| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
Product Description
The psychological and religious implications of alchemy were Jung's major preoccupation during the last thirty years of his life. The essays composing the present volume complete the publication of his alchemial researches, to which three entire volumes have been devoted ^DDL the monumental Mysterium Coniunctionis, Psychology and Alchemy, and Aion ^DDL besides shorter papers in other volumes.
This collection of shorter Alchemial Studies has special value as an introduction to Jung's work on alchemy. The first study, on Chinese alchemy, marked the beginning of his interest in the subject, and was originally published in a volume written jointly with Richard Wilhelm. The other four are now published for the first time completely in English.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
1 A thorough Westerner in feeling, I cannot but be profoundly impressed by the strangeness of this Chinese text. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Of the three this is by far the most approachable, though there may be some difficulties. The first part is Jung's commentary on The Secret of the Golden Flower: Chinese Book of Life (Arkana) which is essential reading for anyone interested in his ideas, and should not create problems for a general reader. It's available separately for those not wanting to purchase this volume. Then there are three more essays.
One on "Paracelsus as a Spirtual Phenomenon" is Jung's longest essay about the late mediaval alchemist and founder of modern chemistry and medicine. It is more technical than Jung's other essays on the same subject in RC Series Bundle: The Spirit in Man, Art and Literature (Routledge Classics)- by which this one might be approached - but certainly worth reading for the greater depth. Then there are two other fascinating essays on alchemical symbolism.
As with the other alchemical volumes, this one is probably mainly of esoteric interest and for specialists. However, if only reading one of them, this is the one to read as it will immediately repay effort, and provide a good introduction preparing for the other volumes. Or alternatively, look up a number of anthologies of Jung's writings on Alchemy or in Anthony Storr's The Essential Jung: Selected Writings.
Nice book though.
This volume of collected works contains his commentary to "The Secret of The Golden Flower" which is almost useless without the actual Golden Flower text. It also contains Jung's analysis and commentary on some of the major metaphors of Alchemy.
According to Jung, Alchemy was the precursor of Western psychology, and that alchemists projected their mental/spiritual states unto the inanimate objects and processes of Alchemy. This work examines these projections in the light of modern consciousness and with the process of individuation in mind. `
Stripped to its essence, Jung's psychological theory states that humans have an unknown meta-consciousness that some will discover through a process he called individuation. This is a recapitulation of the ideas found in all religions, but is here represented by Jung in the terms of modern Western Culture as a scientific analysis of the Soul through an analysis of Alchemy.
Several years ago I read through this text without a clue as to what Jung was talking about, but found some of his observations noteworthy. About two years ago I had some experiences that made the insights contained in this book valuable, and I found that my previous reading allowed me to understand what I had read retrospectively. It also helped me in understanding aspects of Chinese Alchemy as metaphor. It is not recommended to casual readers.
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
