Grounded in the natural philosophy of the Middle Ages, alchemy formed a bridge: on the one hand into the past, to Gnosticism, and on the other into the future, to the modern psychology of the unconscious.
Carl JungRead
In the child, consciousness rises out of the depths of unconscious psychic life, at first like separate islands, which gradually unite to form a 'continent,' a continuous landmass of consciousness. Progressive mental development means, in effect, extension of consciousness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates how consciousness evolves from isolated thoughts to a cohesive understanding in a child's development.
Carl Jung reflects on the development of consciousness in children, comparing it to islands that gradually merge into a single landmass. This metaphor suggests that a child's mental growth is a process of integrating various thoughts and experiences into a unified understanding, emphasizing the importance of cognitive and emotional development in shaping a person's awareness and identity.
Themes
ConsciousnessDevelopmentChildPsychicGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a parenting workshop to emphasize the importance of nurturing a child's mental development.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes →The majority of my patients consisted not of believers but of those who had lost their faith.
Carl JungRead
Complexes are psychic contents which are outside the control of the conscious mind. They have been split off from consciousness and lead a separate existence in the unconscious, being at all times ready to hinder or to reinforce the conscious intentions.
Carl JungRead
We are in a far better position to observe instincts in animals or in primitives than in ourselves. This is due to the fact that we have grown accustomed to scrutinizing our own actions and to seeking rational explanations for them.
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From the viewpoint of analytic psychology, the theatre, aside from any aesthetic value, may be considered as an institution for the treatment of the mass complex.
Carl JungRead
I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among those in the second half of life - that is to say, over 35 - there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life.
Carl JungRead
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