Aniela Jaffé presents thoughts and ruminations that Jung shared with her as they prepared Memories, Dreams, Reflections by C.G. Jung. These never-before-published revelations present a kaleidoscope of episodic, philosophical, humorous and enigmatic material, uniquely complementing and expanding on the widely acclaimed MDR.
“Jung allowed his thoughts to flow freely during our conversations, according to the situation and his interests of the moment. When speaking with me he was not hindered by intellectual considerations of possible criticism. It didn’t concern him that his words and insights might require further thoughtful reflection before they could be deemed coherent or valid. If I managed to touch upon a point of interest, Jung did not just answer my question, but followed his train of thought further.”
– Aniela Jaffé, from the Introduction
The historical commentary by Elena Fischli illuminates the biographical work with C.G. Jung on the basis of source material. How did the conversations and the notes of Aniela Jaffé come about? What was the nature of the relationship and collaboration between her and Jung? How did others deal with their work? And finally, who was this woman who was so candidly given such a glimpse into Jung’s inner life?
Also available in the original German: Streiflichter zu Leben und Denken C.G. Jungs
One of the most distinguished interpreters of C.G. Jung’s ideas, Aniela Jaffé was born in Berlin and studied psychology at the University of Hamburg. With the outbreak of World War II, she emigrated to Switzerland and soon began to train with the psychiatrist C.G. Jung. Frau Jaffé’s reputation as a lucid and authoritative writer was established through her collaboration with Jung on his autobiographical »Memories, Dreams, Reflections«, her editing of his collected »Letters«, and numerous independent works, including »The Myth of Meaning«. She practiced as an analyst in Zurich until her death in 1991.