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
What is essential in a work of art is that it should rise far above the realm of personal life and speak to the spirit and heart of the poet as man to the spirit and heart of mankind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art should transcend personal experiences to connect with universal human emotions.
Carl Jung's quote emphasizes the importance of art as a medium that goes beyond personal anecdotes and individual experiences. He suggests that true art resonates with deeper truths that unify humanity, addressing not just the artist's emotions but also speaking to shared human experiences and the collective spirit.
Themes
ArtHumanityEmotionSpiritConnection
In practice
Example use cases
During a talk about the impact of art in society, this quote can illustrate the universal significance of artistic expression.
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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A critic should be taught to criticise a work of art without making any reference to the personality of the author.
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Martial arts, like any art, is an unrestricted athletic expression of an individual soul.
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