New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove Oct 9, 2025 Psychology and Psychotherapy Dr. Harry Shirley is a chemist with a deep interest in Jungian psychology. His paper The Buddhabrot and the Unus Mundus: A Qualitative Exploration of Fractal Patterns and Archetypal Symbols was recently published in the International Journal of Jungian Studies. He is based in the United Kingdom. In this interview, Dr. Shirley explores the fascinating relationship between fractal mathematics and Jungian archetypes. He discusses how fractal imagery such as the Mandelbrot and Buddhabrot reveal symbolic dimensions of the psyche, connecting mathematics, alchemy, and spiritual traditions across cultures. This conversation opens new perspectives on the Unus Mundus, the Self, and the archetypal foundations of number and pattern. 00:00 Introduction 02:01 Dr. Harry Shirley’s journey from chemistry to Jungian psychology 06:39 The unconscious mind, alchemy, and inner transformation 10:18 Fractals as patterns of nature and archetypes 14:11 Defining fractals, the Mandelbrot set, and the Buddhabrot 21:10 The Unus Mundus and the psychoid realm 27:02 Archetypal imagery: Buddhabrot, Tree of Life, and mystical traditions 35:59 Parallels with chakras, alchemy, and spiritual ascent 38:38 Psychedelic art, symbolism, and fractal geometry 43:11 Numbers, the Self, and timeless ordering principles 49:14 Conclusion New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He currently serves as Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on September 11, 2025)
Upon first reading this title, proposing a connection between fractals and Jungian archetypes, I was skeptical and then puzzled. So I did a search.
The Google AI was not much help. I turned to Wikipedia. Here’s an excerpt:
“The term ‘fractal’ was coined by the mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot in 1975. Mandelbrot based it on the Latin frāctus, meaning ‘broken’ or ‘fractured’, and used it to extend the concept of theoretical fractional dimensions to geometric patterns in nature.”
This resolved my puzzlement. I was focused on the concept of a fractional dimension, whereas a richer cluster of ideas comes into play extending fractional dimensions to geometric patterns in nature.