Wednesday, January 26, 2011

C.G. Jung's THE RED BOOK is an astonishing work. In his autobiographical MEMORIES DREAMS REFLECTIONS, Jung describes his "confrontation with the unconscious." In THE RED BOOK he recorded that confrontation in great detail, first in the actual experiences, then in his reflections about the experiences, and then in the understanding he gleaned. Over a period of sixteen years he illustrated the work with a large number of paintings--artwork that is startingly beautiful and expressive. The book is available from Amazon.com. [If you buy the book through the Jung Institute of Chicago website (www.jungchicago.or)], the Institute will benefit.] A warning: it is huge and weighs 8.5 pounds. Furthermore, it is a most difficult read. I have spent a number of months exploring it and can say it yields up its insights sparingly and only with intense concentration.