TLDR: Jung's fascination with alchemy and the collective unconscious drove his later works in search of the archetype of unity and wholeness in the complexities of the psyche. 1. 00:00 🔍 Jung used alchemy as a metaphor for psychology and the psyche, leading to a significant fascination and massive amount of work on the subject for the next 30 years, ultimately driving his later works in search of the archetype of unity and wholeness in the complexities of the psyche. 1.1 Murray Stein presents an overview of Jung's work on alchemy and its relation to the analytical process and individuation. 1.2 The texts assigned for the course will be discussed in detail, with a focus on understanding the layers and nuances of the text and placing them in the context of Jung's overall opus. 1.3 Jung was not interested in the historical or religious aspects of alchemy, but rather used it as a metaphor to discuss psychology and the psyche. 1.4 Jung's interest in alchemy began in 1928 and became a significant fascination for him, leading to a massive amount of work heavily involved with alchemy in the next 30 years. 1.5 Jung developed his major psychological theories before the age of 55, and spent the rest of his life detailing and adding evidence to support the existence of archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the development of the self. 1.6 Jung's concept of the self, discovered in the 20s, became the central driving force in his later works, as he sought to find the archetype of unity and wholeness in the complexities of the psyche. 2. 20:19 🔍 Jung's early experiences and liverpool dream shaped his work on alchemy, influenced by William James' empirical method, leading him to claim he is an empirical scientist, inviting others to examine the evidence and believing the truth about the psyche is a paradox. 2.1 Jung's early experiences with the concept of the self and the seven sermons to the dead were foundational to his later theoretical system. 2.2 Jung's liverpool dream symbolized the self and his work on alchemy was an amplification of that dream, reflecting his personal journey and scientific approach to psychology. 2.3 The missing chapter in Jung's book, which discusses his relationship with William James, was not included in the publication due to objections from the family, but may be published with their permission. 2.4 Jung's approach to alchemy is influenced by William James' empirical method, leading Jung to claim that he is an empirical scientist. 2.5 Jung pursued his investigations on a solid scientific foundation and invited others to come and look at the evidence, comparing findings in the public domain. 2.6 Jung's work is exoteric, not esoteric, and he believed the truth about the psyche is that it is a paradox, frustrating rational thinkers. 3. 30:11 🔍 Jung's fascination with alchemy stemmed from parallels with his psychology, leading him to build a vast alchemical library and study it intensively to verify the existence of the collective unconscious. 3.1 Jung's fascination with alchemy, particularly Western alchemy, stemmed from the parallels he found between alchemy texts and his own psychology, leading him to build one of the greatest alchemical libraries in the world. 3.2 Jung sought comparative material in religion, philosophy, and history to find parallels to the themes and motifs he observed in his clinical practice and dreams, initially turning to the Gnostics but finding their experiences too limited and speculative. 3.3 Jung found alchemy to be the missing link between ancient speculation, modern depth psychology, and the collective unconscious. 3.4 Alchemy is not about externalizing beliefs, but about containing and transforming material to build consciousness, similar to how psychology contains and transforms material within oneself, as opposed to the alchemists who did it externally. 3.5 Jung studied alchemy intensively to verify his intuition about the existence of a collective unconscious, finding parallels between modern fantasy and alchemical materials as evidence of this universal human ideational process. 3.6 Jung believed alchemy could provide empirical evidence for the existence of the collective unconscious, but he was disappointed that the field of psychology has not continued scientific efforts in this direction. 4. 46:11 🔍 Jung explores the challenge of Westerners understanding Eastern thought and proposes a middle approach rooted in the collective unconscious, emphasizing the importance of genuine inner development and balance between consciousness and the unconscious. 4.1 Jung discusses the difficulties encountered by Europeans in understanding Eastern cultures and advises against wholesale adoption of their practices. 4.2 Jung explores the challenge of Westerners understanding Eastern thought, proposing a middle approach that involves finding parallels between Chinese texts and the psychic development of European patients, rooted in the collective unconscious. 