A Book Review
Author – Carl Jung
- 1875-1961
- Swiss psychiatrist
- Founder of Analytic Psychology
Book Contents Selected and Introduced by Roderick Main
Princeton University Press, 177 pages
Part of the Encountering Jung series
Here we have an excellent selection of Carl Jung’s writings and talks on Synchronicity and the Paranormal. If you are interested in either or both subjects, this book is a valuable source straight from the mind of one of the world’s great thinkers. The first to make the case that coincidences are not just random events, it was Jung who coined the term Syncronicity.
Associate of Albert Einstein, William James and Wolfgang Pauli, Jung makes it very clear how new discoveries in physics during the 20th Century influenced his work. In story after story, he also relates fascinating paranormal experiences of his own, using them to support his theory of Synchronicity. Even more than that, his words offer a wonderful peek into the man’s thought processes by detailing his personal explorations of things such as spiritualism, astrology, I Ching, visions, dreams, life after death, and even UFOs.
In discussing Synchronicity, Jung relies heavily on his views of “archetypes”and “the collective unconscious”. I found those portions of the book a little dense and hard to read. I’m not even sure if having a background in Jungian Psychology would be of help but maybe so. However, when Jung launches into his many personal, paranormal experiences, I found a clarity and authenticity to his words that made them a joy to read.
Although I don’t think Jung made a complete case for his theory of Synchronicity, he did indeed point the way for others.
Click here to find the book online.
Click here for another book on Sychronicity.
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