VOLUME 12: PSYCHOLOGY AND ALCHEMY Abstracts of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung Volume 12: Psychology and Alchemy Introduction to the religious and psychological problems of alchemy

s of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung Volume 12: Psychology and Alchemy Introduction to the religious and psychological problems of alchemy. In: Jung, C., Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 12. 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1968. 571 p. (p. 1-37). A study of the relationship between alchemy and the psychic process of individuation is presented. The need to address the problems of the psyche is based on the fact that the psyche is still one of the most mysterious regions of experience. Observation of people points to the mystery of the psyche, and the psychotherapeutic process itself constantly reveals that the object of the search, for both doctor and patient, is the discovery of the whole man,--a greater man in the future. The difficulty and dangers of this search are explored and the potentiality for wholeness in the true Christian "imitatio Christi" is explained. An exhaustive discussion of the relationship between religion and the psyche is included, with emphasis on the religious nature of the soul and on the contribution that psychology can make to arriving at a better understanding of religious truths. A comparison is made between the archetypes of the unconscious and religious dogmas, with stress on the importance of the Christ symbol as an expression of the union of opposites. The alchemic view of the soul and the Godhead is presented and contrasted with the Christian view. In alchemy, the search was also directed toward the discovery of the seed of unity as is the psychotherapeutic process. The goal of this latter process is stated as enabling the patient to be alone with the self. The methods, dangers and difficulties of arriving at this goal are discussed. Reference is made to a dialogue between the patient and his shadow, which is to be followed by the study of a series of dreams containing mandala symbols of the center or the goal. It is in developing these symbols that the healing process or the solution for this particular person emerges. An attempt is made to introduce the symbolism of alchemy and to relate it to Christianity, Gnosticism and the psychotherapeutic process. Individual dream symbolism in relation to the alchemy: a study of the unconscious processes at work in dreams. Introduction. I. The material. II. The method. In: Jung, C., Collected works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 12. 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1968. 571 p. (p. 39-46). In introducing a study of symbols of the individuation process as gathered from dream material, their nature as images of an archetype depicting the production of a new center of personality is reasserted. This center is called the self; i.e.,the center of the psyche containing both the conscious and the unconscious. The images that refer directly and exclusively to this new center as it comes into consciousness belong to a category referred to as mandala symbolism. A series of such symbols arranged in chronological order and taken from over a thousand dreams and visual impressions produced by a young man educated as a scientist is presented. For purposes of this study the first 400 dreams and visions covering a period of nearly 10 months are examined. In order to provide conditions of unprejudiced observation and recording, a student undertook the observation of the process with the young man. The belief that interpretation of dreams cannot be approached with preconceived notions about what is meant by any unconscious expression is repeated here. It should be assumed that every dream, and every part of a dream, is unknown at the outset; therefore, attempts at interpretation can be made only after making a careful examination of the context in which it appears. Individual dream symbolism in relation to the alchemy: a study of the unconscious processes at work in dreams. 2. The initial dreams. In: Jung, C., Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 12. 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1968. 571 p. (p. 47-93). Extracts from 22 initial dreams and visual impressions obtained from the analysis of a young man are presented. These extracts are interpreted in terms of their relation to the emergence into consciousness of archetypal images referring to the self, the new center of the personality that results from the dialectical process of individuation. These archetypal images are referred to as mandala symbolism. The purpose of interpreting these initial dreams is to indicate the way in which the mandala symbolism makes a very early appearance in the dream material and remains imbedded in it throughout. 11 references. Individual dream symbolism in relation to the alchemy: a study of the unconscious processes at work in dreams. 3. The symbolism of the mandala. 1. Concerning the mandala. In: Jung, C., Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 12. 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1968. 