This book traces the developmental relational theory that emerges from Erich Neumann’s writings, while considering the influences of his life circumstances and relationship with Jung.
It revisions reevaluates and consolidates the emerging theory, in the hope of reviving interest in Neumann’s writings, and to indicate his importance as a Jungian theoretician. This manuscript shows that Neumann’s archetypal developmental relational and metapsychological theory, which effectively supplements Jung’s original writings, is relevant to both theory and therapeutic practice. It presents Neumann’s formulations a synthesis of his various writings and divided between the two poles of psychological development: outlining the advanced stages of the individuation processes and a Jungian archetypal child psychological developmental theory.
The books The Origins and History of Consciousness, The Great Mother, Jacob and Esau, and Depth Psychology and a New Ethic, together with his posthumous book The Child, are at the center of focus. Some of Neumann’s metapsychological Eranos articles serve to support and amplify the central ideas.