The Haunting

What the swamplands of our psyche can teach us about the sunlight of our souls.

The amazing Jungian Psychologist, James Hollis, in his profound exploration of the human psyche, in his book “Dispelling the ghosts who run our lives” speaks of the "haunting", which are those unresolved energies, fears, and wounds that dwell in the swamplands of our inner world. These are the voices of the past, the echoes of cultural conditioning, and the burdens of inherited narratives are what shape us and sometimes without our conscious consent.

What I find fascinating is that beneath our haunting, is a light beyond measure. How? Well, at the very start of the Bible, it reminds us, light came before the sun and the moon. "Let there be light," God commanded in Genesis 1:3, long before the celestial bodies were placed in the sky (Genesis 1:14). This ancient wisdom tells us something radical, the light is not dependent on external sources; it is always present. It is the sunlight in our soul. The question is: can we find it through the mist of our own hauntings?

To begin, we must first understand what the swamplands of the psyche look like. To illustrate this, let me offer an example from both a male and female perspective.

For women, the swamplands often appear as the relentless expectations to be good, nice, and pleasing. The compulsion to say "yes" when the soul screams "no" to shrink, to accommodate, to defer. It’s the fear of being called selfish, difficult, or unkind if one dares to take up space. The haunting in this instance of our soul whispers, “Who will love you if you are not pleasing?” But what if the sunlight of the soul is found beyond this murky terrain where one reclaims the right to choose, to disappoint, to live authentically?

For men, the haunting often takes the form of the lone warrior archetype, the expectation to be strong, stoic, unwavering. Vulnerability is exiled to the shadows, and any sign of fear or uncertainty is met with the old haunting refrain: “Man up.” Yet, in resisting the swampland of emotion, many men lose access to their own radiance, the freedom to feel deeply, to love openly, to be fully alive.

So how do we start to understand this swampland?

The animated masterpiece of the first Moana movie gives us a powerful metaphor for this journey. Moana is called beyond the reef, but the haunting voice of fear, embodied by her father’s warnings and the village’s traditions, tells her to stay where it is safe. But here’s the truth: safety is not the absence of risk; it is the presence of light within risk. When Moana finally listens to her inner knowing, she dives deep into the ocean, pushing past all obstacles in her path. As she descends into the darkness, she discovers an ancient truth, what she is seeking is not above the surface, but in the depths. It is only by going deeper, facing what lurks below, that she can retrieve what was lost and rise stronger. She finds the treasure she has been seeking which is “The heart of Te Fiti” which is the light and takes it back up to the surface.

So, it is with us. What haunts us is not here to destroy us but to be integrated, healed, and transformed. Our swamplands do not oppose the light; they are the very ground from which it emerges.

In conclusion, life’s journey, it’s not always easy to see the light within the swamplands of our soul. Yet, Genesis at the very beginning of the Bible reveals a profound truth: light existed before the sun and moon. This means that even in the darkest nights of our spirit, the light has never left us. Our task is not to create light, but to remember it—to trust that beyond fear, beyond shame, there is a radiance that has never dimmed.

This is the essence of what I do in Spiritual Direction. It does not seek to eliminate the shadows but to transform how we see them. It is an invitation to dive beneath the surface, past the turbulence, and into the depths where wisdom, healing, gold and light reside. To uncover the light. A Spiritual Director does not impose answers but walks beside you, helping you uncover the brilliance that has always been within. Through sacred listening, guided reflection, and deep trust in Spirit, we embark on a journey of integration, honouring our wounds, and embracing the full radiant light of our soul.

So, I leave you with this one powerful question:

Where have you been haunted, and what swamplands are calling you to wade through to finally see the light that has always been there?

Let me know how you go in answering this and until next time.

Blessings

Rev. Rachel

www.rachelwotten.com

References:

Film

Clements, R., & Musker, J. (Directors). (2016). Moana [Film]. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Books

Hollis, J. (2013). Hauntings: Dispelling the ghosts who run our lives. Chiron Publications.

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