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 products of the unconscious we discover mandala symbols, that is, circular and quaternity figures which express wholeness, and whenever we wish to express wholeness, we employ just such figures.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how mandala symbols represent the concept of wholeness in our unconscious mind and are used to express this idea.
Carl Jung emphasizes the significance of mandala symbols—circular and four-part figures—as representations of wholeness in the unconscious. These symbols embody the idea of balance and completeness, illustrating that when we seek to convey the notion of wholeness, we are guided to these universal figures that resonate deeply within our psyche.
Themes
WholenessMandalaSymbolsUnconsciousPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the importance of balancing different aspects of life during a wellness seminar.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes →The majority of my patients consisted not of believers but of those who had lost their faith.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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