Jungian Books - Page 4

Healing Fiction

James Hillman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A masterwork. 5 out of 5 stars.
114 of 114 people found this review helpful.

This is the first work by Hillman I read, and that was for a course at the New School for Social Research. Although I have a masters degree in psychology, my background was in cognitive and social psychology. This was part of my introduction into psychopathology and Jungian psychology. I liked it so much that I have read it about 25 times. In reading this book, it is probably good to begin with the third chapter (What Does the Soul Want?), then read chapters one and two. You will find that order of reading the book helps. The emphasis is on the soul (not in a religious sense, but the soul as "psyche") and the needs of the "inner voice." From that point, the use of the case study is developed as a "healing fiction." In the development of that healing fiction, certain symbols, images, and signs are used. Each person, or soul, develops his or her own healing fiction as it strives to reach a balance.

In addition to being a premier Jungian psychologist, James Hillman is a neo-Platonist philosopher. The symbolic influence of ancient gods and goddesses, as well as the demands of the "daimon" on a person are introduced. You may notice that this fits well with some of the writings of Joseph Campbell, who was also strongly influenced by Jung. Hillman demonstrates a wide background in the classics, literature, and philosophy. This is a thinking person's book, especially recommended to students of psychology and to mental health professionals.

Editorial Review:

This book is Hillman’s main analysis of analysis. He asks the basic question, "What does the soul want?" With insight and humor he answers, "It wants fictions that heal."

Jung to Live by

Eugene Pascal

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Could have been more Practical 4 out of 5 stars.
18 of 21 people found this review helpful.

This is a lay-persons guide to Jungian theory and shows you how to uncover hidden aspects of your personality, how to interpret dreams, develop creativity and improve relationships. It conveys the essence and spirit of jungian thought in a simple and effective way. Lots of interesting stuff on complexes, archetypes and integrating the personality. I found the discussion of the dynamics of relationships very helpful. I just think more focus on practical implementatiuon in the form of exercises would have been even more helpful, otherwise you'll have to read the book over & over again. Includes a good bibliography and index.

useful, in spite of 4 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

This book is useful in the sense that it helps clarify, and shows the hierarchy of, many of Jung's concepts of deep psychology. However, it has several shortcomings. The most important of these is that, even though the author insists on the importance of inner work with all the concepts explained, he never indicates how this inner work is to be performed. For instance, he states the importance of the four functions of consciousness and the typology that consequently people belong to; however, after insisting on this throughout many pages, and saying that interpersonal relations, especially in the work place, are easier and more conflict-free if we consider the typology of people, he goes on to tell us that there are two ways to find out this typology: a test performed by a therapist or constant study of the person during a long period of time -hardly a very practical way of solving interpersonal conflicts in your work place or of preparing a meeting. With most of the other concepts explained, the suggestions of practical action are even vaguer; only in the two last chapters there is a haste, not terribly detailed, explanation of how to work with dreams and active imagination. So much for the practical, applicable side of this book. Another serious shortcoming is that, when the author explains many of the abstract issues of deep psychology, he rarely gives examples taken from real people; he rather gives invented examples such as, "when a person is under the influence of a negative shadow he or she may...". This invented examples are often very exagerated, suposedly to show the author's sense of humour, and they do little to clarify the issues compared to real-life cases. When real-life cases are explained, only the conflict is given, but not usually how this was solved. However, as I have already said, this book is useful to understand many of Jung's complicated concepts, and as an introduction or first step in you journey of self-knowledge.

Editorial Review:

Far from mystical, Jung's theories can be easily applied to everyday life, and this book shows readers how. It includes important issues such as how to determine personality style, what inner forces influence likes and dislikes, spotting different complexes, how to transform one's world, and more.

A Primer of Jungian Psychology

Calvin S. Hall, Vernon J. Nordby

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very cursory introduction 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

It's a waste of money. Get it at the library, instead. The informational contents are minimal. The paper is of the lowest quality causing the contrast to be very low and very difficult to read. A much better introduction is "What Jung Really Said" by E.A. Bennet, ISBN: 0805210466.

Editorial Review:

The contributions of Carl Jung to understanding of the human psyche are immense. Starting as Freud's most famous disciple, Jung soon broke away from his mentor to follow his own lines of investigation and discovery. Many of Jung's ideas are now considered fundamentals in the study of the mind, but other, more controversial theories dealing with the psychological relevance of alchemy, ESP, astrology, and occultism are only now being seriously examined. This condensation and summary of Jung's life and work by two eminent psychology professors is written with deep understanding and extraordinary clarity and, along with its companion volume, A Primer Of Jungian Psychology is essential reading for anyone interested in the hidden depths of the mind.

Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy (Reality of the Psyche Series)

Edward F. Edinger

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent Resource 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent resource for those already familiar with Jung's work, and I agree with a previous reviewer that it should be considered an intermediate-level text. I disagree with another reviewer who slams this book because of its spiritual connotations and because of disagreements on specific interpretations. Allow me to comment as yet another practicing therapist in this set of reviews. My personal experience of this book is that nearly every page stimulated further insight into my own life and the lives of my clients, and any book that does that warrants 5 stars.

