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
The unsatisfied yearning of the artist reaches back to the primordial image in the unconscious which is best fitted to compensate the inadequacy and one-sidedness of the present.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The artist's longing seeks to connect with deep subconscious images that can fill current gaps in understanding and expression.
This quote by Carl Jung suggests that the desires and aspirations of artists are driven by a deeper, often subconscious need to express or compensate for the limitations of their current experiences. The 'primordial image' represents an innate wisdom or archetype that artists tap into, allowing them to create works that resonate with universal truths and emotions, thus bridging the gap between personal inadequacies and broader human experiences.
Themes
ArtistYearningUnconsciousImageCompensation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about creative processes, one might quote Jung to illustrate how deep-seated feelings influence artistic expression.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes βThe 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 young man is afraid of his demon and puts his hand over the demon's mouth sometimes and speaks for him. And the things the young man says are very rarely poetry.
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