Jung "A religious outlook on life" ?

I've been reading the book ,"Dark Light of the Soul", by the Jungian psychoanalyst Kathryn Wood Madden. It's primarily about the idea of "unitive reality" as expressed by Jacob Boehme in his idea of the Ungrund and Carl Jungs idea of the Pleroma. Anyways... I came across this quote from Jung:

Is there any truth to this assertion?
If so how does one go about finding or developing a religious outlook on life?

It's very simple. Take intuition/inspiration/random thoughts and interpret via logic.

Mehr Licht said:

Is there any truth to this assertion?

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Yes I believe there is.

If so how does one go about finding or developing a religious outlook on life?

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By studying comparative mythology, comparative religion, comparative mysticism. The works of Joseph Campbell come to mind. As an introduction I would recommend these books.

Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation

Thou Art That: Transforming Religious Metaphor

I'm a fan of comparative mythology too and have really enjoyed reading some of Campbells books (espc. the Masks of God series and The Hero with a Thousand Faces) . I've studied myself silly and something still seems to be missing though. I pray, I read the Bible, go to Church, I read books on religion until the words swim on the page and a headache forces me to stop, I try to behave in a Christian manner towards my neighbor (don't always succeed there though). Something still seems missing. I think I might be missing something.

Perhaps you are at the point where you can't go much further until you've been initiated by God? Have you had any mystical experiences?

Yes, I've had a few experiences that could probably by labeled "mystical". They helped to change my life for the better for sure. At a time when I was a rather hateful and nihilistic person in my early 20's I had some experiences that radically changed my outlook and sent me looking for God so to speak. Some of them took place while under the influence of psychedelics, MDMA, or other drugs and it's always easy to questions situations like that though. Nothing as amazing as those I've read about in the lives of great Christian saints, mystics, and visionaries either. Nothing I would label as a definitive "enlightenment." Since then I've had a few more but they have tended to be relatively minor and easily forgettable when the pain and the doubt comes back. At least the later ones occurred without the drugs so it's a little easier to accept them as realiable. At times I really get the impression that I'm wasting my life and that I'm going to die before I "figure it out". I keep thinking that I'm building my own hell and I will have to dwell in it after death. I end up asking myself "do I really love God and my fellow man" and the answer I keep getting is rather scary. I don't have enough love. I'm often still a hedonist at heart searching for pleasure or comfort. I seem to be at a bit of impasse in my walk with the Lord. For that reason I'm definitely open to suggestions people give in this regard.

OK, I have a suggestion. I suggest that you take a pilgrimage to Arizona for a Peyote spiritwalk.

The Peyote Way Church of God » Overview

I am a member and I have performed a successful spiritwalk. I think it will put you back on track. Peyote is a wise teacher.

Or if you have the means to go even further to Peru, I would recommend an Ayahuasca ceremony. Ayahuasca tourism is getting more and more popular.

http://www.realitysandwich.com/video/ayahuasca_monologues_chris_kilham

OK, I have a suggestion. I suggest that you take a pilgrimage to Arizona for a Peyote spiritwalk.

The Peyote Way Church of God » Overview

I am a member and I have performed a successful spiritwalk. I think it will put you back on track. Peyote is a wise teacher.

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Thanks you for the suggestion. I'm reading the web page right now.

When it comes to comparative religion Mircea Eliades books can't be beat either. His book "Shamanism, Archaic Techniques of Ecstasty" , in which he compares some of the worlds various shamanic traditions, is probably one of the best books on the subject. The three volumes of "History of Religious Ideas" are top notch as well. His book on Yoga is nice too.

Mehr Licht said:

I've been reading the book ,"Dark Light of the Soul", by the Jungian psychoanalyst Kathryn Wood Madden. It's primarily about the idea of "unitive reality" as expressed by Jacob Boehme in his idea of the Ungrund and Carl Jungs idea of the Pleroma. Anyways... I came across this quote from Jung:

Carl Jung observed at a conference in Strasbourge that, "Among all my patients in the second half of life- that is to say over thirty five- there has not been one whose problems in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook in life" (CW 11, par. 488-538)


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Is there any truth to this assertion?
If so how does one go about finding or developing a religious outlook on life?

Click to expand...

Looks like an interesting book as I'm interested in both Jung and Boehme. Would you say the book it's an overly academic tome or suited for the average layman?

Looks like an interesting book as I'm interested in both Jung and Boehme. Would you say the book it's an overly academic tome or suited for the average layman?

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No, it's not overly academic. It's something a non-specialist could understand and enjoy. The author has a very simple way of expressing things that in other psychological works tend to come off as barely recognizable gobly gook.