How could anybody conclude otherwise? Well, there is a percentage of people who are very troubled by the many spiritual or metaphysical implications of Jung's works, and they often present very narrow views about what Analytical Psychology is and how it works. That seems ironic for such a highly interpretive theory and system. Personally, I am not troubled in the least by those implications for I am convinced that Jung was not only aware of them, he actively explored them himself.

If you are in the nay-sayers camp then you are not going to like everything about Edinger's work. On the other hand, if you are open to such implications, or if you can merely overlook them and translate words like "God" into something more human and scientific, then you should find this book a useful addition to Jungian studies of alchemy and psychotherapy.

It's important to further consider the entire matter of interpretation. It's true that on many counts I might have differed with Edinger on how to interpret various images and passages. As I pointed out before, Analytical Psychology is nothing without freedom of interepretation. There are no hard and fast equations to follow in decoding the symbolism of dreams and myth, though Jung has provided us with some powerful guidelines and tools. If I recall correctly, Edinger even points out that more than one alchemical operation can be seen at work within the same symbolism. Still, he clearly trusts his own experience, insights, and feelings, and has integrated them with the host theory in a way that is open and flexible enough that others can find it very stimulating and applicable.

Editorial Review:

"Edinger has greatly enriched my understanding of psychology through the avenue of alchemy. No other contribution has been as helpful as this for revealing, in a word, the anatomy of the psyche and how it applies to where one is in his or her process. This is a significant amplification and extension of Jung's work. Two hundred years from now, it will still be a useful handbook and an inspiring aid to those who care about individuation". -- Psychological Perspectives

Practically Shameless: How Shadow Work Helped Me Find My Voice, My Path, and My Inner Gold

Alyce Barry

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Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Practically Shameless is the first book to explain the compassionate psychology of Carl G. Jung through one person's intimate experiences of shadow, including a riveting first-person account of Shadow Work processes. Practically Shameless reveals for the first time the real buying power of archetypes in daily life for creative self-expression, building self-esteem, getting your power back, letting go of destructive behavior patterns, and overcoming depression and the belief that life holds no meaning.

Many books say they will change your life. Practically Shameless actually will, by explaining for the first time the inner mechanics of change and offering an approach that has worked for thousands of people since 1990. Change is hard because there's a part of the self whose job it is to resist change. It does so for the best of reasons -- to protect us from something it considers worse than the change we want to make. Most of us think of our resistance to change as a problem. Practically Shameless reveals for the first time that our resistance is a good guy, not a bad guy, in our inner drama. It demonstrates the surprising key to turning resistance into forward movement: befriending that resistance by honoring the role it's been playing in protecting us. Once honored, our resistance becomes willing to stand down and to take on, with its treasury of information on risks we've faced in the past, a new role as valued ally as we begin to move forward. An exercise in Chapter 19 invites the reader to step into this inner protector to be honored directly by the author and begin making lasting change.

An Appendix on the Shadow Work Model details the specific emotional wound underlying each of the 16 varieties of shadow, to help lift the shame enshrouding it and thus to help facilitate change. With a Foreword by Shadow Work founder Cliff Barry and illustrations by Cindy Kalman, formerly of PBS's McNeil-Lehrer News Hour. See excerpts, additional testimonials from authors and readers, study guides, excerpts from interviews with Alyce's father, and more, at the Practically Shameless Press website. Also available from Amazon on audio CD, unabridged, with an illustrated booklet.

Psychological Meaning of Redemption Motifs in Fairytales (Studies in Jungian Psychology, 2)

Marie-Louise von Franz

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A Guided Tour of the Collected Works of C.G. Jung

Robert H. Hopcke

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

a quick guide through complex works 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

this is a very good and ambitious challenge to present in a short, simple manner all of jung's theories of his collected works. mr. hopcke does an excellent job of presenting jung's works in a readable form for us beginners. he goes through each theory and explains how it is presented in the collected works. then, as a bonus, at the end of each chapter he presents recommended reading of other works to our degree of understanding. like books to start as beginners, books to look deeper into his works, related works and secondary reading. all very helpful. my only complaint is the chapters are very short roughly 4-6 pages each. this gives you a taste, but i felt he was leaving a lot out also. i do highly recommend this book if you are a jungian beginner and feel intimidated by his collected works like i am.

Editorial Review:

The writings of C. G. Jung himself are the best place to read about all his main ideas—but where to start, when Jung's Collected Works run to more than eighteen volumes? Robert H. Hopcke's guide to Jung's voluminous writings shows exactly the best place to begin for getting a handle on each of Jung's key concepts and ideas—from archetypal symbols to analytical psychology to UFOs. Each chapter explains one of Jung's principal concerns, then directs the reader where to read about it in depth in the Collected Works. Each chapter includes a list of secondary sources to approach for further study—which the author has updated for this edition to include books published in the ten years since the Guided Tour's first appearance.

