Product Description

A study of the journey to psychological wholeness--a process that Jung described as a conscious encounter between the ego and the archetypal symbols of the collective unconscious. For contemporary people, Edinger asserts, this encounter is equivalent to the discovery of God--and a critically important experience for everyone. 68 halftones.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56793 in Books
• Published on: 1992-08-25
• Released on: 1992-08-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780877735762
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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About the Author
Edward F. Edinger, M.D., a founding member of the C. G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology in New York, is the author of many books on Jungian psychology, including The Eternal Drama and Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy.

Customer Reviews

An excellent analysis of Jung's theory of individuation.
Dr. Edinger explains the Jungian concept of individuation as both a psychological and spiritual phenomenon. Although the author does not explicitly acknowledge the underlying spirituality of Jung's concept of the self/ego relationship, it is apparent that he feels there is a metaphysical and spiritual basis to human development. Edinger, it seems to me, posits that the ego is a temporal construct rooted in a trascendental, timeless Self (soul). The text is filled with insightful accounts of many hermetic and esoteric concepts which appear in the Jungian corpus. Those who have read Jung's works on alchemy will find Edinger's interpretations illuminating. This is a wonderful secondary work on Jungian theory.

A naturalistic book about God
Ego and Archetype emphasizes that (1) God is directly experienced within, at the core of the human psyche, that (2) spiritual maturation requires a radical shift away from narrow ego focus and towards subordination of the ego to God-within and that (3) maturation is accomplished only if the individual squarely faces and confesses the almost unbearable inadequacies, pretensions and selfishness of the unguided ego. While Ego and Archetype deals with the themes of sin, repentance and atonement, the theories advanced are naturalistic and not religion-bound. Edward Edinger elaborates on these themes masterfully, and any reader who considers them to be at the heart of the human condition will cherish this book.

Insightful & illuminating
I first read this book as a teenager 30 years ago. At the time I was a little overwhelmed by its richness & depth, gleaning only a little of its wisdom. But after three decades of reading it many times over, I've grown enough to truly appreciate the soul-nourishing food for thought to be found in its pages. I've seldom come across an elucidation of Jungian & spiritual thought with such clarity & poetry! Even more than Jung's own work, this book gave me my first understanding of the reality of the Psyche, as well as providing me with a new perception of God & the Sacred which went far beyond the either/or simplicity of Literal vs. Illusion. It helped me to grasp that what goes on inside is just as real as the experience of the exterior universe -- in some ways, perhaps even moreso. And each new reading reveals more layers of understanding for me. Most highly recommended!