The Architecture of Memory and Imagination

A Currerean Inquiry into Jung’s Afternoon of Life

Abstract

​This inquiry employs the method of currere to explore the intersection of personal history and professional identity within the "afternoon of life." Grounded in the works of Jung, Pinar, and Palmer, the narrative traverses the four stages of currere—regressive, progressive, analytical, and synthetical—to interrogate the ontological foundations of vocation, hope, and pedagogical nonviolence. Through the lens of a field-instructor at a Christian university, the author reflects on formative educational memories, such as learning long division and initial teaching challenges, to reveal the "curriculum-as-lived" that shapes current practice. The study explores how an educator’s "unfinishedness" facilitates deep dialogue and radical hope when mentoring student-teachers. Ultimately, the synthesis demonstrates that the late-career transition requires a reconceptualization of the pedagogical self—moving from a model of achievement to one of mindful presence and co-inquiry—ensuring that the calling to teach remains vibrant despite the standardized mandates of contemporary education.