“We are generally afraid to become that which we can glimpse in our most perfect moments, under the most perfect conditions, under conditions of greatest courage. We enjoy and even thrill to the godlike possibilities we see in ourselves in such peak moments. And yet we simultaneously shiver with weakness, awe, and fear before these very same possibilities.” Abraham Maslow’s “Jonah Complex”

The Biblical Jonah

The story of Jonah is familiar with his running away from God’s mission to the inhabitants of Nineveh. Wishing to relieve the storm tempest suffering of his fellow sailors, he has them throw him overboard only to be swallowed by the big fish. God hears his prayer and his acceptance of the mission, at which he succeeds.

The Jonah Complex

Abraham Maslow has coined the phrase “Jonah Complex” as our unwillingness to accept that vision of the “god-like possibilities we see in ourselves.” There is the notion of the whale of despair we feel when we deny these possibilities. Paying attention to and working towards these possibilities goes a long way to resolving the “Jonah Complex”.

The Jonah File

An imaginary “Jonah File” would contain a statement of the “god-like possibilities” we sense, our “God-given credentials” or aptitudes that we are born with as well as the training we have or need to actualize the possibilities.

The content of our “Jonah File” would be the basis for creating an agenda or ‘project charter’ for a proposed ‘Jonah Project’.

A Jonah Project

A Jonah Project takes its name from the biblical book of Jonah whose story has lead to Abraham Maslow’s coinage of the “Jonah complex.” The extremely talented Jonah flees rather than accepting his abilities to convince others to turn back to their authentic selves.

A Jonah project is a personal or professional aspiration whose fulfillment just might make a significant difference in our lives:

Think about it this way: There is something I have often thought about doing, but keep avoiding. It would solve a problem or make me feel better.

Problem Statement





Root Cause or opportunity

Direction or Project Goal:

WWW.SPLITROCKSTRATEGIES.COM is a Jonah project of Rabbi Nicolas L. Behrmann, HUC ’71. It comes about because of his desire to integrate his IT background with his unfinished rabbinic projects.

A Possible Workshop Description

What’s in Your Jonah File?

The integration of Jewish Midrash – techniques guiding the search for contemporary meaning in the ancient spiritual texts – with the insights and experiential techniques of educational and therapeutic innovations is a fundamental approach to the study of the book of Jonah.

The workshop and its workbook “What’s in Your Jonah File? “is based on the biblical book of Jonah whose story has led to Abraham Maslow’s coinage of the “Jonah complex.” The extremely talented Jonah flees rather than accepting his abilities to convince others to turn back to their authentic selves.

Jonah’s running away and being swallowed by the whale of despair is suggestive to Maslow and ourselves of our own fear of becoming “that which we can glimpse in our most perfect moments,” and the consequences for each of us should we continue to deny unfulfilled aspects of ourselves.

The “What’s in Your Jonah File?” workshop’s purpose is to invite its participants to “experimentally” enter into the “experience” of the Biblical text and traditions without any pre-commit to an ideology/theology. Through guided fantasy and role-play, participants learn techniques of living bible interpretation and gain insights into themselves.

Whatever one’s spiritual upbringing, “experimental” entering Jewish historical and spiritual experience can teach us much about ourselves. Centuries of rich experience become creative resources that we can try on to discover or rediscover important aspects of ourselves or significant others in our lives.

The “What’s in Your Jonah File?” workshop’s goal is to provide a safe refuge towards which to run to escape the bounds of the Jonah Complex.