Carl Gustav JUNG humbled by the mystery of the human unconscious.

Carl Gustav JUNG (1875.1961)

Autograph letter signed “CG Jung  ” to Forum magazine.

Dr. CG Jung letterhead

Küsnacht-Zurich. December 17, 1929.

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

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

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“Dear Sir, Enclosed, I send you my manuscript on the  complications of American psychology . I seriously hope you will be kind enough to correct my style, which I'm afraid is not very good. I would be very obliged, if you would let me know, if there is any chance for me to obtain around thirty reprints? There are quite a few people here to whom I would like to send a copy.

As for your question regarding 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 beliefs or intuitions about ultimate things,  a kind of subjective eschatology. This is exactly what I strive to achieve. But, my dear sir, this is something that I have been working on for many years in a desperately slow manner, and all my books and articles are still only fragments flying away from the enormous block of mystery still unresolved .

How could I hope to find the words to describe the endless visits to the depths and heights of life? My vision categorically requires words and formulas that have not yet been invented.  Platitudes would not suffice at all, because the mystery of life is not a banality. And besides, before I can even say a word about my beliefs, I would have to describe the things about which I have beliefs, and that's where the trouble begins.

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

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In the April 1930 issue, The Forum (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 in which Jung, after several stays in the United States, reports his impressions on American psychology, influenced, he thinks, by 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 working 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. How could I possibly hope to find the words to describe the 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 ”