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Memories, Dreams, Reflections

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"Memories, Dreams, Reflections" is the most insightful autobiography of Carl G. Jung's life and his humble experiences. I have read his other works, including "Man and His Symbols" and "Dreams," and never fully understand them until I read this last book of his to which brings it all together in terms of his scientific approach. This 400-page book is a window into his inner world, and it is such a remarkable read.

In this book, Jung revealed much wisdom and insights from his early years up to his remainder of his life. One even can learn about oneself from his life. It is very much worth reading. It is both fascinating and inspiring.

My favorite line of Jung from this book:

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

The inscription from the Delphic Oracle which Jung carved in stone over his front door: " Invoked or not invoked the god will be there"

He said you could take away a man's gods, but only to give him new ones.

He spoke from personal experience. His great teacher was a critically skeptical materialist who staunchly maintained he was free of any irrational wishfull thinking, as a healthy adult and as true scientist should be.

However. . .

"I can still recall vividly how Freud said to me , 'My dear Jung promise me never to abandon the sexual theory. . .You see, we must make a dogma out of it'. He said that to me with great emotion, in the tone of a father saying, 'And promise me this one thing, my dear son: that you will go to church every Sunday."

A dogma?

He continues: " I was bewildered and embarrassed. . . One thing was clear: Freud who had always made much of his irreligiosity, had now constructed a dogma; or rather in the place of a jealous God whom he had lost, he had substituted another. "

But Freud was in step with his time.

Psychology is, literally , the study of the soul. And what truck did the 20th century have to do with gods or souls?

So Jung became branded as a head in the clouds mystic, after his 'father' disowned him. And former admirers to the 'heir apparent' abandoned him.
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This is an autobiography that reads like a lyrical poem, yet lucid and very easy to follow---right into the land of dreams. He covers his earliest childhood memories, his relationship and break with Freud, and his subsequent explorations into the heart of modern man. The emphasis is always that of the physician. Where can the healing come from?
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As to his final conclusion, by the end of his life he stated that he did not believe in God.

He knew.

This book does give a good overview of Jung's ideas, and how the developed in his life and interior thought. What I most love about this book, however is the feeling I came away with for Jung himself. It made me feel that he was a deeply compassionate, openminded and rational man, if imperfect as all men. Its greatness is that it puts a human face behind all of the science and ideas of his legacy, and gives the reader an insight of his own inner experience which one can relate to.

As I began to read this book I immediately noticed that I was relating to things in Jung's life that I have never been able to express to other people. So here I knew that I had found a man that could express very complicated ideas and I pressed on hoping that we would be more and more alike. In fact we were and I am so happy to realize that others feel the things that I have always thought were unmentionable, or didn't even realize were there until they were gently raised to the surface.

There were times while reading the book that I got bogged down in the complexity of what was being said only to have a huge "OH!" when I finally understood what Jung meant and how I identified with it so deeply. My pattern of reading the book was to read for awhile and then put the book down (I could only take so much at once) for awhile to let things settle in my mind. I have had several powerful dreams while reading this book and had them analyzed. After things settled a bit I would be "called" by the book and pick it back up and sure enough WHAM it would hit me again with something and I would have to work though it again. This continued until the end of the book.

My life is slowly changing because of this book and others of his. As others have said, don't read this book unless you are ready to do some work and go to some places in your psyche that you might have not wanted to look at all of your life--not wanted to look at so badly that it may have caused neurosis.

Admittedly, this is the most important book for those interested not only in the Jungian approach in psychology, but also in the life itself of Carl Gustav Jung. Indeed, this is an autobiography, imbedded in which is most of Jung's theories and quite an adequate outline of his cosmotheory as well.

Now, this being the book that "allows" us a glimpse into the soul of this psychologist, i was for one somewhat puzzled by the overall insight i got. While for the most part i appreciated Jung's bold approach in matters considered heavy taboos in his time (not to mention our time as well for certain particular issues), on the other side i found that Jung is self-contradicting at times, or murky, for lack of a more descriptive term.

Jung dares to look on the "other side" and consider it openly an integral part of "this" side. What others deem as "paranormal" or "supernatural" is to Jung just the other side of the same coin. He discusses the reality under the accepted reality but he is not straightforward about it. If i wanted to take it far enough I'd even say he's not honest about it. He does mince hiw words much too often and stops short of telling you what he really thinks. But this hardly undermines his openmindedness. Same goes for his treatment of religion.

In the beginning of the book he goes to great lengths in his denouncing of the western religion, and yet, all throughout the book he leaves countless hints that he's religious himself, without ever explaining in what sense. This was in my view perplexing.

The part of the book where he details his views on psychotherapy and explains how he approached his patients is definately the highlight of this book, and it should be of paramount importance for those interested in that subject area.

The last third of the book is mostly about Jung's travels. That part, might be disturbing for some, as one can sense that Jung felt some kind of well hidden superiority over the people he encountered. This superiority is often enough brought forward as his surprise over the insights these people offered him, but it still remains a mystery (at least to me) what he actually "took" from these people pertaining to their beliefs and approach in life. If anything, that is.

