Carl Jung

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Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and one-time colleague of Sigmund Freud. At university, he was a student of Krafft-Ebing. For a time, Jung was Freud's heir-apparent in the psychoanalytic movement. After the publication of Jung's Symbols of Transformation (1912), Jung and Freud endured a painful parting of ways: Jung seemed to feel confined by what he believed was Freud's narrow, reductionistic, and rigid view of libido. Freud held that all libido was at base sexual, while Jung's psychological work continued to explore libido as multiple and often synthetic.

Jung's field of research was geared largely toward the nature of symbolism and the effects of attachment upon the ability of people to live their lives in ignorance of their deeper "symbolic" natures. His ideas center around the understanding that a symbol loses its symbolic power when it is "attached" to a static meaning. The attached, and therefore static meaning renders an amorphous symbol (like the sphere or the ourobouros ) to a mere definition; no longer does it have the ability to be active in the mind as a "transformer of consciousness," free to associate with new experiences and thinking. "Symbolic power" transcends and permeates through all conscious thinking.

Table of contents

1 Key Jungian concepts

2 Clinical theories

3 Pervasive influence

4 Related publications

5 External links

Key Jungian concepts

Jung is best known for his term "archetype" which connotes a structural view of psychological life. The term archetype can be understood as quite similar to — and was probably directly influenced by — Kant's term "a priori." Jung often seemed to view the archetypes as a sort of psychological organs, directly analogous to our physical, bodily organs: both being morphological givens for the species; both arising at least partially through evolutionary processes. Current Jungian-influenced thinking has explored nearly diametrically opposing paths from Jung's structural thinking. Some have pursued deeply structural views, along the lines of complexity theory in mathematics, and some have tried to work with Jung's ideas in a seeming post-structuralist way (most obviously, James Hillman). Jung's work with mythology and archetypes was one of the most significant influences on mythologist Joseph Campbell.

Perhaps the most important archetype to Jung would be what he termed the "self." It could be described as the ultimate pattern of psychological life; he characterized it as both the totality of the personality, conscious and unconscious, and the process of becoming of the whole personality. It could be described as both the goal of one's psychological life and that which pulls one toward it teleologically. One important point to note here about Jung's thinking is that he did not hold to be absolute the four-dimensional space-time continuum that we conventionally conceptualize (see synchronicity).

We can better understand Jung's views of the self by looking at two other archetypal or structural views that were highly important to him: the idea of "the opposites" and his work describing many old, largely despised and forgotten alchemical texts. Jung saw these texts as valuable psychological treatises rather than dry descriptions of arcane magical practices.

Clinical theories

Jung's writings have been of much interest to people of many backgrounds and interests, including theologians, people from the humanities, and mythologists. Jung often seemed to seek to make contributions to various fields, but he was mostly a practicing psychiatrist, involved during his whole career in treating patients. A description of Jung's clinical relevance is to address the core of his work.

Jung started his career working with hospitalized patients with major mental illnesses, most notably schizophrenia. He was interested in the possibilities of an unknown "brain toxin" that could be the cause of schizophrenia. But the majority and the heart of Jung's clinical career was taken up with what we might call today individual psychodynamic psychotherapy, in gross structure very much in the strain of psychoanalytic practice first formed by Freud.

It is important to state that Jung seemed to often see his work as not a complete psychology in itself but as his unique contribution to the field of psychology. Jung claimed late in his career that only for about a third of his patients did he use "Jungian analysis." For another third, Freudian analysis seemed to best suit the patient's needs and for the final third Adlerian analysis was most appropriate. In fact, it seems that most contemporary Jungian clinicians merge a developmentally grounded theory, such as Self psychology or Donald Winnicott's work, with the Jungian theories in order to have a "whole" theoretical repertoire to do actual clinical work.

Early in Jung's career he coined the term and described the concept of the "complex". Jung claims to have discovered the concept during his word association and galvanic skin response experiments. Freud obviously took up this concept in his Oedipus complex amongst others. Jung seemed to see complexes as quite autonomous parts of psychological life. It is almost as if Jung were describing separate personalities within what is considered a single individual. But to equate Jung's use of complexes with something along the lines of "multiple personality disorder" would be to stretch the point beyond breaking.

Jung saw an archetype as always being the central organizing structure of a complex. For instance, in a "negative mother complex," the archetype of the "negative mother" would be seen to be central to the identity of that complex. Which is to say, our psychological lives are patterned on common human experiences. Interestingly, Jung saw the Ego (which Freud wrote about in German literally as "the I", one's conscious experience of oneself) as a complex. If the "I" is a complex, what might be the archetype that structures it? Jung, and many Jungians, might say "the hero," that who separates from the community to some extent to ultimately carry the community further.

