The multi-faceted C. G. Jung finds the answer to his lifelong quest for a third position between the mechanistic nature of sciences and the unquestioning, dogmatic nature of religion, in contemporary physics.
C. G. Jung’s interest in physics is already evident in his early Zofingia writings where he attacks its mechanistic nature and attempts to find a solution to a perceived one-sidedness. He finds the answer in the theory of relativity during his meetings with Albert Einstein in the early 1910s. The immediate influence of the theory can be detected in Jung’s reconceptualization of the libido as psychic energy in 1911-12, a cornerstone notion of his entire psychology. Later, with the help of Wolfgang Pauli, Jung polishes his understanding of physics. Building on his already acquired knowledge of contemporary physics, and with a focus on the notion of complementarity, he proposes the theory of “synchronicity.” We will look at Jung’s continuous employment of physics notions in the development of his theories and at his relationship to notable physicists, such as Albert Einstein and Wolfgang Pauli. Attendees will gain a complex understanding of Jung’s intellectual milieu and the formulation of analytical psychology concepts from this perspective, including how this influenced his work with patients.
