Psychology of the Unconscious

A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido

De: Carl Jung

Narrado por: Martyn Swain

Published first in 1912, Psychology of the Unconscious was one of the most important stepping stones in the development of Jung’s thought and practice. It has a long subtitle: A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido. A Contribution to the History of the Evolution of Thought. This expressed the underlying impetus - a break from the view of the libido and its functions as taught by Sigmund Freud, which Jung had earlier adopted. It was from this point that the two approaches, which came to be known as the Swiss and Viennese schools, emerged.

As Jung’s translator, Beatrice M Hinkle, writes in her preface: ‘In this work Jung has plunged boldly into the treacherous sea of mythology and folklore, the productions of the ancient mind and that of the common people, and turned upon this vast material the same scientific and painstaking method of psychologic analysis that is applied to the modern mind, in order to reveal the common bond of desire and longing which unites all humanity, and thus bridge the gaps presumed to exist between ancient and widely separated peoples and those of our modern time.’

Jung bases the work on the Miller Fantasies, a collection of writings and poems written by an American woman, Frank Miller, published by another Swiss psychologist. Jung looked at these fantasies, tracing their mythological and cultural influences and inferences, religious, sexual, literary and emotional. The range is enormously wide as he refers to different world traditions including Christian, Mithraic, Judaic and Greek religious traditions; he quotes poetry ranging from Goethe and Hölderlin to Longfellow and even Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac makes an appearance.

Epics abound, from Gilgamesh to the Ramayana, the Rig Veda and the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Sexual attitudes and practices are discussed in terms of the Miller fantasies as well, covering the mores of different societies, including incest, violence and sexual assault.

It is a rich and challenging text in which analyses of magic and myth abound. Divided into two parts, it discusses diverse topics in 'Concerning the Two Kinds of Thinking' and 'The Hymn of Creation in Part I'. And in Part II, it goes on to explore 'Aspects of the Libido', 'The Transformation of the Libido', the 'Unconscious Origin of the Hero', 'The Symbolism of the Mother and of Rebirth' and 'The Sacrifice'. It opens with an introduction in which Jung, referring to Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, discusses the relation of the incest fantasy to the Oedipus legend - and argues that it is necessary to delve further into historical material to understand individual analysis more fully. So, right from the start, Carl Gustav Jung goes down the path that was to make his investigation into the mind and its processes so distinct.

This rich and broadly encompassing text is skilfully presented by Martyn Swain.

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Public Domain (P)2020 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Striking amalgamation of myths and sick mind's fantasy

This work presents a formidable challenge, demanding significant intellectual stamina. The author's exploration of symbolic language is relentlessly thorough, oscillating between moments of genuine brilliance and passages where the sheer volume of interpretations, particularly those centered on libidinal regression and resistance, risks overwhelming the reader. While the density and perceived repetition occasionally strain credulity, prompting moments of skepticism regarding the author's methodological coherence, the work's historical significance and the author's undeniable intellectual stature provide compelling motivation to persevere.
The experience is akin to navigating a raw, unfiltered stream of consciousness, where profound insights emerge from a labyrinth of interwoven symbolic associations. One senses a deep immersion in the psychological terrain from which the concepts of Christianity arose, offering a unique perspective on the genesis of religious archetypes. The text's value lies not solely in its explicit conclusions, but in the raw, generative process it reveals. It serves as a crucial, if demanding, foundation for understanding the later, more refined articulations of the author's theories. Viewing this work as a primordial crucible of nascent ideas, rather than a polished treatise, allows for a deeper appreciation of its contribution to the development of his psychological framework. The reader is ultimately rewarded with a richer understanding of the psychological underpinnings of religious symbolism, even if the journey is fraught with intellectual rigor and occasional moments of perceived obscurity.

Incomprehensible with a rational mindset

This book has to be understood as a stream of consciousness or shall I say as a stream of unconsciousness. It has no organization or structure and the listener must let it wash over him. Do not try to grasp as it slips through the fingers like water.

bad editing, double chapters long stretches of silence

The book is fine. Jung's ideas are interesting. but the sound editing is terrible.

Some chapters are repeated, some times there are long sections without sound at all. and some times the narrator repeats sections in different takes.

This Does Not Help to Understand Psychoanalysis

This particular work is unquestionably written by a brilliant psychologist, but not worth the read unless you are a Freudian psychologist yourself and looking to have more tools for analysis of your patients. The content matches irregularities of the libido to projections by the patient into mythological representations by the patient’s unconscious. Psychoanalysis is the most intensive form of an approach to treatment called psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic refers to a view of human personality that results from interactions between conscious and unconscious factors. This book, Psychology of the Unconscious, A Study of the Transformations and Symbolisms of the Libido, by Carl Jung, and narrated by Martyn Swain, is poorly written. For one thing, Jung talks about dozens of mythological imageries as though you already know the myths as well as you know your birth date. One gets lost trying to tie a myth to an ailment. I can go on with the retelling of the book’s difficulties but this should get my point across.