Psychology and Alchemy

Psychology and Alchemy

"Psychology and Alchemy" is the twelfth volume in the Princeton/Bollingen edition of the Collected Works of Carl Jung. In it Jung argues for a reevaluation of the symbolism of Alchemy as being intimately related to the psychoanalytical process. Using a cycle of dreams of one of his patients he shows how the symbols used by the Alchemists occur in the psyche as part of the reservoir of mythological images drawn upon by the individual in their dream states. Jung draws an analogy between the Great Work of the Alchemists and the process of reintegration and individuation of the psyche in the modern psychiatric patient.

In drawing these parallels Jung reinforces the universal nature of his theory of the archetype and makes an impassioned argument for the importance of spirituality in the psychic health of the modern man. Lavishly illustrated with images, drawings and paintings from Alchemy and other mythological sources including Christianity the book is another example of Jung's immense erudition and fascination with the eso- and exoteric expressions of spirituality and the psyche in religion and mysticism.

Influenced by pioneering work by Ethan Allen Hitchcock and Herbert Silberer (who was in turn influenced by Jung), "Psychology and Alchemy" is a seminal work of reevaluation of a forgotten system of thought which did much to revitalise interest in Alchemy as a serious force in Western philosophical and esoteric culture.

Section I. Introduction to the Religious and Psychological Problems of Alchemy

Jung sets out the central thesis of the book: that Alchemy draws upon a vast array of symbols, images and patterns drawn from the Collective Unconscious of the West. Jung defends his exploration of the Psyche and Soul against various critics who have accused him of being both religious and anti-religious depending on their point of view. He argues for a deeper understanding of the Western spiritual traditions eg Esoteric Christianity and Alchemy alongside an examination of the Eastern ones eg Buddhism, Hinduism etc. Jung diagnoses the spiritual laziness of the West in not truly embracing the Christian Myth as an inner journey of transformation. Alchemy, he argues, is a 'Western Yoga' which was designed to facilitate this. The book will begin with a description of a whole cycle of dreams described by an unnamed patient (to protect confidentiality) which will be interpreted in their archetypal and mythological sense by Jung. This is designed to illustrate the existence of Jung's theory of the Collective Unconscious and the psychological goal or Great Work of psychic and spiritual integration or wholeness through the individuation process.

Section II. Individual Dream Symbolism in Alchemy

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Jung sets out his agenda and explains his method. The text that follows will contain several cycles of dreams recounted by a patient to a student of Jung. Each dream will be described and then analysed and interpreted with reference to Alchemical imagery and psychoanalytic theory. Jung is at pains to explain that the patient knew nothing of Jung's interpretations and so was not influenced in any way during the dream process.

Chapter 2 - The Initial Dreams

Jung details an entire cycle of the patient's dreams, summarising the details of each then interpreting them in terms of their parallels with alchemical imagery to reveal their psychological content.

ee also

*Alchemy
*Carl Jung
*Ethan A. Hitchcock (general)
*Herbert Silberer


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Alchemy — Alchemist redirects here. For other uses, see Alchemist (disambiguation). For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). Page from alchemic treatise of Ramon Llull, 16th century Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early… …   Wikipedia

  • alchemy — alchemic /al kem ik/, alchemical, alchemistic /al keuh mis tik/, alchemistical, adj. alchemically, adv. /al keuh mee/, n., pl. alchemies for 2. 1. a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and …   Universalium

  • History of psychology — The history of psychology as a scholarly study of the mind and behavior dates back to the Ancient Greeks. There is also evidence of psychological thought in ancient Egypt. Psychology was a branch of philosophy until the 1870s, when psychology… …   Wikipedia

  • Alchemy and chemistry in medieval Islam — Alchemy and chemistry in Islam refers to the study of both traditional alchemy and early practical chemistry (the early chemical investigation of nature in general) by scholars in the medieval Islamic world. The word alchemy was derived from the… …   Wikipedia

  • Psyche (psychology) — In psychoanalysis, the psyche (pronounced|ˈsaɪki) refers to the forces in an individual that influence thought, behavior and personality. The word is borrowed from ancient Greek, and refers to the concept of the self, encompassing the modern… …   Wikipedia

  • Differences between standard Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian — The standard Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian languages differ in various aspects as outlined below. The various nuances do not present major obstacles to communication.After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the languages of Croats and Serbs went… …   Wikipedia

  • Differences between standard Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian — South Slavic languages and dialects Western South Slavic Sl …   Wikipedia

  • Outline of alchemy — Alchemy, derived from the Arabic word al kimia (الكيمياء), is both a philosophy and an ancient practice focused on the attempt to change base metals into gold, investigating the preparation of the elixir of life, and achieving ultimate wisdom… …   Wikipedia

  • Timeline of Islamic science and engineering — This timeline of Islamic science and engineering covers the general development of science and technology in the Islamic world during the Islamic Golden Age, usually dated from the 7th to 16th centuries.From the 17th century onwards, the advances …   Wikipedia

  • Relationship between religion and science — Part of a series on Science …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”