Memories, Dreams, Reflections

Writing about this book is a pleasure as it rates as one of my favourite books ever. It is, according to James Hillman, who studied under Jung, a book that is healing for many. It's easy to understand why, as it records many impressions from Jung's life which include things many regard as perhaps mad, or strange. It is a book that suggests an honouring of one's own inner truth and experience. It's also a book that allows many people to appreciate Jung's thinking better because this comes form more personal experience than his more scholarly writings which can be difficult. More recent scholarship by Sonu Shamdasani, has raised questions about how much of the book was actually written by Jung. Some of this can be seen in the introduction by Jung's secretary, Aniela Jaffe, who tells the story of how the book was written. Much of what is here is taken from interviews she conducted with Jung, though she says some of the early chapters were actually written by him, as were some of the later thoughts. These strike me as wonderfully profound, and observing some of the mysteries of being in a philosophical/reflective mode. The early chapters concentrate on how Jung grew up, his relationship with his parents and his decision to study medicine. There are also chapters about his relationship with Sigmund Freud, his travels to Africa and America, his confrontation with the unconscious and final reflections where Jung states how near the end of his life he felt still felt unfamiliar with himself. Much of this can be seen as myth making. There are many things which were left out, some of them more because of Jung's successors wishes than the man himself. Yet in it there is still much that is moving and interesting even if there is often little that reveals much about his relationships with his wife and family, though he states they helped ground him at a time described as his confrontation with the unconscious, which some others would call a breakdown. We now know more about this from The Red Book: Liber Novus (Philemon) which is mentioned in the text and some dreams recorded in it also appear in this book. That said this is still a fascinating read about Jung's interior landscape which many will find of value. Now some words about this Stellar Classics edition. It has on the cover a facsimile of an old cover which was on British Fontana editions of the text, with the famous Karsh portrait there. On the back there is one of the Cartier Bresson photos of the man, one of which appeared in American editions. The text itself appears to be a facsimile of the Fontana edition available elsewhere with different cover. There are none of the photographic plates from the British edition, thought there is the text of the Six Sermons on the Dead which appeared in American editions. This one is also in larger type. Details to consider if purchasing the book for the first time. All current paperback editions I know are well produced. I leave it to readers to choose which they prefer.

Brilliant book

Interesting thoughts from the man himself, charting his early life through to academia and, eventually, practice. It gives an interesting and valuable insight into his professional journey and growth, the inspiration & influences for his thoughts and ideas and how he changed course several times. Obviously his perspective and therefore not objective at all. It is written in a style and language of its time and a little too wordy and cumbersome in places (for me). A good primer for an explanation of his thoughts and requires something more objective as a companion piece for subsequent reading (in my view).

I ordered this book after reading a quote from the author. I haven't read the book yet and I'm not sure if I ever will. It does look good on my bookshelf though.

I am an amateur into the world of psychology / psychiatry / Jung. I read psychology half a year as an introductory course at entering University. After that, I have from time to time read occational books and articles. So I am an amateur and not at all qualified at talking too much about this subject. But - this meeting with Jung and his world has left - and is going to leave - a lasting impact on me. I have ordered more books by him, so this one proved to be a good starting point. It gives you a glimpse into a real remarkable mind and man. Humble, doing as good as he could he says, someone else might have done better, but he did what he managed to. Now that is one of history's greatest understatements. His journey through religion, alchemy, gnosticism, the occult, psychoanalysis, the world of dreams and visions is a remarkable one. His strange visions in Italy and during meetings with Freud are food for lasting reflections and afterthought. The chapter on life after death is touching. The story of the Seven sermons for the dead likeways. My only small "objection" is that some small parts of the first chapters - on his childhood and education - might be a bit repetitive. Cutting down 20-30 pages could have made the first half of the book slightly more tight. But then, his strolling through life, following his sudden impulses and no tight scheme is shown in this respect too, so who am I to make this objection? Buy it - read it - and don't you ever forget it!

Although presented as an autobiography, 'Memories, Dreams, Reflections' was the project of German Jungian Analyst Aniela Jaffe, written with the permission and assistance of C G Jung in his very late years. It is not, at his request, considered part of his 'Collected Works'. Jung's personal relationships are outside the scope of this book - rather he agreed only to share aspects of his life relevant to his ideas. To ensure this, Jung himself wrote the chapters concerning his childhood and school days, and also a chapter 'Late Thoughts' which is a commentry on how the carefully selected exposures are linked to his life's work. Chapters primarily written by Jaffe cover Jung's divergence from Freudian Psychology, his confrontation with his own unconscious (which really helps unlock the meaning behind his famous 'Red Book'), influences from other cultures and summaries of his major works. All are illustrated using real case examples and vivid dream recollections and make for an enjoyable read. Perhaps the most frank and revealing part of the book is the brief final chapter in which a somewhat solemn tone is taken in describing a path that was in many ways lonely to experience. Whilst it is by no means a substitution for Jung's papers themselves, this book is a very compelling insight into the life and experiences that led to the development of his theories. It adds a new level of understanding to a serious student, and provides an easy to read account of a highly influential psychologist to many others.

This book is a hidden gem. The way Jung has unveiled his life is the peak of literature, science and numinousity. Loved it!

This book started coming apart, but I didn’t start reading it for awhile, so didn’t realise & missed the refund window! Pages have been falling out. Very disappointed ☹️

It's an awesome book but not really an autobiography as he hardly talks about his personal life apart from his parents and childhood. He barely mentions his wife and kids. It's a book about his professional life, cases he studied and shows a real interest in helping patients. Definitely worth reading if you are interested in the human psyche. The importance of dreams, how the mind works and a life dedicated to helping patients With seriously troubled lives.

Book arrived shrink wrapped and in good condition. It's a 2019 paper back edition published by William Collins, UK. Excellent book to read after reading Jung's Map of the Soul by Murray Stein and Soul-Making by Christina Becker (memoir, self-help). It's also the book that seems to be referenced often by Robert Johnson in his book, Inner Work. This book is an autobiography of Carl Jung and he directed for this book to be excluded from his Collected Works. Still it's a gem to read and understand his personal experiences, ideas, thinking, and individuation journey. At close to 500 pages, it's quite hefty. Have just begun reading and the writing has been easy to digest given its narrative format. It's helpful that explanatory notes are added to aid those new to Jungian terminology. At the onset, one can already see how the struggles to create this autobiography reflects Jung's wisdom and thoughts. Highly recommend for those on the path of soul making, of individuation.

5 estrelas e muitos sonhos, memórias e reflexões para esta obra prima de Jung em uma edição perfeita e com muitas gravuras.