Boundaries of the Soul [Paperback]

June Singer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

After thirteen printings and with nearly 100,000 copies in print since its publication twenty years ago, Boundaries Of The Soul has become recognized as THE classic introduction to Jung and the practice of Jung's psychology.  The book has been described as "the clearest and most coherent exposition of Jung's total thought," by Robertson Davies, and Alan Watts has called Dr. Singer "one of the great masters of the art." Now, in a completely revised edition of Boundaries Of The Soul, Dr. Singer incorporates the latest developments in Jungian psychology over the last two decades, particularlv in the areas of masculine/feminine relationships, the use of psychotherapeutic drugs, and the evolution of Jung's concept and personality types and its application both clinically and in the world of business and industry.  In addition, the case histories, so central to understanding many of Jung's concepts, have been re-examined and revised where necessary to correspond to the spirit of today's world. The updated edition of Boundaries Of The Soul should reaffirm the book's long-standing reputation as the best introduction to Jung's thought available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In a way one might say that this book ought not to have been published, because it gives away the essential secrets of psychotherapy and is from the pen of one of the great masters of the art."--Alan Watts

"It is so deep and so rich and so lucid."--Anais Nin

From the Publisher

After thirteen printings and with nearly 100,000 copies in print since its publication twenty years ago, Boundaries Of The Soul has become recognized as THE classic introduction to Jung and the practice of Jung's psychology. The book has been described as "the clearest and most coherent exposition of Jung's total thought," by Robertson Davies, and Alan Watts has called Dr. Singer "one of the great masters of the art." Now, in a completely revised edition of Boundaries Of The Soul, Dr. Singer incorporates the latest developments in Jungian psychology over the last two decades, particularlv in the areas of masculine/feminine relationships, the use of psychotherapeutic drugs, and the evolution of Jung's concept and personality types and its application both clinically and in the world of business and industry. In addition, the case histories, so central to understanding many of Jung's concepts, have been re-examined and revised where necessary to correspond to the spirit of today's world. The updated edition of Boundaries Of The Soul should reaffirm the book's long-standing reputation as the best introduction to Jung's thought available.

"In a way one might say that this book ought not to have been published, because it gives away the essential secrets of psychotherapy and is from the pen of one of the great masters of the art."--Alan Watts

"It is so deep and so rich and so lucid."--Anais Nin

0385420501

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Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; Rev Upd Su edition (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385475292
• ISBN-13: 978-0385475297
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Behavioral Sciences > Behavioral Psychology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great work, September 1, 2000

By 

Leo E. Walsh "ebraynz" (Mentor, Oh United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Boundaries of the Soul (Paperback)

I have to write a review, since there seem to be a lot of negative comments on this board about this book, which I find misleading.

Jung is not easy. If some readers think that Singer is unfocused and unscientific, Id suggest their going to the source. Jungs writings meander like the subconscious streams he plummets into. His thinking is generally inter-relational and holistic, not as mechanistic and simplistic as Freuds theories tend to be. Jung wasnt happy with merely restoring a patients ego to the status-quo; he wanted to know and understand the whole-shebang. He had an inkling that there was more to reality than rational systems could explain, and spent his life exploring this realization.

Basically, Freud was a depth psychologist using a mechanistic model, where humans are seen as separate units being driven by internal engines, whereas Jungs model is closer to a quantum theory of the subconscious mind, with humans, indeed all reality, connected by a field on the deep level that is incompatible with "ego" functioning. All things, he seems to say, affect all other things, just as a lot of quantum mechanical experiments illustrate about the physical world. He called this "inter-realtedness" the collective subconscious for lack of a better term, I suppose.

Both views, by the way, are essential; simply two sides of the same coin. Freud developed a more practical, easier to use system, but Jung is the superior theorist.

I think Singer not only does an admirable job explaining Jung. Though it takes some work to read, I really like the way she illustrates examples with stories from her practice. She organizes and humanizes the often incomprehensible theories of Jung with real-world examples. I have read the book four times in my life, and have found it ever more reliable and insightful as I grow older. While I still love to ponder Jung, without Singer and her real-world case studies, I would have been lost.

As an aside, I would suggest to anyone doubting the difference in the sexes to pick up Jean Shinoda Bolens "The Goddesses in Everywoman" and "The Gods in Everyman" for a modern, post-feminist perspective on these issues. Her point, as well as Jungs, is that men and women are different. Equally powerful, but different.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rich & deep introduction to Jung, January 5, 2005

By 

William Timothy Lukeman - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Boundaries of the Soul (Paperback)

I first read this wonderful book some 30-odd years ago, and I've returned to it many times since. It remains one of the best introductions to Jung's thought & basic concepts that I know. Singer's personal touch, both in her own case histories & her autobiographical anecdotes, add to the book; the feeling is one of listening to a wise woman, rather than hearing a dry lecture. Singer not only knows her material intellectually, she knows it in her soul, and that comes through on every page. This book made me start paying attention to my dreams, and gave me a much-needed framework for understanding my life at a crucial time, when I was most in need of such a framework.

While the revised & updated edition is excellent, I'd also recommend reading the original 1972 edition if you can find it. For example, Singer's chapter on Jung & the Counterculture is superb, and not nearly as dated as the author herself believed; in any case, it provides a valuable on-the-spot account of Jungian thought & its intersection with the 1960s, the impact of which is still being felt today. Yet it's also fascinating to read the follow-up stories of some of her patients in the newer edition.

Jung is a much better known name today than when this book first appeared, but his thought isn't always as well understood as it might be. Let Singer take you on a revelatory tour of the Psyche & learn far more about both Jung & yourself than you ever imagined. Highly recommended!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You feel like you are being analyzed by a great mind, November 10, 2003

By 

Scott David Smith (Springfield) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boundaries of the Soul (Paperback)

I have now read this book twice during crisis in my life and find June Singer's book on Jung the most accessible, understandable approach to Jungian analytical psychology that I have ever read. (I have read about 4000 pages of Jung's own work and undertood much of it.)

It is helpful to have a woman's approach to how the analytical process actually happens. She gives away the secrets as to how analysis ought to be done by a faithful but always questioning Jungian analyst.

I recommend this book for anyone who has problems, who has an interest in psychology, or wants to understand how really advanced therapies such as analytical psychology (depth analysis) actually works.