Carl Gustav Jung, humble in the face of the mystery of the human unconscious.

Carl Gustav Jung (1875.1961)

Autographed letter signed "CG Jung  " to Forum magazine.

Two quarto pages in English, on paper with his letterhead Dr. CG Jung.

Küsnacht-Zurich. December 17, 1929.

"All my books and articles are still just fragments flying away from the enormous block of unsolved mystery.". »

An extraordinary letter revealing the complexity and richness of Jungian thought, as well as the psychiatrist's humility in the face of the mystery of the human unconscious.

___________________________________

"Dear Sir, Enclosed, I am sending you my manuscript on the  complications of American psychology . I sincerely hope you will be kind enough to correct my style, which, I fear, is not very good. I would be most grateful if you would let me know if there is any chance I might obtain thirty or so reprints? There are quite a few people here to whom I would like to send a copy."

As for your question concerning the general confession of my belief, I must say that I have weighed it in my mind. It should be, as I suppose, a confession of one's convictions or intuitions about ultimate things,  a kind of subjective eschatology. That is precisely what I am striving to achieve. But, my dear sir, it is something I have been working on for many years in a desperately slow manner, and all my books and articles are still only shards flying from the enormous block of still unsolved mystery .

How could I ever hope to find the words to describe the endless journeys into the depths and heights of life? My vision categorically demands words and formulas that have not yet been invented. Platitudes would be utterly inadequate, for  the mystery of life is not something to be taken lightly. And besides, before I could even utter a word about my convictions, I would have to describe the things about which I hold convictions, and that's where the trouble begins.

Have the Upanishads ever exhausted the mystery of Brahman? Or Buddhist philosophy the ineffable being and non-being of the Tao? I could not speak lightly of ultimate convictions, even though I knew what to say about them. But I don't even know how to describe them. The only thing I can express accurately is my conviction that these are powerful and wonderful things, of which we know too little. Sincerely, C.G. Jung.

___________________________________

In the April 1930 issue, The Forum (a New York magazine published from 1885 to 1950 and edited at the time by Henry Goddard Leach) published an article under the title Your Negroid and Indian Behavior or The Complications of American Psychology in which Jung, after several stays in the United States, reports his impressions of American psychology, influenced, he thinks, by the relations between Blacks and Native Americans.

Original version: “Dear Sir, Here enclosed I send you my MS about the Complications of American Psychology. I seriously hope you will be good enough, to correct my style, which I am afraid, is not very good. I should be much obliged, if you kindly let me know, whether there is a chance for me, to get about thirty reprints? There is quite a number of people over here, to whom I should like to send one. As to your question concerning the general confession of my creed, I must say, that I weighed it in my mind. It ought to be, as I assume, a confession of one's convictions or intuitions about ultimate things, a sort of subjective eschatology. That is exactly the thing I am striving to get at. But, my dear Sir, that is a thing, on which I am laboring since many years in a desperately slow way, and all my books and articles are still only chips flying away from the enormous block of still unsolved mystery. endless visits into depths and heights of life? My vision categorically demands words and formulas that are not yet invented. Platitudes would not do at all, because the mystery of life is no banality. And moreover, before I even could say a word about my convictions, I should have to describe the things, about which I have convictions, and there the trouble begins. Did the Upanishads ever exhaust the mystery of Brahman? Or Buddhist philosophy the inexpressible being and non-being of Tao? I could not talk lightly about ultimate convictions, even if I knew, what to talk about them. But I don't know even, how to describe them. The only thing, I can accurately express, is my convictions, that they are mighty marvelous things, of which we know for too little. Sincerely yours”