The Invisible Partners: How the Male and Female in Each of Us Affects Our Relationships

John A. Sanford

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Jungian Anima and Animus 3 out of 5 stars.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This book primarily addresses the Jungian concept of the contra-sexual in which men have a feminine archetype (called the anima) in their psyches, and women have a corresponding masculine archetype (called the animus) in their psyches. These unconscious forces have profound effects upon our lives, especially upon our relationships with persons of the opposite sex. This short book, while written some time ago, is still applicable today. It covers a lot of ground in a short space so it can be a bit difficult or even dense in places, especially if the reader is not intimate with Jungian psychology. Nevertheless, the concepts (or model, if you will) are valuable and useful in everyday life-not just with romantic relationships, but also with interpersonal communications and understanding.

In order to get the most out of this book, it is necessary to keep an open mind. This can be challenging; as stated on page 9: "Even the most elemental knowledge of oneself is something that most people resist with the greatest determination. Usually it is only when we are in a state of great pain or confusion, and only self-knowledge offers a way out, that we are willing to risk our cherished ideas of what we are like in a confrontation with the truth, and even then many people prefer to live a meaningless life rather than to go through the often disagreeable process of coming to know themselves."

Thus, recognition of animus/anima interplay can result in "being in love" which we resist analyzing and bringing into the everyday world. From pages 18-19: "Relationship founded exclusively on the being-in-love state can never last...being in love is a matter for the gods, not for human beings...it can endure only in a fantasy world where the relationship is not tested in the everyday stress of real life...To the extent that a relationship is founded on projection, the element of human love is lacking. To be in love with someone we do not know as a person, but are attracted to because they reflect back to us the image of the god or goddess in our soul, is in a sense, to be in love with oneself not with the other person...Real love begins only when one person comes to know another for who he or she really is as a human being, and begins to like and care for that human being."

Projection is not, however, a totally negative process because per page 20: "Each time projection occurs there is another opportunity for us to know our inner Invisible Partners, and that is a way of knowing our own souls." Thus, for example, on pages 53-4: "In learning to relate to a woman, a man also has to come to terms with the little boy in himself...We have no free choice unless we are psychologically conscious persons," and on page 55: "Of the choices every man and woman makes of his or her partner in life; in some way the partner represents something we need to understand about ourselves."

But it's not a bowl of roses either because per page. 83: "Projections can never be withdrawn completely, for they are out of our conscious control; nor can we ever become so conscious of the inner images of the anima and animus that projections do not occur. Withdrawing projections does not mean that they no longer occur, but that we understand them as images within ourselves when they do." But, (page 124) "We get well in direct proportion to the energy we put into our psychological development."

For additional reading on unconscious forces, see: George Weinberg "Invisible Masters: Compulsions and the Fear that Drives Them" Plume NY 1993 and Loren E. Pederson Dark Hearts-The Unconscious Forces that Shape Men's Lives Shambhala, Boston 1991

Editorial Review:

An examination of the feminine and masculine qualities in every person.

The Beginner's Guide to Jungian Psychology

Robin Robertson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Interesting and easy-to-read ispringboard to Jung's ideas 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Jungian psychology is fascinating, nuanced and voluminous, - and Jung's writings themselves are a tough read for someone unacquainted with psychology because he addresses himself to his peers who already understand the jargon. Additionally, Jung being extremely intelligent and intellectual (Robertson, I would say is very intelligent but avoids coming off as intellectual) continually interrelates his ideas to religion, literature, art, mythology, while he writes which, while interesting, makes it hard for a beginner to extract just the basic ideas.

I've read three of Robertson's books on Jung and he has a gift for communicating Jung's basic ideas in a simple and useful manner.

If you have read a bit on Jungian psychology before, this book will re-enforce your knowledge and fill in some of the blanks, - or at the very least shed light on the subject in a different way. If you're new to Jungian psychology this book is an excellent starting point. Sure, - it's limited and not extremely precise - but it's a quick read and will save you a lot of head-scratching once you start reading more in depth treatments of Jung's work.

If you're stuffy or intellectual, this book isn't for you, but if you're looking for a down-to-earth springboard to Jung, this is it!

The Myth of Analysis: Three Essays in Archetypl Psychology

James Hillman

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Acclaimed Jungian James Hillman has published over twenty books on a wide range of issues related to contemporary psychology. Writing on topics as diverse as emotion, the nature of power, psychoanalysis, and human development, Hillman has been praised for his insight, his wit, and his unflinching and honest approach to his subjects. His stature as one of the most popular and readable of those writing about psychology today is indisputable. In The Myth of Analysis, Hillman examines the concepts of myth, insight, eros, body, and the mytheme of female inferiority, as well as the need for the freedom to imagine and to feel psychic reality. By examining these ideas, and the role they have played both in and outside of the therapeutic setting, Hillman mounts a compelling argument that, rather than locking them away in some inner asylum or subjecting them to daily self-treatment, man's "peculiarities' can become an integral part of a rich and fulfilling daily life. Originally published by Northwestern University Press in 1972, this work -- particularly the section "On Psychological Femininity' -- had a profound impact on a nation emerging self-aware from the 1960s, as well as on the era's burgeoning feminist movement and has never been out of print. The Myth of Analysis remains a profound critique of therapy and the psychological viewpoint, and it is one of Hillman's most important and enduring works.