The "I" or Ego is tremendously important to Jung's clinical work. Jung's theory of etiology of psychopathology could almost be simplified to be stated as a too rigid conscious attitude towards the whole of the psyche. That is, a psychotic episode can be seen from a Jungian perspective as the "rest" of the psyche overwhelming the conscious psyche because the conscious psyche effectively was locking out and repressing the psyche as a whole. John Weir Perry's book The Farside of Madness explores and fleshes out this idea of Jung's very well.

Some major caveats: This is a psychological description of a psychotic episode. It is clear that Jung hypothesized a medical basis for schizophrenia that was beyond the understanding of the medical science of his day (and it must be said seems to still be beyond present medical science in any satisfactory sense). Twin studies and plenty of clinical material seem to point clearly to a medical basis for schizophrenia. It perhaps can best be said that schizophrenia is both medical and psychological. A medical understanding (again, as yet still lacking) would not change the fact that schizophrenia is lived by those who have it psychologically; that is to say, as theorists and scientists, we may be able to say that schizophrenia happens in genes, brains, and the electrochemical, but for one who has schizophrenia it also happens in their mind, which is to say psychologically. This is to say a purely medical treatment of major mental illness is inadequate, as is a purely psychological treatment of major mental illness.

Pervasive influence

Jung has had a pervasive influence on Western society, sometimes in ways that are not widely known. For example, Jung once treated an American patient suffering from chronic alcoholism. After working with the patient for some time, and achieving no significant progress, Jung told the man that his alcoholic condition was near to hopeless, save only the possibility of a spiritual experience. Jung noted that occasionally such experiences had been known to reform alcoholics where all else had failed.

The patient took Jung's advice seriously and set about seeking a personal spiritual experience. He returned home to the United States and joined a Christian evangelical church. He also told other alcoholics what Jung had told him about the importance of a spiritual experience. One of the alcoholics he told was Ebby Thatcher, a long-time friend and drinking buddy of Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) Thatcher told Wilson about Jung's ideas. Wilson, who was finding it hard to maintain sobriety, was impressed and sought out his own spiritual experience. The influence of Jung ultimately found its way in the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, drafted by Wilson, and from there into the whole 12 Step recovery movement, which has touched the lives of millions of people.

Jung's influence on noted Canadian novelist Robertson Davies is apparent in many of Davies's fictional works. In particular, The Cornish Trilogy and his novel The Manticore each base their design on Jungian concepts.

Jung's work and ideas have even had an impact on music. The Alt-rock band, Tool have incorporated Jung's work into their album, �nima.

