Jung’s Map of the Soul: An Introduction

Wandering through the collected works of C.G. Jung can be hard – the material is not easily accessible to the lay reader.  Barely tapped in its riches, this vast psychological treasure trove has much to offer our changing world.  But, a map is necessary – and Murray Stein has created one that allows access to the uninitiated.

Both a guide for the beginner or a serious student of Jung, this book walks you through the foundations of Jungian psychology. Long exalted as the psychology of creativity, artists of all kinds have sought refuge in the collected works.  A map of the inner life, of psychological transformation, a path to the source of human creativity – C.G. Jung is an invaluable resource.

Jung acknowledged his debt to many earlier thinkers, such as Goethe and Schopenhauer but his philosopher of choice was Kant. He constructed a system of interpretation that draws upon comparative religion, mythology, psychology, physics and anthropology that permitted an exploration of inner life, the map of the soul. For Jung the study of the soul was of extreme importance, for as he said many times, the survival of our race depends on our understanding of the psyche. Jung argued that such a study should be by scientific, empirical investigation and as a result, we have many tools in use today from lie detector tests to typology through systems such as Meyers-Briggs.

Stein walks us through the differences in approach to ego-consciousness between Freud and Jung, explains the role of our populated interior life (complexes), explores the role of psychic energy and how Jung suggests we tap into its power, and begins the exploration of instincts and archetypes and the relationships between individual and collective unconscious. He starts our exploration of what Jung called ‘individuation’ – the search for meaning that each person undergoes on the journey to an authentic self.

If this book intrigues you, there are many opportunities to experience the work of C.G. Jung. An upcoming retreat at Pacifica Graduate Institute on June 11-13, 2010. Jung In Dialogue is three days of exploration of the work of C.G. Jung including the recently released Red Book .