All criticism aside, this is still essential reading. Jung was a person torn between the desire to explore the off-limits and his fear of being ostracised by the scientific community. In the gray area within that struggle is where one discovers Jung's most thought-provoking theories because that is where he presents himself bare.

Jung was not only a brilliant intellectual; he was a traveler in consciousness whose key breakthroughs came from personal experience of nonordinary reality. Unlike some "Jungians" who have turned his terms and models into a catechism, he was constantly improvising and shapeshifting the language and concepts he used to evoke multidimensional reality. If he were still with us, he would be using a new vocabulary, and reporting from further frontiers. Read this account of his soul's journey to expand your horizons of possibility, and read Robert Moss' "Conscious Dreaming" and "Dreamgates" to learn how to practice the art of dream travel and visit the places where Jung received inspiration.

MDR is one of the few titles by Jung which is meant for general readership. Most of his works (his titles in the 20-volume Bollingen series) are very technical and, admittedly, soporific at times.

Be that as it may I cannot emphasize enough how important the ideas and discoveries of Jung are. Had he lived two or even five centuries ago his ideas would be just as cogent to us today, or perhaps even more so, in the face of ongoing and seemingly interminable political-military crises that overwhelm us, in a time when we have enough technology to obliterate entire nations via remote control.

Indeed Jung resurrects such ancient ideas as soul, psyche, daimon, gods but he contextualizes them anew. No longer are deities entities that live in the firmament above, but rather they are our projections of the psychological goings-on deep within us. And here Jung strikes at the heart of all our problems (and opportunities) for Jung always circles around and orbits the phenomenon of the unconscious, from whence our consciousness is born and in which it is and will forever be rooted.

In my opinion, in MDR, Jung shares his most crucial ideas in the last three chapters, namely, "On Life After Death," "Late Thoughts," and "Retrospect." Always Jung is dedicated to reality and the truth. He does not acquiesce to the tastes and sensibilities of his readers. For instance in "Late Thoughts" he underscores the point that the "recognition of the reality of evil necessarily relativizes the good, and the evil likewise, converting both into halves of a paradoxical whole." And on the last page of the last chapter he both muses and avers: "The world into which we are born is brutal and cruel, and at the same time of divine beauty. Which element we think outweighs the other, whether meaninglessness or meaning, is a matter of temperament... Probably, as in all metaphysical questions, both are true: Life is--or has--meaning and meaninglessness." These are very somber perhaps even depressing revelations, but for Jung the only way we can rise above our neuroses is to acknowledge such painful truths.

I have perhaps quoted more from this work of Jung's than from his other titles. Not only is it easier to digest, but since it was written just 4 years before his death I believe it contains some of his best thoughts, thoughts congealed and shared when he had reached the peak of his mountain, thoughts from a very, very wise old man.

A fantastic book, equally informative, fascinating, and insightful. It serves as a very good introduction to Jung's works, which can at times be heavy reading for non-psychologists. You will be impressed by not only the genius of this man, but captivated by the story of his life. This book should a must read for anyone interested in unravelling some of the mysteries of the psyche.

This is a warning to anyone who reads this book. Yes, the book is excellent. Yes, it contains invaluable thoughts from Jung. Yes, it is a must read for any Jungian or anyone else for that matter. However, there is something that should be taken special note of. If, when reading the first few chapters on his early years, you find yourself identifying very closely with his experiences, beware. It is well known that many people experience synchronicities while reading this book. Example: a person may have a dream, and the next day find that very dream explained in the book, wherever that person left off reading the day before. These synchronicities can have a very large effect. If you are one who finds yourself identifying with jung's thoughts and feelings to a high degree, you may experience more than just dreams. The book becomes an integral part of your life. It won't let you skip around or stop reading it for too long. You will be bound to the book to finish it in order. When you reach the 10th and 11th chapters in which he describes his afterlife experiences and thoughts, be extremely careful. You may enter into that same "shadow of the valley of death" while you are reading this part. This is not a book to be taken lightly. It gives you knowledge coupled with experience, not just knowledge. Do not bother opening it unless you want to embark on a serious psychic journey, which will result in increased wisdom and understanding through many unforseen experiences. I highly recommend this book for anyone who DOES want to go through this. I'm glad i did.

Being 16 years old, i get a lot of strange looks from friends when i pull out this book and get absorbed in it. They can't fathom why i would find it so interesting. Well, for one, Jung's childhood experiences coincide with my own to a startling degree. I have had to keep myself from yelling out in public when reading this book and coming across something that i also experienced. Being something of a budding philosopher, i came across many ideas in the chapters to follow that coincide with my own formulated theories. I've never encountered such a beautifully written work in my life before, or a more touching one. Jung's description of the balance of his own psyche has aided me greatly in finding firm footing for my own wandering mind. This book entertains, teaches, and imparts invaluable wisdom to the reader. I wish that he were alive today, and i would do everything in my power to thank him for his impact on my life. If you like psychology, philosophy, or anything of sort, read this. If you're looking for answers to psychic questions, read this. If you've never cared for psychology, read this... it might change your mind. Jung is a genius and possesses rare insight into the matters that concern everyone.