The majority of my patients consisted not of believers but of those who had lost their faith.
Carl JungRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Alchemy connects ancient beliefs with modern psychological thought.
In this quote, Carl Jung reflects on alchemy as a significant historical practice that intertwines various strands of thought, bridging ancient Gnostic wisdom and the evolving understanding of the unconscious in modern psychology. He suggests that alchemy is not merely a precursor to chemistry but a profound philosophical system that offers insights into the human psyche and its development through history.
Themes
AlchemyPhilosophyPsychologyGnosticismUnconscious
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about the history of thought, this quote can illustrate the evolution of psychological theories.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes →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
Part of the human Self or Soul is not subject to laws of space and time.
Carl JungRead
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