Product Description

A complete revision of Psychology of the Unconscious (orig. 1911-12), Jung's first important statement of his independent position.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #165893 in Books
• Published on: 1977-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 590 pages

Review
The work is an intellectual tour de force of a very considerable calibre, as witnessed by the quite extraordinary amount of mythological material put into it, and the extensive research this must have required. -- Review

Review
The work is an intellectual tour de force of a very considerable calibre, as witnessed by the quite extraordinary amount of mythological material put into it, and the extensive research this must have required.
(The Journal of Analytical Psychology )

Customer Reviews

Enlightening but dry
This book is great for clarifying some complicated and misunderstood ideas like "infantile regression" and the "incest taboo" but Jung tends to digress from the main subject of the book - the Miller fantasies.

The excessive references from mythology tend to make the book a bit of a drag towards the end where he discusses the various aspects of the Mother archetype.

Nevertheless it's an essential book for anyone who wants to understand how fantasies work and how the unconscious communicates with and warns the conscious mind that is on the path to psychosis.

Great Book!
This is a great book! Perhaps one of the best written in the field.
That said, it is very thick with material, lots of mythological
references, sort of in the fashion of Joseph Campbell, but here
as they illuminate modern psychological concepts, at least in the Jungian sense. It does presuppose some understanding of Jungian concepts, but
you can get through it and sort of pick it up as you go. Be warned,
though, Jung is the sort of writer who sometimes doesn't get right
to the point, but then again, this isn't a primer. He supposes you
know all the basics. I spent the summer of 83 sitting out by the pool
trying to get through it. In the end,it may have saved my life, as it
underscores certain things people should know about psychology. It could very well then be the best money you have ever spent.

Breakthrough Book
This work is a landmark both in psychology--the beginning of Jung's revelation of the Collective Unconscious resulting in his break with Freud--& his own quest for individuation. In his own words: p. 304: "It is not possible to live too long amid infantile surroundings, or in the bosom of the family, without endangering one's psychic health. Life calls us forth to independence, and anyone who does not heed this call because of childish laziness or timidity is threatened with neurosis." Furthermore, he states that (despite many modern Jungians emphasizing his Thinking nature), p. 109: "All passion is a challenge to fate" & p. 110: "Anyone who refuses to experience life must stifle his desire to live--in other words, he must commit partial suicide. This explains the death fantasies that usually accompany the renunciation of desire." Needless to say, the break with Freud was extremely traumatic for Jung--yet it led to his own individuation (see his biography, "Memories, Dreams, Reflections"). Of course, in Jung's era it was not uncommon for the erudite to intersperse their writings with poetic allusions, French & Latin phrases, etc. which make such works exceedingly trying for modern readers. Still, this is a breakthrough book. I'd suggest reading his immediate disciples' works first as well as "Man & His Symbols" which was written at the end of Jung's life (with some of his primary students) for a general vs. technical audience. Books are also available by Marie-Louise von Franz, Barbara Hanna, Jolande Jacobi, as well as Emma Jung. Some interesting observations in this work: p. 181: "Children cannot distinguish their own instincts from the influence and will of their parents" & p. 303: (quoting Gerhart Hauptmann via W. Stekel)--"Poetry is the art of letting the primordial word resound through the common word."