Understanding Life Backwards: The Wisdom of Kierkegaard, Jungian Psychology, and the Science of Journaling

​“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” –  Søren Kierkegaard

My Writing Process  

I have kept a journal since my late 20s, close to 40 years.  It’s where I place my dreams, my thoughts, reflections, and interesting experiences, and all that is new and evolving in me.  

For many years, I used a large black sketchbook.  Because of its abundant page count, it would keep me going for quite some time. I loved its versatility; I could write in my favorite fountain pen, or I could draw what was in my imagination.  If life were particularly eventful,  then this journal wouldn’t last long – maybe 6 months to a year.  Everything went into these pages. 

Eventually, I ended up with banker boxes full of these journals that I carried with me from house to house.  Now,  with the digital age,  the capture system has changed, but the process is the same. 

At some point, I became aware of the significance of what was happening in my daily journal practice. It was then that I could look backwards and see how events spoke to the astrological events of my life and the bigger context.  The seeds planted one day with a phone call or a chance encounter with someone on the street had led to a new opportunity or insight.  These were the breadcrumbs. 

Using astrology, dreams, and my journal,  I saw the soul, the invisible essence deep within me, weave a web of my life.   

It was awe-inspiring. I was speechless.  The connection that I made between my inner and outer world became soul moments that I felt visually in my body. 

When life hit the proverbial fan, which I write about in my new book  “Soul-making: A Journal of Resilience and Spiritual Rediscovery,”  my journal became a lifeline as I pieced together the tragic turn of events that led to my PTSD.  It was only in the rearview mirror that the pieces of that time started to fall into place, and I was able to make sense of things that at the time made no sense at all.   

Journaling was the way. 

Journaling created a safe and sacred place to hold what could not be held in my psyche. 

Journaling became the record where I could look back and piece together the meaning and soul significance of one of the most difficult times in my life.   

We can only see our life in the rearview mirror 

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard recognized this archetypal truth when he wrote in his journal, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”  This thought was penned in 1843- almost 200 years ago.

In this century, Wolfgang Giegeriach, a Jungian Analyst and philosopher,  has a similar perspective when he says there is no dry dock for life.  We can’t just check out, process life, and sail back on the sea. 

We need to move through life making decisions without knowing the full consequences, often unsure of the meaning or purpose in the moment. Yet in hindsight, we may come to see the deeper significance of our experiences—how certain struggles shaped us or how we were living out a narrative that only becomes coherent when we look back.

Kierkegaard’s insight points to something essential in the human condition: the tension between living forward into the unknown and understanding life by looking backward. And it’s in that backward glance—when we reflect, remember, and reinterpret—that wisdom emerges.

One of the most powerful tools to support this kind of reflection is journaling.

The Wisdom of Kierkegaard and Why He Said It

In an 1843 journal entry, Kierkegaard wrote:

“Life must be understood backwards. But it must be lived forwards. The more one thinks about this proposition, the more it actually turns out that life in temporal existence never becomes quite understandable at the time.”

This wasn’t just philosophical musing. Kierkegaard was grappling with the nature of human existence, time, and faith. He recognized that we make decisions without knowing their long-term meaning. Only by stepping back—often years later—can we grasp why something happened or how we were transformed by it.

He was also cautioning us not to wait for perfect clarity before acting. Life must be lived forwards, even without certainty. But reflection—especially the kind captured through journaling—gives us the gift of coherence and understanding, not just of what happened, but who we are.

Kierkegaard kept extensive journals himself. For him, writing was not only a record of events but a space to reflect on spiritual questions, personal suffering, and moral choices. His insight remains profoundly relevant for those seeking meaning amid  everyday life.

From Kierkegaard to Jung and Hillman: Psychological Implications

The idea that life only makes sense in hindsight resonates deeply with analytical psychology, the ideas of C. G. Jung, and later James Hillman.

Jung emphasized the importance of individuation—the process of becoming the person you truly are. But individuation isn’t a straight line. It’s full of detours, shadow work, dreams, and symbolic encounters that often only reveal their meaning retrospectively.

