Climate change imaginings and depth psychology : reconciling present and future worlds

Drawing upon co-operative research with people involved in climate change issues, I argue that conversations about individual and social futures can embrace greater complexity, flexibility and creativity when they incorporate unconscious imaginings, including those provided by dreams. Imagination is fundamental to the way individuals and societies envision the world and its future. Consequently, exploring imaginings related to global warming awareness has the potential to illuminate and energise creative and constructive discussions. Depth psychology, with its focus on creative and destructive unconscious processes and mythic under - standings, is well equipped to analyse and work with the full gamut of possible imaginings to support the process of transforming emerging understandings about global warming into open and innovative perceptions and responses, and into new forms of being in the world.