The Individuated Bookshelf: Books for the Inner Journey

The Wrath of Achilles, the Grief of Medea: Deconstructing Anger with Dr. Sumit Anand

In this episode I speak with psychiatrist Dr. Sumit Anand about the complex, often misunderstood nature of anger and its deep roots in personal and collective grief. Drawing on classical literature like Homer’s The Iliad and Euripides’ Medea, contemporary storytelling, and Jungian psychology, we deconstruct how the modern clinical approach has pathologized a vital signaling system of the soul. Dr. Anand shares profound insights from his own practice and personal history, explaining the neurobiology of rage, the illusion of "closure," and the therapeutic necessity of bypassing rationalizing narratives to address the raw pain and shame sitting beneath the surface. Together, we explore how developing conscious awareness and tracking the body's visceral responses can ultimately break generational cycles of trauma and lead to genuine psychological healing.
 

Stirring Thought and Troubling Sleep: A Conversation on James Hollis

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend, professional actor, and educator Jeff Miller for a deep dive into the work of Jungian psychoanalyst James Hollis. We discuss why a life focused on meaning trumps the superficial cultural chase for happiness, how to face our personal shadow, and the challenging but liberating reality of taking absolute responsibility for our own lives. From navigating personal blowups with aging parents to finding ultimate wisdom in literature, Jeff shares how Hollis’s writing fundamentally shifted his perspective on navigating the second half of life.

The Will to Meaning: Psychiatry and the Soul

In this new incarnation of the podcast, I interview the same guest from the final episode of Gatherings, psychiatrist Dr. Sumit Anand. We explore why modern mental health must address soul, meaning, and a recognition of the human spirit.
Is there space for the notion of a "soul" in contemporary psychiatric practice? Dr. Anand makes a compelling case for why there should be.
 

The Messy Middle: Narrative and Connection in Psychiatry

In this episode, Béa speaks with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Sumit Anand about his journey from medical school in England to decades of work with the “criminally insane,” adolescents, and today’s so-called “worried well.” He traces how a love of story led him toward psychiatry and then back toward narrative, arguing that a patient’s story is data, not decoration. Sumit reflects on the limits of purely biological models, the crisis of meaning in younger generations, the distortions of tech culture, and why real change needs time, presence, and a willingness to sit in the “messy middle” of life. Along the way he shares practical insights from the consulting room: building trust in a system people no longer believe in, creating a genuine container for chaos and grief, reconnecting mind and body, and valuing growth over quick fixes.
You can find Sumit's short videos on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sumit+anand+md

Writing from the Unconscious: Jung, Story, and the Creative Act

This episode is a wide-ranging conversation on creativity, Jungian psychology, and what it takes to write from the depths. Béa reflects on her novel Invocation as a psychological culmination of years of work, one that braided together cognitive science, mythology, and inner development and ultimately prompted her to step away from her long-running group. From there, the discussion moves into the disruptive symbolism of the goddess Eris and why storytelling remains essential for both personal integration and the wider cultural humanities. Looking ahead, Béa shares early insights into her next project, a historical fantasy shaped by celestial maps and the myth of Parsifal. Throughout the episode, the creative act emerges as a form of inner healing and a living bridge between the rational and irrational dimensions of the psyche.
Link to information about Invocation: Bea Gonzalez Sophiacycles
 

The Clockwork World and the Exiled Soul

In this episode, I turn to the Romantics as guides for a world coming apart, viewing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a protest against a mechanistic worldview that devalues feeling. Some questions that emerge from this journey are:   What do we do when technology outpaces our moral framework? Just because we're able to do something, should we? What responsibilities do we incur when we create a new form of life?  Are we repeating Frankenstein's mistake when we build systems and then disclaim any obligation to the creatures we have released onto the world?
Books Mentioned:
Magnificent Rebels, Andrea WulfRomantic Outlaws, Charlotte GordonFrankenstein, Mary ShelleyA Flash of Golden Fire, Thomas ElsnerThe Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor ColeridgeThe Romantics and Us, Simon SchamaBERGHAIN, Rosalia [Lux]Guillermo del Toro’s, Frankenstein

