Jung's "Red Book" To Be Published
Sara Corbett’s piece about how Carl Jung’s last unpublished book finally found its way to publication was featured in the NYT Magazine this week. The Red Book is Jung’s record of his own hallucinations during a mental breakdown, which he chronicled using words, calligraphy and illustrations in the style of an illuminated manuscript.
Although Jung believed that The Red Book was the source of all his works, he never published it and left no instructions regarding whether to do so after he died. For 40 years, The Red Book was kept in a bank vault and carefully guarded by his family, who have only recently been convinced of the importance of its publishing.
The work has been called full of "infinite wisdom" and conversely "the work of a psychotic". The NYT Magazine’s story details how the book came to be scanned, translated and is about to be published.
You can see some of Jung's illustrations on the book's Amazon homepage.
This story was suggested by Dan Lovette and is featured on Evolver news
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- 9-25-09
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Well i don't know bout the
Oh, his work is gorgeous! I
~More Jung
!!!
I have always respected his use of astrology in psychoanalysis.
dream the dream on......
the fine line
wise AND schizophrenic
The work has been called full of "infinite wisdom" and conversely "the work of a psychotic".
These could easily both be true. One of the paths to enlightenment is through psychosis.
Could be
It is conceivable that Jung was frightened by his internal experiences relative to his cognisance of worldly respects towards a 'scientific method' community that actually rather rejected 'consciousness' or awareness as any primeval component on a par with 'mass' and 'energy'.
Some of these images, perhaps, compelled a reticence because they went against his tendancy towards 'universalism' or patterns that would make sense outside any particular reglious view.
The imagery of a 'cross' or 'plus sign' and other things that can be seen behind closed eye-lids might have purely mundane significance from within any ideation built up from purely material respect for neuroscience and by extension to some purely physical respect to symmetry in very matter or energy without regard to 'message'. This is elementary for any material concept that puts awareness as some excrescence on 'most primeval' matter/energy or purely materialistic concept.
Jung is a popular student of Freud. Reich, the other pole, who was closer to Jung than Freud, it seems, frightened both Freud and Jung. Just like Jung frightened Freud with antics regarding 'psychokenesis' and a 'knocking' book-case.
Now the public is an inch closer to understanding someone who made a living, sometimes unabashedly, as an 'authority' on 'psychic' matters or matters of consciousness.
Where I like Jung most was where he was most honestly uncertain. And evidently, that is only now about to be published.
Education, where it concerns issues of profit or means of a living is most untrustworthy. So long as 'tenure' is a matter of 'publish or perish'. Well, then, the wisdom of the meek, quiet, apparently simple folk only happenstance of encounter?
No matter. The tea, coffee and supping is the thing. Communion of common folk. And the 'enlightenment' no big 'furor'. A quiet thing. A chuckle. A 'hmmmm, who could have guessed we could be so foolish?' Yet we were.
Or what? No? We are?
---------
Whatever I said: maybe the opposite! Or the opposite of the latter. You decide!
analyst docents
Lo. I come: in the volume of the Book it is written of me...
I have wanted to see this book for the last thirty years. To finally see it published is a huge event for me.Books fascinate me.
In Jungian terms maybe I could be said to be enamoured of the Archetype of the Book, the mysterious text which answers all questions.Of course there is no such literal object, for it can only exist in our heart, in fantasy and dream.
Maybe the most literal forms for me are the I Ching and the Tarot, both 'books' of great imagination and depth. Not just their actual content as Books of Wisdom but in their physical presence, to be touched and held, stored in special boxes, taken out for meditation, reflection and ritual. I have many versions of both of them. I can never find the 'perfect' one because it does not exist in the physical realm but something in me keeps trying.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life..
This book will not 'answer' any of my questions but it is a very special manifestation of the Book Archetype.
(From what I see so far it looks that Jung was an accomplished artist also).
All books are variations on the books of wisdom we find in traditional religions, or the books that record our deeds on earth, or the book of our days ... beneath and beyond the facts and information offered in a book lies its mystery, its echo of sacred books, and it is in the hidden resonance that the book finds its enchantment. The heavenly book held so reverently in the hands of angels can be seen in any book, provided you have the eyes for it.(Thomas Moore)
I really can't wait, personally
...but i'm hoping to find an affordable (i.e. FREE) Hi-res version online.
I thoroughly enjoyed this