Related publications

Jung, C. G. (1933). Modern man in search of a soul. London: Kegan Paul Trench Trubner.
Jung, C. G. (1936). The psychology of dementia praecox. New York: Nervous and Mental Disease Publ. Co.
Jung, C. G. (1938). Psychology and religion. New Haven: Yale university press.
Jung, C. G. (1947). Essays on contemporary events. London: Kegan Paul.
Jung, C. G. (1953). Collected works. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Jung, C. G. (1959). The Undiscovered self. New York: American Library.
Jung, C. G. (1966a). The practice of psychotherapy : essays on the psychology of the transference and other subjects (2nd ed.). Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1966b). Two essays on analytical psychology (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Jung, C. G. (1968). Psychology and alchemy (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Jung, C. G. (1969). Studies in word-association (1st ed.). London: Routledge & K. Paul.
Jung, C. G. (1970a). Four archetypes; mother, rebirth, spirit, trickster. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1970b). Mysterium coniunctionis : an inquiry into the separation and synthesis of psychic opposites in alchemy (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Jung, C. G. (1973). Synchronicity : an acausal connecting principle (2nd ed.). Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1974a). Dreams. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1974b). The Psychology of dementia praecox. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G. (1986a). Four archetypes; mother, rebirth, spirit, trickster. London: ARK Paperbacks.
Jung, C. G. (1986b). Psychology and the East. London: Ark.
Jung, C. G. (1987a). Dictionary of analytical psychology. London: Ark Paperbacks.
Jung, C. G. (1987b). Tan suo xin ling ao mi de xian dai ren. Beijing: She hui ke xue wen xian.
Jung, C. G. (1987c). Xian dai ling hun de zi wo zheng jiu. Beijing: Gong ren chu ban she.
Jung, C. G. (1987d). Xin li xue yu wen xue. Beijing: San lian.
Jung, C. G. (1987e). Xun qiu ling hun de xian dai ren. : .
Jung, C. G. (1988a). Hui yi, meng, si kao : Rongge zi zhuan. Shenyang: Liaoning ren min.
Jung, C. G. (1988b). On the nature of the psyche. London: Ark Paperbacks.
Jung, C. G. (1988c). Psychology and Western religion. London: Ark Paperbacks.
Jung, C. G. (1988d). Ren lei ji qi xiang zheng = Renleijiqixiangzheng (Di 1 ban. ed.). Shenyang shi: Liaoning jiao yu chu ban she.
Jung, C. G. (1988e). Ren, yi shu he wen xue zhong de jing shen. Beijing: Gong ren.
Jung, C. G. (1989). Zen yang wan shan ni de ge xing : Ren ge de kai fa. Beijing: Zhongguo guo ji guang bo.
Jung, C. G. (1990). Xun qiu ling hun de xian dai ren. : .
Jung, C. G. (1991a). The Development of personality. London: Routledge.
Jung, C. G. (1991b). Fen xi xin li xue de li lun yu shi jian : Tazasituoke jiang yan. Beijing: San lian.
Jung, C. G. (1991c). The psychogenesis of mental disease. London: Routledge.
Jung, C. G. (1992). Fen xi xin li xue : li lun yu shi qian (Di 1 ban. ed.). Shanghai: Shanghai yi wen chu ban she.
Jung, C. G. (1993). Dong yang ming xiang de xin li xue : cong Yi jing dao chan (Di 1 ban. ed.). Taibei Shi: Shang ding wen hua chu ban she.
Jung, C. G. (1997). Hui yi, meng, sheng si : Rongge zi zhuan : wo de yi sheng shi yi ge qian yi shi chong fen fa hui de gu shi. Taibei: Zhang lao shi wen hua shi ye gu fen you xian gong si.
Jung, C. G. (1999). Ren ji qi xiang zheng : Rongge si xiang jing hua de zong jie = Man and his symbols. Taibei: Li xu wen hua shi ye you xian gong si.
Jung, C. G., & Baynes, H. G. (1923). Psychological types, or, The Psychology of individuation. London: K. Paul Trench Trubner.
Jung, C. G., Baynes, H. G., & Baynes, C. F. (1928). Contributions to analytical psychology. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Jung, C. G., & Campbell, J. (1976). The portable Jung. New York: Penguin Books.
Jung, C. G., & Chodorow, J. (1997). Jung on active imagination. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G., & De Laszlo, V. S. (1958). Psyche and symbol : a selection from the writings of C.G. *Jung. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday.
Jung, C. G., & De Laszlo, V. S. (1959). Basic writings. New York: Modern Library.
Jung, C. G., & Dell, S. M. (1940). The Integration of the personality. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Jung, C. G., Evans, R. I., & Jones, E. (1964). Conversations with Carl Jung and reactions from Ernest Jones. New York: Van Nostrand.
Jung, C. G., & Feng, C. (1997). Rongge wen ji (Di 1 ban. ed.). Beijing shi: Gai ge chu ban she.
Jung, C. G., & Franz, M.-L. v. (1964). Man and his symbols. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday.
Jung, C. G., & Hinkle, B. M. (1912). Psychology of the unconscious : a study of the transformations and symbolisms of the libido, a contribution to the history of the evolution of thought. London: Kegan Paul Trench Trubner.
Jung, C. G., & Hull, R. F. C. (1991). Psychological types (A revision / ed.). London: Routlege.
Jung, C. G., & Jaff? A. (1963). Memories, dreams, reflections. London: Collins.
Jung, C. G., & Jarrett, J. L. (1998). Jung's seminar on Nietzsche's Zarathustra (Abridged ed.). Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G., & Liang, L.-q. (1989). Xing yu meng : wu yi shi jing shen fen xi yuan li. : .
Jung, C. G., & Long, C. E. (1917). Collected papers on analytical psychology (2nd ed.). London: Balliere Tindall & Cox.
Jung, C. G., Rothgeb, C. L., Clemens, S. M., & National Clearinghouse for Mental Health Information (U.S.). (1978). Abstracts of the collected works of C.G. Jung. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Printing Office.
Jung, C. G., & Sabini, M. (2002). The earth has a soul : the nature writings of C.G. Jung. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books.
Jung, C. G., & Shamdasani, S. (1996). The psychology of Kundalini yoga : notes of the seminar given in 1932 by C.G. Jung. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Jung, C. G., Wagner, S., Wagner, G., & Van der Post, L. (1990). The World within C.G. Jung in his own words [videorecording]. New York, NY: Kino International : Dist. by Insight Media.
Jung, C. G., & Wu, K. (1989). Xin li lei xing xue. Xi'an: Hua yue wen yi chu ban she.

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about Carl Jung.

C.G. Jung Page (http://www.cgjungpage.org/)
The Nautis Project (http://www.nautis.com/)
A short bio of Jung is in here (http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/jung.html)
large version of the above drawing of Jung (http://www.sonoma.edu/psychology/images/jung.jpg)
Influence on Friesian philosophy (http://www.friesian.com/jung.htm)
Jung and the Nazis (http://www.sfu.ca/~wwwpsyb/issues/1996/winter/medweth.htm)
Myth in Psychotherapy (http://www.folkstory.com/articles/myth_in_therapy.html)

cs:Carl Jung de:Carl Gustav Jung es:Carl Gustav Jung eo:Carl Gustav JUNG fr:Carl Gustav Jung nl:Carl Gustav Jung ja:カール・グスタフ・ユング pl:Carl Gustav Jung pt:Carl Gustav Jung ru:Юнг, Карл Густав sv:Carl Gustav Jung

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