4.3 Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and archetypes is rooted in the common human experience and brain structure, and it is important to understand and differentiate the levels at which one is speaking. 4.4 Genuine development and transformation must come from within and through all levels of the psyche, rather than making an end run around cultural and historical complexities. 4.5 The European psyche is untransformed, but through analysis and inner development, a balance between consciousness and the unconscious can be achieved, leading to the resolution of conflicts and the emergence of a new attitude. 4.6 The practice of letting things happen, known as "wu way" in German, is critical to Jung's approach to the psyche. 5. 01:00:04 🔑 Conflicts in life can be outgrown, leading to a new perspective and a bigger picture, by accepting the irrational and following the dao to reunite opposites and attain conscious life. 5.1 Conflicts in life are often insoluble, but they can be relativized and outgrown, leading to a new perspective and a bigger picture. 5.2 The key to the transformative process in alchemy is to let things happen and accept the irrational and incomprehensible. 5.3 Jung discusses the concept of the dao as a method for reuniting the conscious and unconscious, which is a fundamental concept in his work on the transformative process. 5.4 The goal of following the dao is to reunite opposites and attain conscious life, producing a point that unites conscious and unconscious systems through circular movement. 5.5 Consciousness and life are in a constant struggle for unity, with the goal of recovering the original wholeness and harmony that existed before the development of the ego and splits. 5.6 The recovery of unity at a higher level of consciousness is achieved through the integration of yin and yang principles, as discussed by Jung in relation to the stream of consciousness. 6. 01:11:46 🔮 Engaging with symbols in alchemy can lead to the disintegration of consciousness, but through active imagination and meditation, new personalities and psychic systems can emerge from the unconscious, leading to individuation. 6.1 Symbols are necessary to communicate with the unconscious, and engaging with symbols can evoke emotional responses and involve the psyche. 6.2 Symbols in alchemy lure the unconscious, and the disintegration of consciousness occurs when the intensity factor of ego consciousness experiences the unconscious, leading to a fragmentation of consciousness. 6.3 Through active imagination and meditation, Jung believed that pursuing the fragmentation of consciousness can lead to the emergence of new personalities and psychic systems from the unconscious, which can be experienced as revelations or religious experiences. 6.4 Jung discusses the concept of animus and anima, relating them to the spiritual and emotional forces that connect individuals to the unconscious, with the inferior forms of these appearing as moodiness in men and opinions in women due to cultural and developmental influences. 6.5 Men and women both have anima and animus factors, and need to develop both in order to achieve union of the opposite systems and achieve individuation. 6.6 Jung discusses the concept of detachment in both Eastern and Western thought, drawing parallels between achieving detachment in therapy and in Eastern practices. 7. 01:32:54 🔮 Primitive peoples live in oneness with nature, but modern society is out of touch with instincts, leading to detachment and observation as a preparation for death and enlightenment. 7.1 Primitive peoples live in oneness with nature, modeling their lives on animal instincts, and Jung argues that modern society is out of touch with our instincts and lives an artificial life. 7.2 People live in a state of participation mystique with nature and objects, and this concept is also applicable to relationships with family members. 7.3 Participation mystique is the feeling of oneness with objects and people, and detachment is the dissolution of that feeling. 7.4 The psychological dynamic of participation mystique is a survival mechanism that connects individuals and has value in bonding and nurturing relationships. 7.5 As we age and go through life experiences, we naturally detach from the external world, reclaiming the power we projected onto others and enriching the self, ultimately preparing for the final letting go of life. 7.6 The midpoint between conscious and unconscious, known as the self, is characterized by detachment and observation, and is a preparation for death and a stage of relatedness above participation mystique, leading to the development of consciousness and enlightenment. 8. 01:51:53 🔮 The collective unconscious is the underlying substratum that leads to the individuation process, which will be discussed in greater detail later.
Super great that you uploaded this. Murray Stein shines!!!
Thanks for this fascinating discussion.