571 p. (p. 95-102). An explanation of the origin of the mandala is given, and reasons are provided to justify the choice of this term in describing dreams and visions in which the self is symbolized. The mandala is the ritual or magic circle used in Lamaism; in Tantric yoga it is a yantra, or aid to contemplation. The Lamaic view of the mandala is presented by means of a report of a conversation with a Lamaic priest that took place in 1938. According to this view, a mandala is a mental image that can be created only by an instructed Lama through the power of imagination. No mandala is like any other; all are individual. Thus, physical representations of the mandala. found in monasteries and temples have no real significance; the true mandala is always a mental image. Despite the alleged individual formation of Lamaic mandalas it is noted that a certain unmistakable style and structure predominate. For example, they are all based on a quaternary system and their contents are derived from Lamaic dogma. A strict distinction is made between the Lamaic mandala, the khilkor, and the sidpekorlo, or Buddhist world wheel. The latter is based on a tertiary system in which the three world principles are represented. It is asserted that these Eastern symbols were not invented by religious leaders but that they originated in dreams and visions. Their widespread distribution across cultures is cited as evidence. Mandalas used in ceremonies are of great significance because their centers usually contain important religious figures, e.g. Shiva or the Buddha. If, as surmised, mandalas symbolize a psychic center of the personality that is separate from the ego, the high value placed on them is justified. I reference. Individual dream symbolism in relation to the alchemy: a study of the unconscious processes at work in dreams. 3. The symbolism of the mandala. II. The mandalas in the dreams. In: Jung, C., Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 12. 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1968. 571 p. (p. 103-202). Extracts of 59 dreams and visions, out of a continuos series of more than 400 dreams obtained from the analysis of a young man are presented. These excerpts were chosen for interpretation because they provide clear evidence of mandala symbolism. Images of the circle frequently recur and are interpreted as the symbol for the center of the personality; the mirror image is seen as a simile for the intellect. Several of the symbols lend themselves to division into a quaternity which suggests a relation to alchemical symbols. For this reason, alchemic writings are cited to show the connections between the meaning behind the dream symbols and the meaning of such alchemical terms as lapis philosophorum, king, sol niger and others. The progress of the striving of the unconscious to reach consciousness is charted by means of the dream symbols, with special attention given to the symbols of conflict that this emerging of the unconscious evokes. In the dream references to a glass containing gelatinous material and to the uterus, an acceptance of the anima as part of the dreamer's own psyche is seen. The approach to reality takes the form of images related to specific time and place. The conclusion is drawn that the symbols, eagle and ship, depict the consciousness transcending self. 37 references. Individual dream symbolism in relation to the alchemy: a study of the unconscious processes at work in dreams. 3. The symbolism of the mandala. III. The vision of the world clock. In: Jung, C., Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 12. 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1968. 571 p. (p. 203-214). The Great Vision of a young man underlying analysis whose 400 dreams (5 of which are recorded in this volume) were analyzed by a student of Jung's is examined in detail because of the impression of most sublime harmony that it produced in the dreamer. Two heterogeneous systems interesting in the self and standing in a functional relationship to one another are revealed, indicating the dreamer's desire for the most complete union of opposites that is possible. The vision, that of a "world clock," is described as a three dimensional mandala, a symbol of realization of the self. It is hypothesized that disparate and incongruous elements have combined in this vision to produce an image that realizes the "intentions" of the unconscious in the highest degree. Material from astrology, myth and religion is used in the interpretation of the vision. Special reference is made to the writings of Guillaume de Digulleville, a Norman poet, in explicating the significance of the world clock image. 5 references. Individual dream symbolism in relation to alchemy: a study of the unconscious processes at work in dreams. 3. The symbolism of the mandala. IV. The symbols of the self. In: Jung, C., Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Vol. 12. 2nd ed., Princeton University Press, 1968. 571 p. (p. 215-223). The development of the central symbol in a dream series produced in analysis is discussed. This, process might be described in terms of a spiral process with the unconscious moving around a center, gradually coming closer to it, while the characteristics of the center grow more distinct. On the other hand, the center, in itself virtually unknowable, might be seen as a magnet acting on the disparate elements and processes of the unconscious. The apparent quaternity of the central symbol is discussed with reference to numerous historical and ethnological parallels. Upon examining such evidence, it is concluded that there is some psychic element expressing itself through the quaternity. The element is named the "self." The archetypal nature of mandala symbolism is examined. It is felt that the facts are better served if it is assumed that the increase in the clarity and frequency of the mandala motif is due to a more accurate perception of an already existing "type" rather than to something generated in the course of the dream series. Religious ideas in alchemy: an historical survey of alchemical ideas. 1. Basic concepts of alchemy.