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On the Nature of the Psyche
Extracted from Volume 8. Includes the title essay and "On Psychic Energy."
166 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
52 people are currently reading
862 people want to read
About the author
C.G. Jung
1,882 books11.6k followersCarl Gustav Jung (/jʊŋ/; German: [ˈkarl ˈɡʊstaf jʊŋ]), often referred to as C. G. Jung, was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology. Jung proposed and developed the concepts of extraversion and introversion; archetypes, and the collective unconscious. His work has been influential in psychiatry and in the study of religion, philosophy, archeology, anthropology, literature, and related fields. He was a prolific writer, many of whose works were not published until after his death.
The central concept of analytical psychology is individuation—the psychological process of integrating the opposites, including the conscious with the unconscious, while still maintaining their relative autonomy. Jung considered individuation to be the central process of human development.
Jung created some of the best known psychological concepts, including the archetype, the collective unconscious, the complex, and synchronicity. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular psychometric instrument, has been developed from Jung's theory of psychological types.
Though he was a practising clinician and considered himself to be a scientist, much of his life's work was spent exploring tangential areas such as Eastern and Western philosophy, alchemy, astrology, and sociology, as well as literature and the arts. Jung's interest in philosophy and the occult led many to view him as a mystic, although his ambition was to be seen as a man of science. His influence on popular psychology, the "psychologization of religion", spirituality and the New Age movement has been immense.
The central concept of analytical psychology is individuation—the psychological process of integrating the opposites, including the conscious with the unconscious, while still maintaining their relative autonomy. Jung considered individuation to be the central process of human development.
Jung created some of the best known psychological concepts, including the archetype, the collective unconscious, the complex, and synchronicity. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular psychometric instrument, has been developed from Jung's theory of psychological types.
Though he was a practising clinician and considered himself to be a scientist, much of his life's work was spent exploring tangential areas such as Eastern and Western philosophy, alchemy, astrology, and sociology, as well as literature and the arts. Jung's interest in philosophy and the occult led many to view him as a mystic, although his ambition was to be seen as a man of science. His influence on popular psychology, the "psychologization of religion", spirituality and the New Age movement has been immense.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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September 12, 2025I am not qualified to rate this book. Respectfully
October 31, 2018
This book is comprised of two of 18 essays of Volume 8 of the Collected Works: "On Psychic Energy" and "On the Nature of the Psyche".
And now I've finished reading them yet again, several years after my first foray and after much more reading and personal growth. With that time these essays have become incredible discoveries and challenges to the idea of self, ego, consciousness and our relationship to the unconscious. These have challenged me to yet again revise my understanding of Self and ego and energy to the point of it being a shift in paradigm for me.
These essays have become more powerful and meaningful with age and continuous self reflection. And now I wonder what I may see in them in another 10 years? They are powerful and very important essays for anyone interested in looking at themselves with acuity and honesty.
And now I've finished reading them yet again, several years after my first foray and after much more reading and personal growth. With that time these essays have become incredible discoveries and challenges to the idea of self, ego, consciousness and our relationship to the unconscious. These have challenged me to yet again revise my understanding of Self and ego and energy to the point of it being a shift in paradigm for me.
These essays have become more powerful and meaningful with age and continuous self reflection. And now I wonder what I may see in them in another 10 years? They are powerful and very important essays for anyone interested in looking at themselves with acuity and honesty.
February 16, 2025
This book includes two quintessential essays that epitomize Jung’s mature thoughts. The first essay strives to explain the relationship between psychic energy and physical energy, while the second explores the connection between energism and the idea of archetypes—one of Jung’s central concepts.
What does energism mean? Jung identified two types of theories for explaining processes: mechanistic-causality and finality-dynamism. The former proceeds from cause to effect (a → b → c), while the latter moves from a state of high energy (or disequilibrium) toward a more stable state via entropy. In other words, a turns into b turns into c, but at the same time, it could be x turns into y turns into c. What matters is not the specific nature of the cause or effect but rather the relationship between the aspects. As long as a relationship exists between things, they all proceed toward the ultimate goal of a stable state.
