The Red Book - C.G. Jung

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. " Carl. G. Jung

"The Red Book" was never published during the psychologist's lifetime, though a few friends and disciples were allowed to examine it. Apparently Jung felt it was not only too personal and quirky for publication, but also that he had already mined the text for the insights set forth in his later writings.

As editor Sonu Shamdasani stresses, "The overall theme of the book is how Jung regains his soul and overcomes the contemporary malaise of spiritual alienation. This is ultimately achieved through enabling the rebirth of a new image of God in his soul and developing a new worldview in the form of a psychological and theological cosmogony."

After Jung's death, "The Red Book," was safely locked away in a bank deposit box. But, as happens, Jung's heirs and disciples have now decided to bring out this edition (with English translation), as well as mount an exhibition about "The Red Book" at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York (through January).

The resulting volume is certainly one of the most distinctive gift books of the upcoming holiday season. With a rich crimson dust jacket, thick cream-colored paper and calligraphied pages, this huge tome is the size of a lectern Bible and looks like the kind of spell book a wizard might consult.

Images from The Red Book - C.G. Jung

The Red Book

During the initial period covered by "The Red Book", mainly 1913 through the 1920s, Jung broke permanently with the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, and resigned from his teaching position at the University of Zurich.

When Jung emerged from this period of crisis, he brought with him the first inklings of his most important contributions to psychology, positing the existence of a collective unconscious common to all human beings. This primordial ocean within us affects our lives through various universal "archetypes", forces or situations that represent our inmost needs, desires and fears.

According to editor Shamdasani, "The Red Book" presents "the prototype of Jung's conception of the individuation process." In Jung's view a successful life was all about balance, wholeness.

If our lives erred too much in one direction, our unconscious would compensate for the inequality.

Above all, in midlife, a person is called upon to achieve an authentic and balanced self, one that acknowledges every aspect of his or her character. By the age of 40 or 50, one has established a career and nurtured a family, and it is time to turn from the external public life to the needs of the inner man or woman. The process of individuation is essentially the psychological harmonizing of all aspects of the self.

As it happens, one must be something of a hero to actually read all of "The Red Book."

At times, Jung sounds spiritually anguished: "I am weary, my soul, my wandering has lasted too long, my search for myself outside of myself."

At other times, his writing resembles the directions in some fantasy video game: "I am standing in a high hall. Before me I see a green curtain between two columns. The curtain parts easily. . . . In the rear wall, I see a door right and left. . . . I choose the right."

At still other times, there are philosophical and religious dialogues of self and soul, or conversations with various mythic characters like Philemon.

In short, this is a volume that will be treasured by the confirmed Jungian or by admirers of beautifully made books or by those with a taste for philosophical allegory.

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