Longing for belonging: Exile and homecoming in Rumi's poetry and Jung's psychology

Abstract

This study examined the topic of longing for belonging, exile and homecoming in Rumi's poetry and Jung's psychology. Using hermeneutical methodology with an imaginal approach, a sample of Rumi's collected works of poetry were selected, translated from Farsi, and analyzed.

As part of the processes of an imaginal approach, an ongoing dialectical discussion between Rumi and Jung was facilitated throughout the research and the essence was captured and transcribed. In addition, the imaginal process of transference dialogues was utilized throughout and several dialogues were included in the work. Further, alchemical hermeneutics as a complementary methodology allowed some of the researcher's dreams that supported, guided, and elaborated the research material to be reported in the dissertation.

This study aimed to amplify Rumi's poetics of longing for belonging with the beloved from the perspective of Jung's concept of individuation. The findings indicated six themes within four of Rumi's poems that were considered and compared to Jung's psychological theory.

In all four poems, the experience of loss and separation is accompanied by a sense of "longing for belonging" and it sets up the stage for each story. "Being addressed by the other" is the second theme and it can occur in many forms, for instance during an active imagination exercise or in a dream. Yet another theme of "awakening to the condition of exile" is characterized by an arduous journey to reunite with the beloved, a conscious move towards individuation. Fourth, "meeting a guide" becomes a conduit for transformation and healing on the path of self-discovery and individuation. Fifth, "encounter with an image of the Self" can be a harrowing, exhilarating, and humbling experience.

As a whole, Rumi's mystical notion of exile and longing for home refers one back to one's origin, to the beloved within who lives beyond the temporal limitations of time and space. Likewise, in Jung's psychology, the process of individuation encompasses the sixth theme of "coming home to the beloved," a return to the wholeness which is inherent in the essence of life.