A novice reader of psychoanalysis may surmise from the previous discussion that causality is being attributed to Freud. Freud reduced the processes of consciousness (and unconsciousness) to the power of sexuality, where everything originates from the repression of sexual desires. While Freud’s theory explains the fall of Man, it fails to provide an adequate explanation of the therapeutic process. A person may experience catharsis upon discovering that his promiscuity stems from a mother fixation—that his psychosexual development was stunted at the phallic stage, and so on. But what comes next? How does one move forward? Jung countered that we do not gain enlightenment by bringing more light to the light, but rather by making the dark bright.
Thus, he proposed the idea of finality, arguing that psychic processes progress toward a goal of stability. The initial state of high energy and conflict may arise from various sources (a or x or any other factor), of which repressed sexuality is merely one possible explanation. The movement toward equilibrium is what Jung termed the individuation process, wherein the conflicted self seeks to resolve internal oppositions and achieve integration.
But what exactly is the self striving toward? Even Freud recognized recurring patterns in the dreams of his patients, but he interpreted them through the lens of causality, reducing everything back to sexuality. Jung, however, realized that Freud’s theory failed to account for a progressive pattern he observed in his own patients. This became particularly evident in his analysis of Miss A, where he discovered the centering process of consciousness. Through her active imagination, Miss A repeatedly created mandala symbols, which became more complete as therapy progressed. This observation, among many others, reinforced Jung’s conception of finality-dynamism in psychic energy and the individuation process. The mandala belonged to a broader concept Jung termed archetypes.
As an intuitive thinker, Jung perceived the world differently from most people, who are largely sensory-oriented. His ideas are not alien to Islamic metaphysicians, who, rather than viewing the world as a static, mind-independent entity, perceive Reality as dynamic and self-disclosing. Jung conceived of the archetype as a master blueprint through which all things are revealed. When an archetype manifests at the somatic level, it appears as an instinct, where free will plays little role. Consider an ant carrying a sugar speck back to its nest—this process requires the image of the ant, the sugar, the path, the nest, and the act of transport. Yet, these images are inseparable from the events they disclose, in a way that the actors (the ant, the environment) have no conscious role in them. The same applies to our digestive system, planetary movements, and the laws of physics.
But the archetype can also disclose itself in the psychical realm, serving as the locus of psychological motivations. A person whose self is constellated around the image of a seducing mother may direct his psychic energy toward promiscuity and unstable relationships, and so on. Across the somatic, psychical, and spiritual realms, archetypes manifest in varying gradients of instantiation. Thus, Man continually constellates himself around archetypal patterns, engaging in successive conflicts and resolutions, with the ultimate goal of transforming a dissonant image into a more stable and holistic one.
During my treatment of a schizophrenic patient, whose delusions and hallucinations were based on the Chinese epic Journey to the West, I gradually observed a transformation in her delusion of possession—from the eternally accursed Pig Demon to the River Demon, who eventually attained nirvana. This shift reflected her growing reconciliation with her sense of guilt and self-worth as a schizophrenic patient.
What does energism mean? Jung identified two types of theories for explaining processes: mechanistic-causality and finality-dynamism. The former proceeds from cause to effect (a → b → c), while the latter moves from a state of high energy (or disequilibrium) toward a more stable state via entropy. In other words, a turns into b turns into c, but at the same time, it could be x turns into y turns into c. What matters is not the specific nature of the cause or effect but rather the relationship between the aspects. As long as a relationship exists between things, they all proceed toward the ultimate goal of a stable state.
A novice reader of psychoanalysis may surmise from the previous discussion that causality is being attributed to Freud. Freud reduced the processes of consciousness (and unconsciousness) to the power of sexuality, where everything originates from the repression of sexual desires. While Freud’s theory explains the fall of Man, it fails to provide an adequate explanation of the therapeutic process. A person may experience catharsis upon discovering that his promiscuity stems from a mother fixation—that his psychosexual development was stunted at the phallic stage, and so on. But what comes next? How does one move forward? Jung countered that we do not gain enlightenment by bringing more light to the light, but rather by making the dark bright.
Thus, he proposed the idea of finality, arguing that psychic processes progress toward a goal of stability. The initial state of high energy and conflict may arise from various sources (a or x or any other factor), of which repressed sexuality is merely one possible explanation. The movement toward equilibrium is what Jung termed the individuation process, wherein the conflicted self seeks to resolve internal oppositions and achieve integration.
