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
Contemporary man is blind to the fact that, with all his rationality and efficiency, he is possessed by "powers" that are beyond his control. His gods and demons have not disappeared at all; they have merely got new names. They keep him on the run with restlessness, vague apprehensions, psychological complications, an insatiable need for pills, alcohol, tobacco, food - and, above all, a large array of neuroses
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how modern individuals are influenced by unseen forces despite their perceived rationality and efficiency.
Carl Jung emphasizes that contemporary humans, despite their advancements and rational thinking, remain unconsciously driven by deeper psychological forces and archetypes that shape their behavior. These 'gods and demons' symbolize the unresolved inner struggles and compulsions that lead to a restless existence, manifesting in various forms of addiction and neuroses, indicating that the core issues of humanity have merely evolved rather than disappeared.
Themes
RationalityPsycheNeurosisAddictionModernity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about mental health awareness, one might say, 'As Carl Jung suggests, despite our advancements, we still struggle with internal demons that we must confront.'
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.
Carl JungRead
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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