Carl Jung was an astounding genius, and his insights support understanding and breakthroughs in many fields of psychology. But since this is a conservative site, full of practical, hard-nosed realists, let me give you an example you just might think is worth not sneering over.
When a vet develops PTSD from combat, it's because he or she can't process all the stress that is bottled up inside, especially the emotional aspect of it which had to be suppressed to fight. Jung discovered mechanisms, connections with other parts of the mind, which enable PTSD therapists to reach the suppressed emotions of a vet, and help them bleed off the pressure without triggering damaging flashbacks.
Jung developed a whole lot more than just that understanding. But even if that's all he did, I'd say he doesn't deserve contempt. Right now, as you read this, there are vets using aspects of his discoveries to find their way back to normal life. If you want to write a poem to someone's greatness, write it to them.
Whatever. You read the book then.
Apparently, Jung induced his own hallucinations, and then over a 16+ year period, kept notes and made detailed illustrations of his psychedelic experiences, which is the book that is soon to be released.
It also appears to me that this man, Richard Noll, had found copies of parts of Jung's work, “The Red Book”, and was prepared to release it with or without the collaboration of the Jung heirs.
Jung's method, if I understand correctly, is for a person to record their dreams and have a specialist analyze them. So it kind of makes sense that he would induce his own “dreams” and then try to analyze them. I have some concerns that inducing dreams with drugs is the way to go, but that's another issue.
From the descriptions of the illustrations he made, it sounds like he had some pretty vivid “dreams” - or would it be fair to call them “hallucinations”?
What I got from the article is that Carl Jung was a complicated man, with complicated issues. And that this book, “The Red Book”, to be released soon, is a difficult and complicated read.
As for me, I rarely dream, and when I do, it tends to be of a problem solving nature. I wonder what Jung would say about that... 8^)
I stumbled onto the awareness of this upcoming publication in such an odd way yesterday, dare I say synchronistic? The story of its road to publication is fascinating and I can’t wait to read this book. I have read many of Jung’s works. I hope it is a good translation because I have found this to be critical.