Grounded in the natural philosophy of the Middle Ages, alchemy formed a bridge: on the one hand into the past, to Gnosticism, and on the other into the future, to the modern psychology of the unconscious.
Carl JungRead
The Christ-symbol is of the greatest importance for psychology in so far as it is perhaps the most highly developed and differentiated symbol of the self, apart from the figure of the Buddha.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The Christ-symbol represents an essential aspect of the self in psychology, comparable to the Buddha's figure.
Carl Jung suggests that the Christ-symbol holds profound significance in psychology, serving as an advanced representation of the self. He compares its complexity to that of the Buddha, indicating that both symbols provide deep insights into human consciousness and identity, reflecting the journey and struggles of self-realization.
Themes
Christ-SymbolSelfPsychologyBuddhaIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a psychology class discussing archetypes, this quote can help illustrate the Christ-symbol's role in understanding the self.
More from Carl Jung
All quotes →The majority of my patients consisted not of believers but of those who had lost their faith.
Carl JungRead
Complexes are psychic contents which are outside the control of the conscious mind. They have been split off from consciousness and lead a separate existence in the unconscious, being at all times ready to hinder or to reinforce the conscious intentions.
Carl JungRead
We are in a far better position to observe instincts in animals or in primitives than in ourselves. This is due to the fact that we have grown accustomed to scrutinizing our own actions and to seeking rational explanations for them.
Carl JungRead
From the viewpoint of analytic psychology, the theatre, aside from any aesthetic value, may be considered as an institution for the treatment of the mass complex.
Carl JungRead
I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among those in the second half of life - that is to say, over 35 - there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life.
Carl JungRead
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