Dream Symbols of the Individuation Process

This book is the second in the Philemon series after the initial volume of lectures on the history of modern psychology delivered at ETH Zurich. It presents a series of 11 seminars delivered in English in 1936 and 1937 on Bailey Island, Maine and in New York City, making these available for the first time. The subject is a sequence of dreams by the Nobel prize-winning physicist Wolfgang Pauli, with whom Jung worked clinically, and also on the relationship between psychology and physics. Needless to say, the identity of the dreamer only emerged much later, but the reader gains a good understanding of his brilliant one-sidedness, with his feelings as a shadow function. In a letter, Pauli notes that it is easier for him to achieve success in academia than with women, while 'for Mr Jung the opposite is the case' and in fact Jung initially recommended that he was treated by a woman, Erna Rosenbaum. It is fascinating to see how the mandala as an expression of the archetype of wholeness emerges in this sequence, reflecting the healing process.

As one might expect, Jung's range of cultural reference is breathtaking. He presents key elements of his own approach as well as commenting on the mass psychology of the period and illustrating his theories with examples drawn from many spiritual traditions. Interestingly, Pauli compares himself not only with Kepler but also with the esoteric philosopher Robert Fludd. Then as now, our conscious processes are 'surrounded by the great sea of the unconscious' far out in the ocean and surrounded by an intensity of darkness. Jung notes that the alchemical journey entails a refining transformation into a more precious substance (lead into gold, darkness into light). In commenting on the Dionysian element within Christianity, he observes that there is much more moral freedom within the Carnival, and that Catholics have an escape clause in confession that is not present in Protestantism. These rich and erudite seminars are a reminder that we are all on a journey towards wholeness, but have to remain wary of our own unconsciousness in relation to shadow elements projected as evil onto others. And it is no different now from the time of the Great War when 'everybody served it but nobody wanted it.' The difference from mediaeval times is that we no longer have religion to shield us from these harsh insights.