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John Hill, in the Epilogue to this first in a published series of Jungian Odyssey Conferences, connects the reader to the epic journey of Odysseus, whose long wanderings and encounters with the unknown were driven by his yearning to return home, to where he first began. An odyssey is a journey of the soul that comes full circle; it therefore seems to me an apt title for a series of papers that represent wanderings and encounters with the unknown. In this case, the territory of exploration has to do with intimacy and the uncertainties of the heart. Intimacy manifests in the presence of an ‘other’ that may include, but is not limited to the presence of, another person. One of the gifts of this volume is that it considers the wide range of potential moments of intimacy without limiting it to that of personal relationship.
The absence of and the desire for the presence of intimacy in the life of an individual are often expressed as reasons for embarking on an analysis. There is a tendency to confuse being in an intimate relationship with that of ‘intimacy’. Certainly an intimate relationship may enhance the possibility of intimacy, but it is not a guarantee. Rather it seems to me that intimacy is a treasure, like the philosopher's stone, ‘hard to attain’ and ultimately a mystery, a gift of the gods. It is beyond our power to will its presence. It can manifest as a moment of divine madness while at other times it is moment of divine ecstasy and transcendence. As I read these essays, I felt that intimacy per se is not a subject for rational analysis but rather is potentially contained within the analytical relationship as it manifests in the transference-countertransference. We may learn more from the poet, artist, and philosopher who can open our hearts to the felt experience of intimacy than from a rational analytical perspective.
Our Odyssey begins with three papers in a section titled: Sounds and Symmetries of Belonging. These papers have ‘place’ as the ‘other’ of intim