Inaugurated and supported by friends of James Hillman and by scholars of his founding work in archetypal psychology, the James Hillman Symposium is the leading forum for an ongoing discussion of the Uniform Edition, a 11-volume collection of his writings, co-published by the Dallas Institute and Spring Publications. The mission of the conference is to encourage conversations about Hillman’s major ideas and concepts in conjunction with psychological and cultural topics as well as pay tribute to his life and career.

Hillman makes a study of the transformative processes suggested by the arcane alchemical processes that were adapted in late life by Jung as a basis of understanding depth psychology. Hillman carries this idea forward, arguing that the images and language of alchemy provide a much more valid, less abstract picture of human nature: instead of cold concepts, sensate images. By incorporating the aesthetic approach, alchemy teaches, in Hillman’s words, ‘with its colors, and minerals, its paraphernalia and enigmatic imagistic instructions … an aesthetic psychology.’ –Joanne H. Stroud, Founding Fellow of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, Director of Institute Publications, and Editor of the Gaston Bachelard Translation Series

It is not the literal return to alchemy that is necessary but a restoration of the alchemical mode of imagining. For in that mode we restore matter to our speech - and that is our aim: the restoration of imaginative matter, not of literal alchemy. –James Hillman, Alchemical Psychology

One of James Hillman’s favorite ideas, one of his richest ideas, is psychological polytheism … the idea that we are not going toward wholeness; we are going toward a manifestation of our variety … having sorted ourselves out into all these elements. –Thomas Moore, 2016 James Hillman Symposium

Each of the James Hillman Symposiums takes for its subject a volume of the Uniform Edition of the Writings of James Hillman. The symposiums encourage participants to deepen their understanding of Hillman’s writings by listening to talks given by leading scholars in diverse fields of psychology, art, theater, literature, and film–united by an appreciation of James Hillman’s innovations–and by contributing to lively, stimulating discussions.

Conversing with James Hillman: Alchemical Psychology Includes works by: James Hillman, Gustavo Barcellos, Scott Becker, Pat Berry, Scott Churchill, Robert Kugelmann, Jean Lall, Stan Marlan, Margot McLean, David Miller, Safron Rossi, Robert Sardello, Michael Sipiora, Dennis Slattery, Joanne H. Stroud, and Gail Thomas.