But what exactly is the self striving toward? Even Freud recognized recurring patterns in the dreams of his patients, but he interpreted them through the lens of causality, reducing everything back to sexuality. Jung, however, realized that Freud’s theory failed to account for a progressive pattern he observed in his own patients. This became particularly evident in his analysis of Miss A, where he discovered the centering process of consciousness. Through her active imagination, Miss A repeatedly created mandala symbols, which became more complete as therapy progressed. This observation, among many others, reinforced Jung’s conception of finality-dynamism in psychic energy and the individuation process. The mandala belonged to a broader concept Jung termed archetypes.
As an intuitive thinker, Jung perceived the world differently from most people, who are largely sensory-oriented. His ideas are not alien to Islamic metaphysicians, who, rather than viewing the world as a static, mind-independent entity, perceive Reality as dynamic and self-disclosing. Jung conceived of the archetype as a master blueprint through which all things are revealed. When an archetype manifests at the somatic level, it appears as an instinct, where free will plays little role. Consider an ant carrying a sugar speck back to its nest—this process requires the image of the ant, the sugar, the path, the nest, and the act of transport. Yet, these images are inseparable from the events they disclose, in a way that the actors (the ant, the environment) have no conscious role in them. The same applies to our digestive system, planetary movements, and the laws of physics.
But the archetype can also disclose itself in the psychical realm, serving as the locus of psychological motivations. A person whose self is constellated around the image of a seducing mother may direct his psychic energy toward promiscuity and unstable relationships, and so on. Across the somatic, psychical, and spiritual realms, archetypes manifest in varying gradients of instantiation. Thus, Man continually constellates himself around archetypal patterns, engaging in successive conflicts and resolutions, with the ultimate goal of transforming a dissonant image into a more stable and holistic one.
During my treatment of a schizophrenic patient, whose delusions and hallucinations were based on the Chinese epic Journey to the West, I gradually observed a transformation in her delusion of possession—from the eternally accursed Pig Demon to the River Demon, who eventually attained nirvana. This shift reflected her growing reconciliation with her sense of guilt and self-worth as a schizophrenic patient.
April 2, 2018
3.5
If you have latin, french, german or any other language dropped throughout a book written primarily in english, I think the foreign language phrases should have a translation. Only a few did.
I got lost when he started on the alchemical stuff, partly because of the above, but partly because it was a bit beyond me.
"In view of the unsusual difficulties of my theme, the reader may pardon the undue demands I have made upon his goodwill and attention. Fundamental discussions are among the things that mould a science into shape, but they are seldom entertaining."
Yeah.
If you have latin, french, german or any other language dropped throughout a book written primarily in english, I think the foreign language phrases should have a translation. Only a few did.
I got lost when he started on the alchemical stuff, partly because of the above, but partly because it was a bit beyond me.
"In view of the unsusual difficulties of my theme, the reader may pardon the undue demands I have made upon his goodwill and attention. Fundamental discussions are among the things that mould a science into shape, but they are seldom entertaining."
Yeah.
July 28, 2018
Such a short book and it stretches, challenges, tortures your mind. Recommended for those who are content with what they already know.
September 24, 2021
I understand even less about why I am so messed up but I am learning the words
September 8, 2025
I opened this book after finishing Modern Man in Search for a Soul as I dived deeper into Jung's writings and teachings. With the benefit of hindsight, I think that this book would have served as a better introduction than my first read, but this did not hinder its contents.
The difficulity of the book is similar to that of Modern Man in Search for a Soul but more specialised towards giving a deeper dive into Jung's ideas of how the Psyche works and its components, therefore serving as a good introduction before one reads about Jung's other ideas of the anima and animus. The book presents the reader with Jung's relationship with his mentor Freud, before moving onto his view of the Psyche being a closed system where each conscious action must have an equal reaction in the unconscious to retain a balance (a rather important characterisation when one considers that energy cannot be destroyed and only transferred or transformed).
The book also presents the reader with Jung's idea of the unconscious and the collective unconscious, as well as his popular formulation of the shadow (the repressed contents of the unconscious). Overall, an excellent read.
