“Confronting Mortality: Intimations, Premonitions, Dreams"

My presentation on the topics of aging, death, and grief includes material from my book Images of the Dead in Grief Dreams and my article, “The Ever-Moving Caravan: Reflections on Aging, Dying, and Death” in the anthology Confronting Death. My own experience of loss following the sudden death of my daughter many years ago and the recent death of my husband have prompted me to explore in depth the subjects of death and bereavement. Premonitory dreams, intimations of mortality, and images of the dead in dreams provide a glimpse into the mystery of the “here” and the “hereafter.”   

 Jung addressed the universal experience of loss and grief in his memoir, Memories, Dreams, Reflections (1961). His own dreams of the dead moved him deeply and led him to modify his views of the afterlife. Similarly, my dreams have guided me through the passage of grief and have invited me to create my own “myth” of life after death.

“[We] should say [we have done] our best to form a conception of life after death, or to create some image of it — even if [we] must confess [our] failure.,” writes Jung. “Not to have done so is a vital loss.” (MDR, p. 333)

My intention in this presentation is to open up the subjects of aging, death, grief and the afterlife for our honest and respectful consideration. Our fear of death often prevents us from bringing our images and concepts into the open, but sharing them can provide comfort and relief. Following my talk there will be time for participants to raise questions, offer comments, and share their own experiences.

Bio

Susan Olson, BA, MA, MSW, graduated from Smith College in 1964 and the University of Wisconsin in 1965 with degrees in English literature. In 1975 she obtained her MSW from the University of Georgia. After many years as a therapist, she enrolled at the C. G. Jung Institute (Zurich) and earned her Diploma in Analytical Psychology in 1992. She is a member of the International Association for Analytical Psychology, the Association of Graduates in Analytical Psychology, and the Memphis/Atlanta Jungian Seminar, an affiliate of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. After practicing for over 30 years in Atlanta, she now lives and works in Brevard, NC.

Her publications include: By Grief Transformed: Dreams and the Mourning Process (Spring Journal Books, 2010); “Planting the Golden Flower: A Dream of Hope in the Age of Trump,” Psychological Perspectives (Vol. 62, Issue 1, 2019); Images of the Dead in Grief Dreams: A Jungian View of Mourning  (Routledge, 2021); and “The Ever-Moving Caravan: Reflections on Aging, Dying, and Death” in Confronting Death (Chiron Publications, 2024)

Publications:

Images of the Dead in Grief Dreams. London and New York: Routledge, 2021.  

“The Ever-Moving Caravan: Reflections of Aging, Dying, and Death.” Luis Moris, ed., 

Confronting Death. Asheville, N.C.: Chiron Publications, 2024