Ego and Archetype (C. G. Jung Foundation Books Series)

A very interesting read on the ego, the self, and the ego-self axis. Many of the ideas presented in this book are thought provoking and make for a great read.To be honest, I almost gave the book 4 stars as I was reading part 3 (the final part) of the book. It contained a lot of material that I personally wasn't enjoying. But the final chapter saved it for me, and ultimately I had to give it that 5th star, despite the chapters I didnt enjoy.Overall I really enjoyed the book, and have gained a lot of insight while reading it.

Later in this book, Mr. Edward Erdinger drops a Jungian bomb on me. The Ego, being conscious, the very center of consciousness, is apriori and derives it's existence from the older unconscious, and symbolically has a heavenly origin to which it will return, a Star.This is just one of the many elucidations Erdinger makes concerning Jungian psychotherapy, and really Kantian phenomenology and Platonic philosophy. Let's face it, Jung was heavily influenced by both these last heavy hitters in Western thought.Throughout the rest of the book, Mr. Erdinger relates the Ego and Self (Archetype) to us through the use of Christian symbology, Greek mythology, and the dream analysis of various patients. The Ego, upon being confronted with the challenges and vagaries of Life, goes into a natural state of inflation, where it identifies itself with the Self, in order to meet the challenges of gaining a broader consciousness. This is the preparation for the great initiation: Individuation, where the Ego recollects the broken up unconscious complexes and reintegrates them into a new, now unified Whole. The Ego, having weathered the dark night of the soul after the attempted usurpation of the Self, now recognizes it's rightful place in the Psyche and thus attains it's rightful yet limited estate.Especially useful I found was the explanation of the Sign, an abstract word, picture, etc. that points to the state of the objective, exterior world, while the Symbol, living breathing signifier of the internal, subjective world is understood to provide meaning for the individual. The perfect state of things is to know the difference between the two, to not mix their properties, and to allow deep religious truth to be communicated symbolically as opposed to signally, and vice versa, for the Sign to communicate external factual data of the way things are.Erdiniger has done a wonderful job of conserving the psychology of Jung while even adding his own flourishes to the picture and carrying the whole thing forward. This, in my view makes him a worthy torch bearer for Jungian thought.

I was a young well educated military aerospace engineer and a devout right-wing Christian when a senior engineer handed me this book and asked me if I listened to the content of my dreams.I would have never thought this man, an "engineer's engineer," was interested in anything outside of the scientific reality taught to us in engineering school, let alone the psychology of human beings and especially one's dreams.I have read this book through at least three times, each time marking-up new insights I learn with a different color pen, just as I had done in analyzing my scriptures. It took awhile to learn the language of psychology, but once mastered I was able to have revealed to me the wonders of the human psyche and for that I thank Edinger for producing this masterpiece.Edinger attracts his audience by revealing the genius of the teachings of the New Testament biographers of Jesus and other biblical writers. He shows how the Beatitudes taught by Jesus form the foundations of depth psychology, 2000 years before the field develops. He opens up a whole new interpretation of the story of Job, ties in the teachings of Jesus as regarding the process of Individuation, touches on Alchemy and metaphysics, and discusses the symbology found in the Christian religions, especially the Trinity. He includes wonderful related classic artworks along the way.Edinger teaches the processes of Jungian psychology throughout the text. This introduced me to the field of psychology and the major contributions of Carl Jung.The transformations I went through occurred during each reading of this book. While painful, my level of self-awareness has risen to new levels I feel not achievable had I relied on my religious teachings alone.I now describe myself as a liberal agnostic college educator that seeks spirituality from where Jesus said it lies: the human heart. Thank you Dr. Edinger.

My favorite Jungian book and writer. It is a book you will read over and over again. In a day and age where religion has become a bad word for so many of us because of the corruption inherent in such institutional and political structures, as well as the use of bible as a means to oppress others, this book serves as a new working model that is free of political and religious bias. The baggage you carry to the door will be left at the steps. Edinger offers a hopeful and new approach to accepting religion as myth and does so in a way that won't offend but rather open us up. It is a non-threatening perspective that explains why integrating our collective mythologies is a fundamental necessity in evolving our human consciousness.

Would you like to read about C.G.Jung's opinions without having to look up every forth word in a dictionary?Would you really like to understand Jung's theme of 3 and 4.Would you like to read the same book twice for the shear pleasure of reading a good book.Then baby, this book is for you.

This book is truly outstanding. I literally read sections of it through a veil of tears as I experienced 'Yes' moments one after another after another.Althogh the subject matter is deep and requires careful reading, the author presents the subject matter in a very readable and accessible style. For anyone looking to understand the secret teachings and esoteric mystery of the Christian religion, you could find no better resource.This book marks a major milestone in my life's search for spiritual truth. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I'm new to Jung and Edinger is helping me deepen my understanding of the depth and breadth of Jung's mesmerising life-work.

O livro é bem escrito e, apesar da densidade do assunto este fica mais claro à medida que o autor traz os exemplos clínicos que servem de ilustrações didáticas. Considero que é uma leitura muito útil para qualquer profissional que trabalhe com psicoterapia ou indivíduo que queria aprofundar seu conhecimento da psique humana.

We all have an ego and it is what keeps us alive. But there is something else that is just as important for our destiny. Some people call it the soul, but in this book it is referred to as the Self. And this essay is all about the relation between the ego and the Self, which in Jungian psychology is called the process of individuation, i.e, the intimate relation that we should all strive to develop with the Self. This is a prerequisite to have a healthy psychic life.In this wonderful book Edward Edinger explains very clearly some of the most fundamental tenets of Jungian psychology. The world of the irrational suddenly becomes intelligible. Thanks to the author's incredibly lucid prose we get to know plainly what the way of individuation really means. This is an important aspect of Jungian psychology that is often misunderstood. But its mystery is completely lifted here. Written in the decade following Jung’s death this work offers a perfect summary of his teachings. And Edinger has done it better than the man himself. It remains to this day perhaps the best book ever written on the subject. To understand what is in this book requires concentration and effort, but there is no struggle because everything is made so obvious and comprehensible, page after page. Attentive enchantment would be the best way to describe my experience with this book. It was an experience constantly infused with meaning and understanding. The material discussed in this work is extremely profond but never gets heavy going.In the preface the author says that "this book is about the process of individuation, its stages, its vicissitudes and its ultimate aims.” He adds “I hope it will be a small contribution toward a goal that Jung’s work has made eventually certain, namely, the reconciliation of science and religion.” Well, I can say that it was much more than "a small contribution". And it is not only about reconciliation of science with religion but also of man with himself.

A journey to self discovery. A wonderfully written book. Fantastic