James Hillman, a post-Jungian thinker and founder of archetypal psychology, expanded this idea in The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling. He proposed the “acorn theory”—the belief that each person is born with a unique soul blueprint, a daimon, that calls them toward a particular destiny.

Yet this calling isn’t always visible in the moment. Hillman argued that we often see the shape of our calling only in retrospect, by looking back on the patterns, themes, and inner compulsions that shaped our lives. What may have once seemed like failure or randomness can later be understood as part of the soul’s unfolding path.

In this sense, journaling becomes a tool not just for reflection but for soul-making. It helps us track and interpret the symbols, struggles, and synchronicities that define our personal myth.

The Scientific Benefits of Journaling

While Kierkegaard and Hillman offer philosophical and psychological insights, modern research adds strong scientific backing to the value of journaling. Over the past three decades, numerous studies have explored the benefits of expressive writing and self-reflection.

Emotional and Mental Health

• James Pennebaker’s research shows that writing about emotional experiences can reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

• Labeling emotions in writing helps regulate them, as shown in studies using brain imaging (Lieberman et al., 2007).

• Writing creates distance from overwhelming experiences, allowing for more objective processing. 

Trauma and Resilience

• Expressive writing helps people process trauma and reduces PTSD symptoms (Smyth, 1998).

• Reflecting on difficult events can increase post-traumatic growth, leading to greater meaning and life satisfaction. 

Cognitive and Physical Benefits

• Journaling improves working memory and mental clarity (Klein & Boals, 2001).

• Regular writing about emotional experiences can strengthen the immune system and lower visits to the doctor (Pennebaker, 1997). 

Purpose and Goal-Setting

• Writing about your “best possible future self” increases optimism and motivation (King, 2001).

• People who write down goals and reflect on them regularly are more likely to achieve them (Matthews, 2015). 

The cumulative message of this research is clear: journaling is a powerful, low-cost practice with wide-ranging benefits for mind, body, and spirit.

Making Journaling a Daily Practice

If journaling can help us live forward while understanding backwards, how can we make it a sustainable habit? Here are some practical suggestions:

1. Start Small and Be Consistent

You don’t need to write pages every day. Even 5–10 minutes of honest reflection can be transformative. Consistency matters more than length.

Tip: Set a daily reminder or tie journaling to an existing routine (e.g., after coffee or before bed).

2. Use Prompts to Get Started

If you’re unsure what to write about, try prompts like:

• What’s something I see differently now than I did in the past?

• What pattern keeps showing up in my life?

• What’s one thing I’m grateful for—and why?

• What felt emotionally charged today? 

3. Review Past Entries

Don’t just write—re-read. Reviewing past entries offers insight into how you’ve grown and helps you notice recurring themes and soul patterns.

Hillman would ask: What is your daimon trying to say through your life story?

4. Keep It Honest and Unfiltered

Journaling works best when it’s authentic. Don’t worry about grammar or style. Write for yourself, not for an audience.

5. Consider Different Formats

Mix it up with:

• Free writing: Stream of consciousness.

• Dialogues: Write a conversation with your inner critic, daimon, or a past self.

• Dream journaling: Track dreams and symbols.
  
• Letters: Write letters to your younger self, your future self, or someone you’re trying to understand. 

Final Thoughts

Kierkegaard’s insight reminds us that while we must act and choose in the face of uncertainty, meaning often comes only in retrospect. When we pair that wisdom with the psychological frameworks of Jung and Hillman, and ground it in the science of expressive writing, a powerful truth emerges: journaling is one of the most accessible and effective ways to understand our lives—and our selves—more deeply.

By writing regularly, we create a mirror that not only reflects our past but gradually reveals the shape of our soul’s unfolding story. In this way, we are not just recording life—we are making meaning of it, one page at a time.

Have you found value here? Have you been inspired or moved?  Please consider sharing the post on your social media networks by using the buttons below.

I love to hear your comments and ideas. Use the comments below or send me an email.