The Hunger of the Shadow: Vampires, Repression, and the Modern Psyche

In this episode of Gatherings, we unpack the enduring power of the vampire archetype. We trace its evolution from the gothic shadows of Dracula to today’s romanticized immortal figures, revealing how the vampire reflects the repressed, unintegrated, and wounded parts of the psyche. Drawing on insights from Marion Woodman and Michael Singer, we explore the vampire as a symbol of psychic energy turned inward—what happens when life force becomes blocked or possessed by the shadow. We also situate the myth in its social context, connecting its late-Victorian rise to cultural fears around feminism, sexuality, and capitalism. The conversation closes by asking why our current moment is again obsessed with the vampire and what this collective fascination might tell us about trauma, desire, and the hunger for aliveness.

Re-Enchanting the Cosmos: Hermeticism, Brain Hemispheres, and the Evolution of Consciousness

What do a Renaissance magician, a modern neuroscientist, and a forgotten philosopher of language have in common? In this episode, I dive into a wild, mythically-informed rabbit hole that took me from the Corpus Hermeticum to the divided brain model of Iain McGilchrist and the linguistic revelations of Owen Barfield. Together, these three worldviews—Hermeticism, brain lateralization, and the evolution of consciousness—seem to be providing us with the same message: that the world is not dead, but alive… if only we remember how to see it.
This is a journey through magic, metaphysics, language, and psyche—a kind of Jungian time-travel into the heart of our disenchanted world. I explore how perception is not passive but participatory, how imagination might just be the bridge back to meaning, and why the way we attend to reality could be the most urgent moral act of our time.
If you've ever felt like something sacred has gone missing, or that the modern world has forgotten how to listen—this episode is for you.
 
Books Mentioned:
• Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition by Frances Yates
• The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist
• The Matter with Things by Iain McGilchrist
• Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas
• Poetic Diction by Owen Barfield
• English Words by Owen Barfield
• Saving the Appearances by Owen Barfield
• The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life by Thomas Moore
• Inner Work by Robert A. Johnson
 
 
 
 
 

Truth in Fiction: A Conversation with Author Shylashri Shankar

In this episode, Béa sits down with author Shylashri Shankar for a rich and layered conversation about her debut novel, Blood Caste. Set in 1895 Hyderabad and loosely inspired by the mystery of Jack the Ripper, the novel becomes a launching point for a deeper exploration of themes like prejudice, identity, and the tensions between cultures and values.
Shankar shares how writing the book was more than a creative project—it was a personal journey of transformation. The discussion moves fluidly between the novel’s historical roots and the inner landscapes both authors navigate in their own creative processes. Along the way, they reflect on the role of fiction in uncovering truth, the power of inner work, and why audiobooks can offer a more embodied reading experience.
Blood Caste is published in the UK and in all English-speaking countries by Canelo Crime, [DK/Random House]. It will be available on Audio on August 7th.
Shylashri Shankar | Canelo Crime
 
 

Dialogues with the Unconscious — Jungian Perspectives with Roula Maria Dib

In this episode Béa interviews award-winning literary scholar, poet, and Jungian thinker Roula Maria Dib. Together, they explore Jung’s evolving place within feminist thought, the role of the feminine archetype in the psyche, and the power of poetry and art as healing practices. The conversation moves through themes of visionary art, dreams, creativity, and how artists serve as vessels for the collective unconscious. Roula offers insights into her own work, including her books The Jungian Metaphor: Modernist Literature and Simply Being--and speaks to the necessity of creating spaces for meaningful dialogue and community.
The episode also features a powerful personal story about how a dream helped Roula recognize a life-threatening illness in her daughter—underscoring the importance of cultivating an ongoing relationship with the unconscious. For anyone drawn to Jungian depth psychology, feminist perspectives, and the transformative nature of art and dreams, this conversation offers rich ground for reflection.
Books & Links Mentioned in This Episode:
The Jungian Metaphor: Modernist Literature (2020) by Roula Maria Dibhttps://www.routledge.com/The-Jungian-Metaphor-Modernist-Literature/Dib/p/book/9780367553245
Simply Being by Roula Maria Dibhttps://www.chironpublications.com/shop/simply-being/
Learn more about Roula Maria Dib:https://labrc.co.uk/roula-maria-dib/