The difficulity of the book is similar to that of Modern Man in Search for a Soul but more specialised towards giving a deeper dive into Jung's ideas of how the Psyche works and its components, therefore serving as a good introduction before one reads about Jung's other ideas of the anima and animus. The book presents the reader with Jung's relationship with his mentor Freud, before moving onto his view of the Psyche being a closed system where each conscious action must have an equal reaction in the unconscious to retain a balance (a rather important characterisation when one considers that energy cannot be destroyed and only transferred or transformed).
The book also presents the reader with Jung's idea of the unconscious and the collective unconscious, as well as his popular formulation of the shadow (the repressed contents of the unconscious). Overall, an excellent read.
April 7, 2025
This book is an overview of Jungian analytical psychology. If you wish to understand what Jung gave to this world, this book is for you. It's not a long book though, it's size is perfect for a clear and accessible understanding.
What I liked the most was his comprehensive explanation of Jung's views about religion not as a doctrine but as a psychological phenomenon. Despite me being a harsh critic of religion throughout half of my life, he has put the points on the Is and gave me a new perspective of the matter at hand. A perspective very needed in times like these.
On a final note, this quote can summarize my interest in that book:
What I liked the most was his comprehensive explanation of Jung's views about religion not as a doctrine but as a psychological phenomenon. Despite me being a harsh critic of religion throughout half of my life, he has put the points on the Is and gave me a new perspective of the matter at hand. A perspective very needed in times like these.
On a final note, this quote can summarize my interest in that book:
The predominance of one or the other point of view depends less upon the objective behavior of things than upon the psychological attitude of the investigator and thinker.
September 23, 2025
Another dense work I'll have to read again. One simply cannot fathom Jung.. even a single page of his work is thick with insight and wisdom for which one must become as wise to fully absorb. It seems ever more apparent that Jung's observations are correct in my world. Night into Day. Past into Future.. Enantiodromia.. Archetypes.
At the limits of my capacity to think and feel is something of a dance between inorganic and organic. Body and Soul. If you look at something. How much of that something is in you? And how much of it is outside of you? It's becoming more acute to science that an object's attitude is determined by its observer.. and there you have it! A medium through which the mind touches matter and the psyche meets the cell...
At the limits of my capacity to think and feel is something of a dance between inorganic and organic. Body and Soul. If you look at something. How much of that something is in you? And how much of it is outside of you? It's becoming more acute to science that an object's attitude is determined by its observer.. and there you have it! A medium through which the mind touches matter and the psyche meets the cell...
July 27, 2019
I've read a decent amount Jung's work and I'm always taken it back by how much of a polymath he was. Outside of psychology he was educated in philosophy, theology, languages, physics, etc. All before the invention of Google. In this work the reader will find many of Jung's hypotheses apropos of the psyche, as well as comments on theology and philosophy.
May 15, 2023
Revolutionary at the time of its publishing, and now over-quoted and further enhanced with the passage of time and acceptance of his theories. After countless readings of psychology, I didn't learn much from this, but there are still gems hidden in his words to this day.
September 11, 2023
When the author is the worst advocate for their own ideas.
November 9, 2024
Um livro fundamental pra compreender Jung, embora não seja para iniciantes. Achei muito interessante e claro. Apresenta boa parte das bases epistemológicas para a sua Psicologia.
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December 8, 2024I understood 1% of this book. Help! I need material for someone like me to understand Jung!
July 23, 2025
#psychicintroduction
November 13, 2024
On the Nature of the Psyche is a fascinating dive into some of Jung's most complex and foundational ideas. This book really cements Jung’s break from Freud, he pushes beyond personal experience to explore a deeper layer of the psyche that he sees as shared across all of humanity—the collective unconscious. Jung argues that this unconscious realm isn't just a dumping ground for repressed memories but a reservoir of universal symbols and themes, or archetypes, that show up in myths, dreams, and art across cultures. These archetypes are constantly evolving through time and experience, making the psyche not just a static structure but a dynamic, iterative process. What is compelling throughout is how Jung demonstrates how his own theories developed through philosophy, religion, and ancient ideas. It's a dense read, but it’s also one of those books that offers something new each time you return to it.
December 18, 2019
Thought provoking as usual. Very dense.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews