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
A psychoneurosis must be understood, ultimately, as the suffering of a soul which has not discovered its meaning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding psychoneurosis involves recognizing the deep suffering of an individual who has yet to find meaning in life.
Carl Jung's quote emphasizes the psychological struggles faced by individuals, asserting that psychoneurosis—often manifested as mental disorders—stems from a profound existential crisis. This suffering is rooted in the individual's inability to discover a greater purpose or meaning in their life, suggesting that true healing requires an exploration of one's inner self and fundamental beliefs.
Themes
PsychoneurosisMeaningSufferingSoulPurpose
In practice
Example use cases
In a mental health seminar, to illustrate the importance of finding meaning in life.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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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