Man and His Symbols

By: Carl G. Jung

Narrated by: Raj Ghatak

The landmark text about the inner workings of the unconscious mind—from the symbolism that unlocks the meaning of our dreams to their effect on our waking lives and artistic impulses

“What emerges with great clarity from the book is that Jung has done immense service both to psychology as a science and to our general understanding of man in society.”—The Guardian

“Our psyche is part of nature, and its enigma is limitless.”

Since our inception, humanity has looked to dreams for guidance. But what are they? How can we understand them? And how can we use them to shape our lives?

There is perhaps no one more equipped to answer these questions than the legendary psychologist Carl G. Jung. It is in his life’s work that the unconscious mind comes to be understood as an expansive, rich world just as vital and true a part of the mind as the conscious, and it is in our dreams—those personal, integral expressions of our deepest selves—that it communicates itself to us.

A seminal text written explicitly for the general reader, Man and His Symbols is a guide to understanding our dreams and interrogating the many facets of identity—our egos and our shadows, “the dark side of our natures.” Full of fascinating case studies and examples pulled from philosophy, history, myth, fairy tales, and more, this groundbreaking work—profusely illustrated with hundreds of visual examples—offers invaluable insight into the symbols we dream that demand understanding, why we seek meaning at all, and how these very symbols affect our lives. Armed with the knowledge of the self and our shadow, we may build fuller, more receptive lives.

By illuminating the means to examine our prejudices, interpret psychological meanings, break free of our influences, and recenter our individuality, Man and His Symbols proves to be—decades after its conception—a revelatory, absorbing, and relevant experience.

Critic reviews

“This book, which was the last piece of work undertaken by Jung before his death in 1961, provides a unique opportunity to assess his contribution to the life and thought of our time, for it was also his firsat attempt to present his life-work in psychology to a non-technical public. . . . What emerges with great clarity from the book is that Jung has done immense service both to psychology as a science and to our general understanding of man in society, by insisting that imaginative life must be taken seriously in its own right, as the most distinctive characteristic of human beings.”—Guardian

“Straighforward to read and rich in suggestion.”—John Barkham, Saturday Review Syndicate

“This book will be a resounding success for those who read it.”—Galveston News-Tribune

“A magnificent achievement.”—Main Currents

“Factual and revealing.”—Atlanta Times

best inteo to Jung

While Jungs work can be complex I think this book does a great job laying it all out for the layman.

Good overview with focus on symbolic

Overall thought this was a good introduction although it lacked extra depth on archetypes and physiological frameworks. But was a great overview of symbols, ancient narratives and dreams as they pertain to the unconscious.

Complex ideas simplified format.

Complex ideas presented in a simplified understandable format. Carl Jung is one of the most difficult scientists to understand and is famously unwilling to compromise on the complexity of his ideas. For these reasons and more he is difficult to understand.
The purpose if this book is to make Jung's ideas more approachable for the every day reader.

The book is divided into five parts:

Man and His Symbols is a classic work of Jungian psychology, and it is still widely read and studied today. The book is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about the unconscious mind, the archetypes, and the role of symbols in human life.

Greatest philosophical book I have ever read

What a shame that academia is so absent of spiritual power. Instead they rely on statistical power, as M. L. Franz pointed out in the conclusion of this great book, refusing to go beyond what has been known to our feeble minds...