Reply to Thomas Singer

In reply to Dr. Singer, I question whether clinicians have a monopoly on understanding the unconscious. I reiterate the contention that if clinicians are to engage in cultural analysis, they need to be aware of the epistemology and methodology of disciplines whose sole purpose is to understand culture. Singer unwittingly acknowledges that the discipline of history is an unrecognised, albeit central, component of the theory of cultural complexes. To emphasise the importance of historical research, I challenge the widely held belief that the notion of a cultural unconscious should be attributed to Joseph Henderson. I clarify that my initial aim was to show that there are competing ways in which the term cultural complex has been used within depth psychology and accordingly, it is not a purely Jungian contribution. The current Jungian understanding of cultural complexes is in danger of becoming an uncritical meta-narrative promoting a laissez-faire approach, to which I take exception.