Alchemical Active Imagination: Revised Edition (C. G. Jung Foundation Books Series)

Derived from Jan/Feb 1969 lectures @ C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich, this commentary on Gerhard Dorn's 17th c. work complements Jung's "Mysterium Coniunctionis" & "Psychology & Alchemy." It's an advanced book--prior background in Jungian psychology & alchemy are helpful, but p. 21: "One book opens another. Read many books & compare them throughout & then you get the meaning," & this work helps one understand Jung's lengthier/more difficult works. Indeed, despite the erudite material, von Franz clarifies the meaning in her awesome commentary. Per her title, pp. 22-3: "Jung sometimes defined the introverted psychological tradition in alchemy as the art of active imagination with material." Further, p. 147: "Dorn floated over the abysses of the mysteries that Jung was to penetrate." [later]Much of Dorn's work is a symbolic, alchemical journey similar to the Kabbalistic Hekalot, the Divine Comedy, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, or especially Ashcroft-Nowicki's "The Shining Path." His travelers (spiritus, anima & body) resemble the Neshamah, Ruach, & Nefesh in Kabbalah. Dorn reveals brilliant insights into psychology but fails in his attempt to reconcile Christian dogma with alchemy. pp. 12-13: "The ultimate dynamic impulse to become a physicist is based upon the desire to find out more about how God works...The really great & creative scientists have the same motivation as the alchemists: to find out more about that spiritual or divine substance...which lies behind all existence."But, von Franz's also provides enlightening/profound/pithy asides on: dreams, flow ("a constant awareness of the Self"), evil & the shadow, animal & human rituals/games, the Unconscious creating conflict to achieve progress (implying the spiral development model), the psychological basis for divination techniques, & the relationship between individuation & synchronicity. pp. 148-9: "While we normally live in a dual world of `outer' & `inner' events, in a synchronistic event this duality no longer exists; outer events behave as if they were a part of our psyche, so that everything is contained in the same wholeness...To reach that point where outer & inner reality become one is the goal of individuation. Through it one also reaches some of what Jung calls the `absolute knowledge' in the unconscious...At the end point of development (the end stage of the individuation process) the Zen masters are in such a state of harmony with the collective unconscious that they communicate with one another subliminally, they are together in the unus mundus". [Self] This is a brilliant work, my favorite of the 5 I've read.

Great historical perspective in introplus Alchemy made UNDERSTANDABLE! The author has read them (alchemical texts) all "so you don't have to". I am very happy with her book.She explains:1)Historically alchemy has been approached from an "extroverted" (practical or utilitarian) standpoint as well as from the "introverted" method where the elements and processes etc are engaged from within. Both approaches have advanced human endeavors .2)Reason for difficulty in understanding many alchemical texts lies in highly sketchy word choices in the original, and also due to translations as well as purposeful obscurations (proprietary lingo & metaphors) due to the repression of their cultures.If you love Imaginal Work, sneaking up on the Soul, reading a well informed book that gives clear perspective on Alchemy, this book is EXCELLENT.

Von Franz has her way of explaining things way easier to understand.

This was the first serious modern work on alchemy that I've read, and boy did I luck out! It is a work charged with authenticity and vision. von Franz gives you some historical background on the origins of alchemy, then introduces this 16th century alchemist, Gerhard Dorn, and his inner and outer struggle to illuminate and heal the schism between spiritual alchemy and Western Christianity. Dorn doesn't come to any happy conclusions, but the chapter on Medieval Magic is worth the entire read. It includes a serious attempt to examine the question of evil (oh thank you!)and the historical process of projecting the contents of the psyche onto some aspect of the body. Also an inspiring section on the "cloud" as symbol in alchemy and christian mysticism for the confusing and darkening part of a person's journey inward to her own core. Also, peppered throughout are juicy tidbits about things like necromancy, pyromancy, hydromancy and something Jung himself was into for a while called Geomancy--which she explains in a brief but fascinating aside. The book is developed from transcripts of a 1969 lecture she gave in Zurich at the Jung Institute. It reads like a lecture, with the rythmns and addendums of the spoken word mostly intact, but obviously translated. That's ok--it flows like pure gold and is a great window into this whole Zurich scene and the living body of work that von Franz and Jung together embodied. This little work is bound to inspire and fuel some aspect of your own imagination. Enjoy!

Thoroughly enjoyed the content. Von Franz clearly has a deep understanding of alchemical and imaginative principles; she weaves a complex story of how these dance in our heads and lives. Also clearly it is translated from the original German and, while fateful to the text, I'm afraid much is lost in translation. That said, if this is of interest to you, there are few authors who can deliver on the promise implicit in the title. Recommend.

Studying alchemical knowledge would never become a subject matter I was proficient at.Such a thing could never happen. When I purchased this book, I had a purpose in mind. Throughout the years, I had read many books on the subject. The reason I purchased this book was to gain insight and truth about God. Even as a Christian, I felt that I had not been taught the truth about God.I completely missed the point of this entire book. This piece of work left me feeling clueless. Because I could not follow the author's logic, I did not bother reading the last 5 or 6 pages. In the past, I had read books about alchemy that were written in layman's terms.I had difficulty understanding the story in this book, and perhaps other readers would enjoy it.

This is a considerably less convoluted treatise on Alchemy and its modern day psychological relevance,than the one produced by Carl Jung.After a couple of chapters explaining the concepts and tracing the history of Alchemy back to Egyptian mummification and the rites of Osiris,the author proceeds to dissect some of the more relevant and more lucid parts of a sixteenth century text written by Gerhard Dorn,a student of Paracelsus.The active imagination referred to in the title concerns the imaginary conversations between the different parts of the undifferentiated psyche and their conflicts,resolutions and final unity.Things do sometimes get complex, especially when Von Franz starts analysing Dorn's shadow projections in his metaphysical conversations,but that's not to say it's indecipherable it just requires more work than the rest of the text to understand. The book works well as a truncated description of individuation and the external effects of the process that manifest in the external environment of the one undergoing the process,it also contains much of the authors own inner gold in clarifying concepts that others make complex.

This book was an excellent introduction to the concept of alchemy in the psychological process of individuation. Like everything of Von Franz's that I have read, it's very readable and at times very entertaining too. Because she uses extensive quotes from seventeenth century alchemist Dorn, her own voice is somewhat lost, and that's a shame. There are important truths in here, and it will take some digesting. If you were looking for a how-to book, this isn't it (I'm not sure there is one, or whether it'd be of value or not). A second slower read is recommended, to pick up the many nuggets of gold that you may miss during a first reading.

Fascinating interesting book full of rich information of interest to any creative person

This is a very difficult book to read, especially for those unfamiliar with Jungian Psychology. The technique of Active Imagination is not for the faint of heart, and it is often recommended that one take up the practice only under the auspices of a qualified therapist or individual. Simplified Active Imagination is a technique that objectifies inner psychic contents via imagination, imaging, meditation, etc. The practitioner processes these contents into external media or practices such as art, music, dance, writing, etc. Objectifying these contents outwardly allows the practitioner to become more conscious of himself and his environment. It promotes "Self Knowledge".

This is a difficult book to read, but, like most things of value, it can be life changing and is well worth the effort.