The Gnostic Jung: Selections from the Writings of C.G. Jung and His Critics

By C.G. Jung

Book Overview

Gnosticism, together with alchemy, was for C. G. Jung the chief prefiguration of his analytical psychology. Jung did not simply interpret Gnostic texts psychologically but also cited them as confirmation of his psychology. An authority on theories of myth and Gnosticism, Robert Segal has searched the Jungian corpus to bring together in one volume Jung's main discussions of this ancient form of spirituality. Included in this volume are both Jung's sole work devoted entirely to Gnosticism, "Gnostic Symbols of the Self," and his own Gnostic myth, "Seven Sermons to the Dead." The book also contains key essays by two of the best-known writers on Jungian psychology and Gnosticism: Father Victor White and Gilles Quispel, whose "C. G. Jung und die Gnosis" is here translated for the first time. In his extensive introduction Segal discusses Jung's fascination with Gnosticism, the parallel for Jung between ancient Gnostics and modern Jungian patients, the Jungian meaning of Gnostic myths and of the Seven Sermons, Jung's possible misinterpretation of Gnosticism, and the common characterization of Jung himself as a contemporary Gnostic.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691019231
• ISBN13: 9780691019239
• Release Date: June 1992
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A Definitive Work

For anyone wanting to know Carl Jung's views on Gnosticism, this is the definitive work. Segal does an excellent job of describing Carl Jung's view of Gnosticism and the contrast with Jung's psychology. The explanation is very detailed, yet very clear and easy to understand. Jung's Seven Sermons to the Dead are included, along with excerpts from Jung's other relevant works. This book is an excellent investment for this interested in both Gnosticism and psychology.