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Psyche and Matter (C. G. Jung Foundation Books)

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These 12 essays, written between 1960-1986, show Marie-Louise von Franz, C.G. Jung's longtime colleague, at her best. She addresses typical Jungian themes--archetypes, dreams, alchemy, synchronicity, time--with uncommon lucidity.

Whether you agree with Jung's theories or not, there is no doubt that he vastly expanded the field of the mind and the language with which to investigate it. Unfortunately for some of us with simpler minds, his language was sometimes so flooded with esoteric reference, arcane symbolism, and mythological allusion that his treatises are difficult to wade through. Marie-Louise von Franz acts as a filter for Jung's sometimes turbulent and opaque stream of consciousness. She separates out the superfluous and clarifies the convoluted. The ideas and hypotheses that remain are still fairly complex, but her astute interpretations are very helpful.

Two of the essays deal brilliantly with time. One of them, Time: Rhythm and Repose, is the backbone of the book by the same name, brought out by Thames and Hudson, with wonderful illustrations. Five of the essays deal with synchronicity, which Marie-Louise boils down to something like this: An unconscious image arises into consciousness as a dream, an idea, or a premonition. This mental representation coincides with an external event that is equivalent in meaning. Something already present internally has become externally verifiable. However, equivalents of this type often take place in the absence of an observer who can perceive their meaning. Thus, meaning is an unalienable part of the synchronistic phenomena.

This is, by no means, the end of the discussion, but in it you have the thematic thread that runs through the essays: that mind and matter are two sides of one coin, and that the meaning we give the coin determines its value. Or as Marie-Louise says: " ...at such times, physical and psychic worlds are two facets of the same reality."

All in all, these are elegant elaborations on Jung's complicated themes, and are wonderfully enriching to read.

Physics is grappling with the same problems that Marie Louise von Franz tackles in her book, Psyche and Matter. An amazing book of insights which help clarify that relationship between matter and psyche...or that they are the same: just different perspectives.