Case Study 5

For lack of a better term, we can describe Robert as a fortuneteller of sorts, a mystic.
He is 56, with an Irish-American ancestry and accent, and earns his living by telling
people what they can expect to happen in the future. He accomplishes this by reading
tarot cards and by laying his hands on his clients. He claims to “sense” things when he
does this; he can see what will happen to his client. He does not understand how it
happens, but he says he can almost see things in his mind’s eye.
He also earns money by contacting people who “have crossed over to the other world.”
In other words, he claims to be able to talk with the dead. To do this, he must be able to
have contact with an article that the deceased had touched. Robert explains that it is not
the feel of the object that is important in this feat or in predicting the future; rather, it is
being able to experience a person’s “psychic energy.” After touching the object, he
concentrates and goes into a type of trance in which he allegedly makes contact with,
and talks to, the deceased. His clients believe he is actually doing this, and so does
Robert. His clients claim that he tells them things only their deceased loved ones would
know.
Robert says that he has always had these types of abilities. As a teenager, he says that
he would frequently sense that a particular event would occur, or he would know that
something had happened even though no one had told him. The experiences involved
both minor and more major events. For example, when he was younger, Robert says
that he would know when to put the coffee on for his father, who worked irregular hours.
Robert just knew when his father was coming home, and his father always wanted a
cup of coffee when he got home. Robert tells a story about his grandfather dying: On
that day Robert had been filled with a sense of foreboding. Only later that day did
Robert learn about the death, which explained his sense of dread. Robert firmly
believes these memories to be true. Others, however, are more skeptical, believing that
he is reinterpreting past memories according to more current beliefs and experiences.
For example, even though Robert believes that he has always had these psychic
experiences, he wasn’t always as interested in the paranormal as he is today. This
interest, though always present, really did not expand and encompass his life until he
reached the age of 40. It was then that he started having seizures, or at least he started
noticing these seizures. When Robert started having these seizures, he went to a doctor
and was diagnosed with simple absence seizures. People who have this type of seizure
are not always aware that they have had a seizure because they tend to continue
whatever behavior was interrupted by the seizure itself once it is over. During these
seizures Robert simply stares forward. The seizures typically do not last long—about 10
to 20 seconds—and begin and end abruptly. However, Robert knows when the seizure
is about to occur because he experiences what has been termed an aura, sensations
that indicate the onset of a seizure. For Robert, this includes a change in body
temperature and an increase in a feeling of anxiety or tension. It is during this time that
Robert claims to be able to see the future or make contact with the dead. Most people
who experience these types of seizures do so only during child- hood, and the seizures
tend to disappear by adulthood.
But Robert’s started, or he first noticed them, during adulthood, and he takes them as a
sign of his special abilities. His seizures can be controlled with medication, but the
medication causes headaches and an upset stomach. Beyond this, Robert is reluctant
to take the medication because he is afraid that he will lose some of his psychic ability if
he controls his seizures. So he does not take his prescription.
As he neared his 40th birthday and started having (noticing) seizures, Robert
contemplated death and began to study paranormal activities. This study influenced the
interpretation of his own physical experiences with seizures and, he believes, allowed
him to hone his mystical skills, which in turn gradually led to his current occupation and
lifestyle.
Today, Robert earns money speaking to groups of interested parties about the
paranormal. At these events, he describes his experiences and his beliefs about the
“other world.” He especially enjoys this type of interaction. It makes him feel
knowledgeable and sage, as though he were a prophet and the members of his
audience were his disciples. His last speaking engagement drew a crowd of 1200 at a
college in California. During this performance, he singled out a number of people and
spoke directly to them, apparently giving them messages from deceased loved ones.
Stopping in the middle of his talk because of a seizure, he then pointed to one young
woman in the audience and told her that her father had a message for her: that he
“understands and forgives.” She broke down in tears. He told another woman that her
deceased husband wanted to let her know that he was happy.
His friends describe Robert as impractical. Although he has been able to make a living
this way, Robert has trouble with everyday tasks: keeping house, keeping track of his
money, and having enough food. His house is always messy; he needs an accountant
to keep track of his money; and he often goes to the refrigerator or cupboard only to find
nothing substantial to eat.
His lifestyle is decidedly different from most people’s. Certainly, it resembles that of a
rock star more than that of a banker, with all his traveling and his performances. Even
when he is at home for an extended period, he has many more visitors than most
people have because of personal appointments with him for advice and guidance. At
these sessions, he uses his mystical tools and powers to give his clients information
from “the other side.” Not surprisingly, his friends consider him somewhat odd and
eccentric. Other people who do not know Robert very well think that he is either “wacko”
or a con artist. Even his agent/manager thinks of him as only entertainment. Although
Robert occasionally is concerned that he is “selling out,” he believes that he is helping
others.

Case Questions
Using Jung’s theoretical concepts and stages assess Robert’s personality by answering
the following questions.
1. What is Robert’s attitude according to Jungian theory? Provide evidence for your
answer.
 According to Jungian theory, Robert’s attitude is Extraversion. The evidence of my
answer was stated on paragraph 7 of which there, it was stated that Robert speaks
to groups of interested parties about paranormal. In these events, he describes his
experiences and his beliefs about the “other world.”
2. What is Robert’s superior function according to Jungian theory? Provide evidence for
your answer.
Robert’s superior function according to Jungian theory is Sensing. The evidence of
my answer can be found on paragraph 3. In this paragraphs, there stated that
Robert, reinterprets past memories according to more current beliefs and
experiences—one example was the death of his grandfather of which he believed
on his memories to be true. Sensing thus, in Jungian theory, mean that we process
information according to past experiences or details. Furthermore, the definition of
this theory was that it tells people that something exists, just like Robert does.
3. What are archetypes? In what level of consciousness are they contained. According
to Jung’s theory? What archetype has Robert been influenced by? Provide evidence for
your answer. How does it influence his behavior?
The archetypes are generalized and derived from the contents of the collective
unconscious. In Jung’s theory, Robert was influenced by the archetype of “The
Self”. The evidence of my answer can be found on paragraphs 3 and 5 of which
here we could also see that Robert already knew that he always had those abilities
ever since he was a teenager.
4. At what stage is Robert presently, according to Jungian theory? What types of events
should he be experiencing at this stage? Is there evidence for these experiences in the
case study/history (Robert’s life story)? Explain.
Robert’s present stage is most probably in the old stage. The event that he should
be experiencing at this stage is, not fearing about death—according to Jung’s
theory. The evidence of the fact that he belongs to the old stage, is that he reached
self-realization of which he knew and understand his life’s purpose.