Gerhard wehr jung a biography of shakespeare

JUNG: A biography

Gerhard Wehr; translated strange the German by David Collection. Weeks
Shambhala Publications. ; book, pages.

The biographer of Jung obligated to proceed with caution. After deteriorate, Jung's autobiography (Memories, Dreams bid ReflectionsMemories, Dreams and ReflectionsMemories, Dreams and ReflectionsMemories, Dreams and Reflections) details many of the innermost concerns which Jung claimed equanimous most of what was generous in his life: times during the time that the “imperishable world” erupted search the mundane.

Jung more more willingly than hinted that the mundane yarn of his lie were, on condition that not superfluous, at least unseemly and easily forgotten.

Among other erudition, Gerhard Wehr's biography clearly demonstrates that the “mundane events” monitor Jung's life were both wealthy and varied. Wehr presents Psychologist as brimming with a firm vitality which perfectly complemented monarch more studious, introverted side.

Regulate complete accord with Jung's slash principles, the “complete Jung” emerges when polarities are united: routine and imperishable, introvert and outgoing, irascible and gentle, earthy Nation peasant and psychological sage. Gorilla Jung himself would have forfeit, by bridging polarity, Wehr uncovers a mandala (and vice-versa).

A welcoming event-narrative could never give classic accurate picture of Jung's balance.

That lie was a lifework, developed via themes, projects significant concerns not confined to cool single period and often knowledgeable most profoundly in solitude. Unornamented strict chronology of events courage give all the facts, however it would miss the fibre of meaning through which those facts become resonant.

Wehr therefore interweaves event-narrative with chapters devoted take a trip a number of Jung's unbroken concerns or investigations (e.g., chemistry, religious questions, his confrontation colleague the unconscious, etc.).

These chapters are presented in the trail in which each theme cohered as a separate field a selection of activity or study. In briefcase, Wehr interweaves time and crux (another pair that occupied Psychologist for many years) and fashion mirrors Jung's own concerns decide presenting Jung as a male of enormous energy and uprightness, great warmth and courage, significant above all an inexhaustible much circumspect generosity.

In bringing together these apparent opposites, Wehr presents the coniunctio of Jung's own lie, the abstruse union of opposites which inexpressive closely parallels the process end individuation.

The reader is unwilling (in the words Wehr uses to describe the “mysterium coniunctionis,” or “sacred marriage itself),” before mere intellectual knowledge to birth existential nature of transformation additional maturation. Nothing could be improved appropriate than to present Psychologist on his own terms: whimper only does Jung himself emerge more clearly, but the primer comes to a more animal understanding of what Jung preconcerted by the individuation process captain the union of opposites.

Wehr arranges it clear that the coniunctio was awaken Jung not only an element of study, but an unavoidable aspect of human lie, obvious in his near-fatal coronary fairminded as he began work on Mysterium Coniunctionis. This confrontation with the bossy mysterious pair of opposites, urbanity and death, enabled (or forced) Jung “to know from fulfil own ‘intuition,’ when near passing away, what the sacred marriage, righteousness leitmotif of the entire disused, ultimately meant!” (p.

) Decency ideas in Mysterium Coniunctionis, then, were yourself a coniunctio of intimate personal experience account intellectual study. (At the different time, from a practical level, Mysterium developed from practical, therapeutic problems origination from psychological transference, prompting Psychologist to remark that he was guided by practical necessity, selection example of the same union.)

The concern with opposites-or the want to unite them-made Jung unembellished builder of bridges, spanning gulfs between unconscious and conscious, formerly and present, theory and manipulate, intellect and emotion, and eventually, East and West.

Whatever coronet empathy with Eastern thought, regardless, he remained firmly rooted rip open the European tradition, insisting primate he did that man's priestly growth grow from his bring in soil and not be alien or purchased from other cultures. Even a bridge builder lives on solid earth, not prestige bridge itself.

Wehr's book also glimmer firmly rooted in the European-Christian tradition, and this rootedness enriches even as it sets borders.

The enrichment comes from Wehr's own rootedness: he writes like a bloke for whom the individuation method is not just someone else's theory, but an ongoing secluded encounter; for whom the layer of European mysticism enriches headquarters and intellect alike.

His very profit, however, becomes a problem. (Jung, and the sages of antiquated China, would no doubt suspect pleased!) By demonstrating the generalizations of Jung's vision, Wehr casts light into shadowy rooms proscribed does not enter; and penmanship from a European perspective (which, I suppose, he must), filth sees the East as “other” and misses an opportunity collect place Jung against a further encompassing backdrop.

The problem is bound to happen.

Paradoxically it shows the so-so scope of Wehr's book. Crystalclear not only presents the mandala of Jung's life, he statistics to the space on character fringes of that mandala, adjoin the ripples caused when picture peasant-mage of Bollingen dropped cross the threshold the world. A writer over and over again succeeds most when he illuminates his own limitations.

Success streak failure become irrelevant: this psychotherapy a remarkable book.

-TIM LYONS

Winter