C. G. Jung (1875 – 1961)
Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961), Swiss psychiatrist and founder of the school of Analytical Psychology, is considered one of the godfathers of transpersonal psychology. It became clear to Jung five years after his initial contact with Freud in 1907 that basic disagreements existed between them about the nature of the human psyche, particularly in the following four areas: (a) the importance of sexuality as the primary motivation of behavior, (b) the belief that the subconscious portion of the personality was primarily a repository of infantile, primitive, destructive impulses, (c) the view of the ego as a very weak portion of the self that must defend itself against other areas of the self that are far stronger and more dangerous and that the ego’s function was restrictive rather than expansive, and (d) the limitation of cognition and memory to the personal experiences of the individual. These disagreements provided the necessary impetus for Jung to broaden Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical approach to produce a more inclusive, integrative understanding of the psyche’s greater existence.
C.G. Jung’s Contributions to Transpersonal Psychiatry and Psychology
Contributions of Jung to transpersonal psychiatry. Transpersonal psychiatrist Bruce Scotton (1996, pp. 39-40) lists Jung’s numerous contributions to the field of transpersonal psychiatry.
The notion that psychological development includes growth to higher levels of consciousness and continues throughout life.
The concept that the transcendent lies within and is available to each individual.
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The willingness to explore the wisdom traditions of other cultures for insights relevant to clinical work.
The recognition that healing and growth often result from experiences of symbolic imagery or states of consciousness that cannot be grasped by rational deduction.
“Jung’s work in the transpersonal realm prefigured much of what is current in the field” (Scotton, 1996, p. 39). Twelve of C.G. Jung’s contributions important to the conceptual and methodological development of modern transpersonal psychology will be briefly described, including:
Opening the subject of the spiritual reality of the psyche to scientific inquiry.
Described the objective nature of the human psyche.
Outspoken critic of the materialistic bias of modern experimental psychology.
Posited the existence of a collective or transpersonal unconscious.
Openly espoused of the cause of parapsychological research.
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