TLDR: Jung's fascination with alchemy and the collective unconscious drove his later works in search of the archetype of unity and wholeness in the complexities of the psyche.
1. 00:00 🔍 Jung used alchemy as a metaphor for psychology and the psyche, leading to a significant fascination and massive amount of work on the subject for the next 30 years, ultimately driving his later works in search of the archetype of unity and wholeness in the complexities of the psyche.
1.1 Murray Stein presents an overview of Jung's work on alchemy and its relation to the analytical process and individuation.
1.2 The texts assigned for the course will be discussed in detail, with a focus on understanding the layers and nuances of the text and placing them in the context of Jung's overall opus.
1.3 Jung was not interested in the historical or religious aspects of alchemy, but rather used it as a metaphor to discuss psychology and the psyche.
1.4 Jung's interest in alchemy began in 1928 and became a significant fascination for him, leading to a massive amount of work heavily involved with alchemy in the next 30 years.
1.5 Jung developed his major psychological theories before the age of 55, and spent the rest of his life detailing and adding evidence to support the existence of archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the development of the self.
1.6 Jung's concept of the self, discovered in the 20s, became the central driving force in his later works, as he sought to find the archetype of unity and wholeness in the complexities of the psyche.
2. 20:19 🔍 Jung's early experiences and liverpool dream shaped his work on alchemy, influenced by William James' empirical method, leading him to claim he is an empirical scientist, inviting others to examine the evidence and believing the truth about the psyche is a paradox.
2.1 Jung's early experiences with the concept of the self and the seven sermons to the dead were foundational to his later theoretical system.
2.2 Jung's liverpool dream symbolized the self and his work on alchemy was an amplification of that dream, reflecting his personal journey and scientific approach to psychology.
2.3 The missing chapter in Jung's book, which discusses his relationship with William James, was not included in the publication due to objections from the family, but may be published with their permission.
2.4 Jung's approach to alchemy is influenced by William James' empirical method, leading Jung to claim that he is an empirical scientist.
2.5 Jung pursued his investigations on a solid scientific foundation and invited others to come and look at the evidence, comparing findings in the public domain.
2.6 Jung's work is exoteric, not esoteric, and he believed the truth about the psyche is that it is a paradox, frustrating rational thinkers.
3. 30:11 🔍 Jung's fascination with alchemy stemmed from parallels with his psychology, leading him to build a vast alchemical library and study it intensively to verify the existence of the collective unconscious.
3.1 Jung's fascination with alchemy, particularly Western alchemy, stemmed from the parallels he found between alchemy texts and his own psychology, leading him to build one of the greatest alchemical libraries in the world.
3.2 Jung sought comparative material in religion, philosophy, and history to find parallels to the themes and motifs he observed in his clinical practice and dreams, initially turning to the Gnostics but finding their experiences too limited and speculative.
3.3 Jung found alchemy to be the missing link between ancient speculation, modern depth psychology, and the collective unconscious.
3.4 Alchemy is not about externalizing beliefs, but about containing and transforming material to build consciousness, similar to how psychology contains and transforms material within oneself, as opposed to the alchemists who did it externally.
3.5 Jung studied alchemy intensively to verify his intuition about the existence of a collective unconscious, finding parallels between modern fantasy and alchemical materials as evidence of this universal human ideational process.
3.6 Jung believed alchemy could provide empirical evidence for the existence of the collective unconscious, but he was disappointed that the field of psychology has not continued scientific efforts in this direction.
4. 46:11 🔍 Jung explores the challenge of Westerners understanding Eastern thought and proposes a middle approach rooted in the collective unconscious, emphasizing the importance of genuine inner development and balance between consciousness and the unconscious.
4.1 Jung discusses the difficulties encountered by Europeans in understanding Eastern cultures and advises against wholesale adoption of their practices.
4.2 Jung explores the challenge of Westerners understanding Eastern thought, proposing a middle approach that involves finding parallels between Chinese texts and the psychic development of European patients, rooted in the collective unconscious.
