' insight into those aspects of                     themselves and their worlds that remain hidden from conscious                   awareness, yet serve to influence and shape their sense of self,                interpretations of their external world, and their day-to-day                   actions. The specific steps of this process vary but generally                  involve: (1) describing the image as clearly as we can; (2)                     associating the image with other aspects of our lives; (3)                      amplifying the image through use of stories, poetry, fairy tales, or            myths that present us with similar images; and (4) animating the                image by allowing it to talk or interact further with us through                additional fantasy, or imaging work. These processes may be used                with writing, drawing, dialogue, story telling, performance, dance,             or other methods described earlier. In addition, learners and                   educators may decide to use all or only some of these steps,                    depending on the particular images presented and the directions for             work they suggest. CONCLUSIONFrom the perspective discussed               here, we are all influenced and shaped by the forces of                         individuation going on unconsciously within our lives.  Whether or              not we are aware of them, these forces propel us along a journey and            certain courses of action. Transformative learning refers to                    processes through which we consciously participate in this journey              of individuation. Through imaginative engagement with the images and            symbols that characterize this journey, we can come to a deeper                 understanding of ourselves and our relationship with the world                  around us. Often through such learning, much to our surprise, we                find that the direction and nature of this deeper journey do not                always reflect the choices and judgments of our ego-dominated                   consciousness. This lack of parallel between our inner, unconscious             life and ego-consciousness is often reflected in feelings                       of "swimming upstream" or "rowing against the current." When we                 consciously engage the poetic messages the unconscious offers to us,            we begin to experience an alignment of our outer lives with the                 movement of individuation. 
We have much to learn about how these              processes manifest themselves within adult learning. The work of                Boyd and his colleagues represents only a very modest beginning.                Much of what is published thus far related to this view of                      transformative learning represents theoretical work, grounded in the            research of depth psychology. Research approaches in education, even            into transformative learning, are largely dominated by rational,                logical, ego-based conceptions of knowing. To begin to "see" the                mytho-poetic manifestations of transformative learning within adult             learning, we need to be willing to entertain learning and knowing as            imaginative processes. Although the theoretical and methodological              challenges are large, Boyd's pioneering efforts in this area point              to the possibilities and rewards of such an effort. In                          characterizing the powerful role of the imagination in our lives,               Hollis (2000) quotes Novalis, a Romantic German poet and                        theorist: "Poetry heals the wounds reason creates" (p. 35). Boyd's              view of transformative learning invites us to embrace a more                    mytho-poetic understanding of education, to deepen our sense of its             emotional and spiritual depth. REFERENCESBoyd, R.                         D. "Facilitating Personal Transformations in Small Groups: Part I."             SMALL GROUP BEHAVIOR 20, no. 4 (1989): 459-474. 
Boyd, R. D., ed.              PERSONAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN SMALL GROUPS: A JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVE.                London: Routledge, 1991. 
Boyd, R.D., and Myers, J.                            G. "Transformative Education." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFELONG                EDUCATION 7, no. 4 (1988): 261-284. 
Clark, M.C., and Dirkx, J.                M. "Moving Beyond a Unitary Self: A Reflective Dialogue." In                    HANDBOOK OF ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, NEW ED., edited by A. L.            Wilson and E. R. Hayes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000. 
Cranton,            P. UNDERSTANDING AND PROMOTING TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING. San                     Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1994. 
Dirkx, J. M. "Nurturing Soul in                 Adult Learning." In NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT AND CONTINUING                     EDUCATION, no. 74, edited by P. Cranton, pp. 79-88. San Francisco:              Jossey-Bass, 1997. 
Dirkx, J M. "Knowing the Self Through Fantasy:             Toward a Mytho-poetic View of Transformative Learning." In                      PROCEEDINGS OF THE 39TH ANNUAL ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH CONFERENCE,             comp. by J. C. Kimmel, pp. 137-142. San Antonio, TX: University of              Incarnate Word and Texas A&M University, 1998. (ED 426 247) 
Dirkx,            J. M. "After the Burning Bush: Transformative Learning as                       Imaginative Engagement with Everyday Experience." In PROCEEDINGS OF             THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING CONFERENCE, Columbia            University, New York, October 26-28, 2000. 
Dirkx, J. M., and                  Deems, T. A. "Towards an Ecology of Soul in Work: Implications for              HRD." In ACADEMY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT 1996 CONFERENCE                  PROCEEDINGS, edited by E. F. Holton, III. Austin, TX: Academy of                Human Resource Development, 1996. (ED 403 461) 
Hollis, J. THE                 ARCHETYPAL IMAGINATION. College Station: Texas A&M University Press,            2000. 
Jacoby, M. INDIVIDUATION AND NARCISSISM: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF              THE SELF IN JUNG AND KOHUT. London: Routledge, 1990. 
Kritskaya, O.            V., and Dirkx, J. M. "Mediating Meaning-making: The Process of                  Symbolic Action in Transformative Learning." In PROCEEDINGS OF THE              41ST ANNUAL ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH CONFERENCE, edited by T. J.                Sork, V. Chapman, and R. St. Clair, pp. 216-220. Vancouver:                     University of British Columbia, 2000. 
Merriam, S. B., and                     Caffarella, R. S. LEARNING IN ADULTHOOD: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE. 2D              ED. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999. 
Mezirow, J. TRANSFORMATIVE              DIMENSIONS OF ADULT LEARNING. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,                       1991. 
Moore, T. CARE OF THE SOUL: A GUIDE FOR CULTIVATING DEPTH               AND SACREDNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE. New York: HarperCollins,                       1992. 
Nelson, A. "Imaging and Critical Reflection in                          Autobiography." In PROCEEDINGS OF THE 38TH ANNUAL ADULT EDUCATION               RESEARCH CONFERENCE, edited by R. E. Nolan and H. Chelesvig.                    Stillwater: Oklahoma State University, 1997. (ED 409 460) 
Scott,              S. M. "The Grieving Soul in the Transformation Process." In NEW                 DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, no. 74, edited by P.             Cranton, pp. 31-50. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997. 
Sells, B,               ed. WORKING WITH IMAGES: THE THEORETICAL BASE OF ARCHETYPAL                     PSYCHOLOGY. Woodstock, CT: Spring Publications, 2000. 
Ulanov, A.              B. RELIGION AND THE SPIRITUAL IN CARL JUNG. New York: Paulist Press,            1999. 
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This project has been funded at least in part with              Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under Contract              No. ED-99-CO-0013. The content of this publication does not                     necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of             Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or              organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Digests may             be freely reproduced and are available at                                       http://ericacve.org/fulltext.asp.                                            **Title:** Transformative Learning and the Journey of Individuation. ERIC                  Digest No. 223.                                                              **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** For full text: http://www.ericacve.org/fulltext.asp.                         **Descriptors:**  Adult Learning, Andragogy, Cognitive Processes, Cognitive                      Structures, Critical Thinking, Definitions, Educational Research,               Emotional Development, Fantasy,  Imagery, Imagination, Individual               Development,  Learning Processes,  Learning Theories, Lifelong                  Learning, Personal Autonomy, Psychological Studies, Self                        Actualization, Symbolism, Theory Practice Relationship,                          Transformative Learning                                                     **Identifiers:**  Boyd (Robert D), ERIC Digests,  Individuation, Spiritual Development        
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