Hi Jason,

I am not too familiar with the Jungian Philosophy however I can relate to that numb feeling. I feel that being numb is a sign of depression. More in the clinical sense. Like you said you have fulfilled all of your desires and are doing great work on self reflection/discovery. Because I feel it is clinical maybe it is the body you can treat instead of the mind. Maybe try a detox or cleanse, a new physical activity, sleep more, maybe a vacation, yoga? Get those serotonin levels up so that your body can match your mind.

I believe depressed can be environmental(I’m depressed because) or clinically(I feel down/numb no reason). Maybe keep a food diary and see how you feel when you eat certain things or a mood diary in general.

That’s all I have to offer. Maybe someone more familiar with Jungian philosophy has more insight but I feel you are on the right track.

Hope that helped.

Jason,

Sometimes when we get wrapped up in the quest, climbing the mountains, we lose sight of the joy. Much like we can see a treasure chest off in the distance, and tunnel vision toward it. Then, we open it, have a pile of gold that brings some satisfaction for a few moments, before looking for another chest. Then, we look back with pride at all the gold we’ve accumulated, but find ourselves feeling empty, numb, restless. A few things came to heart as I read your words.

Its sometimes said that “its not the destination, its the journey” that brings us joy, and that is true. Consider for a moment that when the joy comes from the treasure (accomplishments, accolades, etc), we hop from success to success… having to climb another hill as soon as we reach the crest of one, in order to ascend some mountain of “being a successful man”. Blah! Hogwash! Instead, we can see the hill, the treasure, and aim to get there, but during each step, take a look around and see what’s there. That’s where the happiness is, the joy. Said differently, numbness arises when we are out of tune with our senses, so focused on mapping the forest that we miss the beauty of the trees.

The solution is actually quite simple, but requires some time and effort. Consider either spending some time meditating, relaxing, unwinding… so that you can rest more directly in the present moment, more acutely connected to the world around you, right now. Or, consider doing some charity work. Being generous with our time, attention, and affection helps to remind us of the many blessings that grow around and through us.

With warmth,
Matt