4.3 Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and archetypes is rooted in the common human experience and brain structure, and it is important to understand and differentiate the levels at which one is speaking.
4.4 Genuine development and transformation must come from within and through all levels of the psyche, rather than making an end run around cultural and historical complexities.
4.5 The European psyche is untransformed, but through analysis and inner development, a balance between consciousness and the unconscious can be achieved, leading to the resolution of conflicts and the emergence of a new attitude.
4.6 The practice of letting things happen, known as "wu way" in German, is critical to Jung's approach to the psyche.
5. 01:00:04 🔑 Conflicts in life can be outgrown, leading to a new perspective and a bigger picture, by accepting the irrational and following the dao to reunite opposites and attain conscious life.
5.1 Conflicts in life are often insoluble, but they can be relativized and outgrown, leading to a new perspective and a bigger picture.
5.2 The key to the transformative process in alchemy is to let things happen and accept the irrational and incomprehensible.
5.3 Jung discusses the concept of the dao as a method for reuniting the conscious and unconscious, which is a fundamental concept in his work on the transformative process.
5.4 The goal of following the dao is to reunite opposites and attain conscious life, producing a point that unites conscious and unconscious systems through circular movement.
5.5 Consciousness and life are in a constant struggle for unity, with the goal of recovering the original wholeness and harmony that existed before the development of the ego and splits.
5.6 The recovery of unity at a higher level of consciousness is achieved through the integration of yin and yang principles, as discussed by Jung in relation to the stream of consciousness.
6. 01:11:46 🔮 Engaging with symbols in alchemy can lead to the disintegration of consciousness, but through active imagination and meditation, new personalities and psychic systems can emerge from the unconscious, leading to individuation.
6.1 Symbols are necessary to communicate with the unconscious, and engaging with symbols can evoke emotional responses and involve the psyche.
6.2 Symbols in alchemy lure the unconscious, and the disintegration of consciousness occurs when the intensity factor of ego consciousness experiences the unconscious, leading to a fragmentation of consciousness.
6.3 Through active imagination and meditation, Jung believed that pursuing the fragmentation of consciousness can lead to the emergence of new personalities and psychic systems from the unconscious, which can be experienced as revelations or religious experiences.
6.4 Jung discusses the concept of animus and anima, relating them to the spiritual and emotional forces that connect individuals to the unconscious, with the inferior forms of these appearing as moodiness in men and opinions in women due to cultural and developmental influences.
6.5 Men and women both have anima and animus factors, and need to develop both in order to achieve union of the opposite systems and achieve individuation.
6.6 Jung discusses the concept of detachment in both Eastern and Western thought, drawing parallels between achieving detachment in therapy and in Eastern practices.
7. 01:32:54 🔮 Primitive peoples live in oneness with nature, but modern society is out of touch with instincts, leading to detachment and observation as a preparation for death and enlightenment.
7.1 Primitive peoples live in oneness with nature, modeling their lives on animal instincts, and Jung argues that modern society is out of touch with our instincts and lives an artificial life.
7.2 People live in a state of participation mystique with nature and objects, and this concept is also applicable to relationships with family members.
7.3 Participation mystique is the feeling of oneness with objects and people, and detachment is the dissolution of that feeling.
7.4 The psychological dynamic of participation mystique is a survival mechanism that connects individuals and has value in bonding and nurturing relationships.
7.5 As we age and go through life experiences, we naturally detach from the external world, reclaiming the power we projected onto others and enriching the self, ultimately preparing for the final letting go of life.
7.6 The midpoint between conscious and unconscious, known as the self, is characterized by detachment and observation, and is a preparation for death and a stage of relatedness above participation mystique, leading to the development of consciousness and enlightenment.
8. 01:51:53 🔮 The collective unconscious is the underlying substratum that leads to the individuation process, which will be discussed in greater detail later.
A treasure for the ages.
1:28:14 RE Anima/animus societal emphasis on animus as superior (logos) to eros is the trend but need both
Hi. Do you have tapes of the whole series of the Stein talks on this? Or know where can buy them? thanks