Man and His Symbols | Carl Gustav Jung | Symbols Important to Human Psyche

Man and His Symbols | Carl Gustav Jung | Great Synopsis of Jung by Jung

books:

Man and His Symbols

	Man and His Symbols Carl Gustav Jung Dell, 1968 - 432 pages average customer review:based on 46 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Symbols Important to Human Psyche

This is the last and perhaps the most important book written by Dr. Carl Gustav Jung. He was among the first to interpret dreams and amazingly this book came about *because* of a dream. Jung dreamt he was talking about this topic to a large audience who were *not* psychiatrists and psychologists - evidently *his* unconcsious put it's stamp of approval on this project! This book is a great introduction to the "hidden" meaning of the symbols used in legends, medieval archetecture, classic books, and ancient myths as well as dreams. Patterns of psychic growth and development, individuation and transcendence are explained along with other psychological terms with real life examples at times. It is not about depth psychology or sociopathic problems.

One chapter was written by C.G. Jung, the others were written by his eminent followers, among whom are: M.L. von Frantz, Joseph L. Henderson, Angela Jaffe, and Jolande Jacobi. This book is a "must have" for anyone who is interested in learning more about human behavior from the "inside out".
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

for more information click here

Great Synopsis of Jung by Jung

There are only two titles of Jung's I know of that were meant for general consumption: _Man and His Symbols_ and _Memories, Dreams, Reflections_. The rest, most of which are part of the 20-volume Bollingen series, are too involved and technical.

Lest the reader be misled _Man and His Symbols_ is an anthology of essays by several authors, namely and in their order of appearance, Carl Jung, Joseph Hendersen, Marie-Louise von Franz, Aniela Jaffe, and Jolande Jacobi. All the co-contributors are Jungian analysts themselves and so are versed in the subjects they cover. Jung picked them himself and supervised the work until his death in 1961, after which von Franz took over. Perhaps not by accident Jung finished his own essay just 10 days before his demise. His essay (just over 90 pages out of the 400 or so pages) touches, naturally, on the unconscious, the very crucial subject of dreams, the archetypes, extraversion/introversion, religion, good and evil, among other topics. Given the scope, this essay of his offers a sort of synopsis of his worldview and life's work, perhaps one of the best summaries since it was his last published piece.

Amongst Jung's books that I've read, his essay in this anthology is by far one of the most engrossing. Unfortunately I have to eke out a living like most of you so I can only savor it in installments. Of course I highly recommend this volume if only to whet your appetite for Jung's psychology, a psychology that has not only served me well, but continues to fascinate me, a psychology that is faithful to its roots--a true logos of the psyche.

for more information click here

Written as an introduction for the layperson.

In the introduction to the book, John Freeman tells the story of how Jung came to get involved with the project. Apparently, the managing director of Aldus books had seen Jung on the BBC and was so struck by his warmth and personableness that he tried to persuade Jung to apply those same qualities to a book written for the general masses, rather than for psychologists themselves. While at first refusing, Jung was swayed by one of his own dreams into changing his mind and agreeing to take on the project. Given that the book to a large degree dwells on dreams and what can be learned from them, it is an appropriate anecdote.

The publisher does not get any praise for designing the cover in such a way that it implies Jung was the author of the entire book. He was the editor and wrote one of the chapters. Neither is the book an integral whole-- the chapters treat different aspects of symbolism and the unconscious, each with their own viewpoint and flavor.

The essays in the book are as follows:

"Approaching the Unconscious" (Carl Jung)-- for those who dont know his work, this is a very nice introduction to most of the basic points.

"Ancient Myths and Modern Man" (Joseph L. Henderson)-- examines symbols as they appear in both myth and modern day culture.

"The Process of Individuation" (M.-L. von Franz)-- treats patterns of dreams over the lifetime of the individual. A good look at the concept of Animus and Anima.

"Symbolism in the Visual Arts" (Aniele Jaffe)-- IMO the weakest chapter, looks at the progression of sacred symbol to art.

"Symbols in an Individual Analysis" (Jolande Jacobi)-- Describes the treatment through dream analysis of a young Swiss man.

While the book felt uneven in places (and even contradictory), it serves well in the purpose for which it was intended. Someone reading the book will get the basic concepts of symbols and the unconscious, and some decent pointers to further readings in the notes if they wanted to find out more.

for more information click here

Challenging yet rewarding read

Definitely not an easy read, but a very rewarding book to read if you are interested in understanding Jung's concept of the unconscious mind.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

products you might be interested in

recommendations

Sauve's Library [ Volume 1 ]
Some Great Nonfiction
Deep Communication
Personal Picks
Books