Jung the Mystic: The Esoteric Dimensions of Carl Jung's Life and Teachings

A clearly-written and illuminating study I think most of us first encounter Jung the Mystic before Jung the Psychologist. This may be because concepts like synchronicity and active imagination have become embedded in popular culture in a way that Jung's more strictly "psychological" ideas like individuation haven't. Lachman discusses both mystic and psychologist while pointing out that it's probably impossible to cleanly separate the two anyway (this was apparently something Jung struggled with himself, at least in terms of how to present himself to the academic community). Lachman's book is stimulating and highly readable, both in terms of biography and ideas. It covers significant ground and offers what were for me valuable insights into Jung and his work. Before picking the book up I had read a little of Jung (both by and about him)--but that was long ago. This book served as an exceptional and enlightening reintroduction to the man and his work.

Lachman - the original keyboard player with Blondie - has written an entertaining and rather comprehensive introduction to the fascinating world of Carl Jung. Once again telling the story of his life from early childhood. Encompassing all the usual steps: the childhood dreams and rituals, student life, early career as psychiatrist, Sabine Spielrein, Freud, midlife crisis and psychic breakdown. His perhaps ambivalent attitude towards nazism, the alchemical studies. And ofc focusing on the dichotomi of Jung, he's rather severely guarded scientific image and the more hidden interest in the occult. Without, it has to be said, adding anything new or original. Lachman seems to have a reserved but generally positive view of his subject. Though his main criticism of Jung's book as rather unreadable seems somewhat misguided and lacking the historical dimension: well educated readers at Jung's time DID have a comprehensive understanding of Greek and Latin, lacking ofc for most readers today. Although the book title seems to hint at more than just another biography, Lachman does not go into a very detailed analysis of the esoteric dimensions of Jung's work. He does make some interesting - if rather obvious - connections to the work of Rudolf Steiner and Gurdieff. While on the other hand his own knowledge of people like Schopenhauer and Goethe seems rather superficial. And largely ignoring Jung's roots in the tradition of Freemasonry and Rosencreuzians, as well as his influences from - and misunderstandings of - Eastern spirituality. A very recommendable book for anyone new to Jung. In fact for them it can be said to be the perfect starting point. For the more advanced/experienced 'Jungian' there's not that much to come for.

"Jung the Mystic" is Gary Lachman's attempt to write yet another biography of the controversial Swiss psychoanalyst. In my opinion, it's not as interesting as the book on Steiner written by the same author. Ironically, while intended as a defence of Carl Gustav Jung, "Jung the Mystic" might actually be off-putting to many readers. After reading it, I got the impression that early psychoanalysis (both Jungian and Freudian) was an almost literal mad house, with the analysts frequently being just as crazy as their patients! And just as influential... Nor does Jung come across as a particularly likable character. After a troubled childhood, Jung grew up becoming an egotistical, opportunist, vulgar bully who constantly cheated on his rich wife (while living off her savings), often having sex with his female patients. His relationship with Freud was strikingly dysfunctional (as was Freud's relation with him), and Jung's visions or "fantasies" were frequently very, very bizarre. I don't understand why Lachman constantly compares Jung with Steiner, who seems to have been a paragon of normality compared to the psychoanalytical community. (Yes, the same Steiner who founded Anthroposophy.) Most of the negative information on Jung found in this book is old hat for those of us who've read Richard Noll's ferocious attack "The Jung Cult". Lachman's main point in writing the book is to argue that Jung really was a mystic, something Jung himself hotly denied. Some of his followers deny it still. Lachman has little trouble showing that Jung's ideas weren't "scientific" in the strict sense of that term, definitely not materialist, and had certain similarities to ancient Gnosticism. Jung had a life-long interest in the paranormal (the most famous incident being "the poltergeist in Freud's bookcase"), and it's obvious that he believed in the objective existence of such phenomena. Lachman criticizes Jung for his attempts to sound scientific and scholarly when discussing the paranormal, which leads to constant contradictions in his published works. The author clearly would have preferred if Jung had come clean about his real views, rather than hiding behind a "scientific" persona. I don't doubt that "the sage of Küsnacht" might have had this or that interesting thing to say, but as a human being, he left much to be asked for. I also get the impression that Jung constantly went "inwards" and "downwards" in his spiritual quest, this in contrast to Steiner who had an orientation "outwards". Jung comes across as a man who wallows in his own inner demons, while Steiner at least tried to do something constructive in the real world. So yes, I suppose Carl Gustav Jung was a mystic - in the worst sense of that term.

servizio impeccabile, nulla da dire

This was a great biography - examining Jung's more mystical dimension - as an avid amateur Jungian I very much enjoyed seeing this side of Jung's life.

Gary Lachman's biography of Carl Jung is as intelligent as its subject. Anyone trying to wade through the writings of Jung himself will have a hard time understanding the man in any way that might be useful. I've learned of Jung through Joseph Campbell in his works on the power of mythology in our lives, and now with Lachman's new biography, I can finally understand the genius of Jung himself. Lachman writes as someone who truly understands his subject in a deep and meaningful way. Even though Lachman's writings read like a scholarly paper, it was still an enjoyable and easily understood book. Filled with quotations and researched to within an inch of its life, Jung the Mystic is a great introduction to the life of a man who opened so many doors into the unconscious of humankind. Without Jung we wouldn't have the common terms such as synchronicities and collective unconscious. Joseph Campbell might not have been able to give us the hero's mythic journey, and maybe we wouldn't know that our mass despondencies come from living a modern life that lacks any real meaning, something only the inner world of our subconscious can give us. Exerts from the book: "Pierre Janet's central concept was what he called the "reality function." Like Bleuler, he believed that mental illness was a result of a "loosening" of consciousness, a slackness in our grasp of reality, as if the mind was a hand too feeble to hold anything properly. We even tell someone who seems on the verge of hysteria to "get a grip." Mental health, Janet believed, was determined by our ability to focus, to concentrate our attention (as we often say "pull yourself together" to someone who is danger of losing it"). Janet called this act of concentration "psychological tension," and he believed it was something people could develop intentionally. . . patients lost contact with reality because their consciousness had become dangerously slack, and Blueler recognized this by giving them various "tasks" to perform. Janet had also developed the idea that when someone's psychological tension becomes extremely slack--what he called the lowering of the mental level," through either sleep, hypnosis, or illness--the personality separates into autonomous fragments that seem to have a `mind' of their own, which is very close to what Jung was discovering about complexes." Page 62 My take on what Jung is trying to say: Television causes us to separate from reality in two ways, first it lowers our self-esteem by showing us only the best and the beautiful, while commercials reinforce our need for products because of our physical deficiencies. Next, television puts us into a trance state which weakens our psychological tension, letting their consciousness go slack which can cause a break reality. Just turning on the news now shows us how many people are suffering from complexes and breaks with reality. This cause depression where the patient is then given anti-psychotic medication furthering their break from reality. I get the feeling that I'm going to be a whole lot smarter with ever book I read by Gary Lachman Many of Jung's patients were uneducated peasants who knew little of history yet there dreams said otherwise. The mind inherits from past generations.

One of the most enjoyable Jung books I've ever come across. Lachman writes great books and this one is truly great. If you like Carl Jung, or Gary Lachman, this is a must-have treasure.

am loving it