While shopping at Half Price Books on February 5, 2014, I saw an intriguing book called Jung the Mystic: The Esoteric Dimension of Carl Jung's Life and Teachings. Despite having a degree in psychology, at the time I had never read a biography of Jung, the renowned Swiss psychiatrist whose name is often mentioned in the same breath as Freud's, and could count on one hand the facts I knew about him. Among these was the role that the translation of his work on psychological types into English, in 1923, had in helping spur the mother - daughter team of Briggs and Myers
to develop the personality assessment named after them. The time seemed right to buy a biography of Jung and finally this spring was the right time to begin reading it.
For someone like me who wanted to flesh out my scanty knowledge of Jung's life, which extended from July 26, 1875 to June 6, 1961, the book proved an admirable assistant. It covers his family of origin, his youth, education and early career, his marriage and children, his writings, his rise to fame, and his relationships with other notable people such as Freud. It concludes by covering his old age, death, and how his teachings are continuing to live on, including a discussion of the publication of Jung's The Red Book in 2009.
The author of Jung the Mystic, Gary Lachman, a member of the rock group Blondie and of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was unfamiliar to me before I bought this book. According to the book's jacket, he "...is one of today's most widely read and respected writers on esoteric and occult themes." On p. 11 of his introduction, he writes:
In this brief account, I've tried to look at Jung from a particular angle, to take seriously his "mystical" side and examine it with a sympathetic but critical eye, staying clear, it's hoped, from either ignorant dismissal or credulous devotion. To applaud or berate Jung for his mystical interests is not particularly useful, but to try to understand them, I think, is.
Thus begins a specialized biography, mixing general well - known facts about his life with what the jacket calls "...the occult and mystical dimension of Jung's life and work, a critical but frequently misunderstood facet of his career." Lachman begins the introduction by asking "Was Jung a mystic? Jung didn't think so and he thought little of those who did." The rest of the book is devoted to answering this question.
After reading its 258 pages, it seems clear that Jung was indeed a mystic, as well as an artist, another aspect of himself which he tried to deny. Apparently he feared that being known as either a mystic or artist would detract from his reputation as a scientist. Yet any study of his life seems bound to reveal both his involvement in the occult and his talent as an artist.
Lachman's book discusses such things as Jung's involvement in séances as a young man, and his later experiences with and interest in dreams, poltergeists, telepathy and other aspects of the occult. Apparently his interest in the occult is disturbing even to some Jung supporters and scholars, causing them to feel that Jung is now known as part of the New Age movement rather than for what they consider his real scientific contributions. As for his interest in art, according to Lachman the fact that he was an artist cannot be denied by anyone who has seen his paintings in The Red Book.
Yes, Jung was many things, and I have to say I probably would not like him were he alive today. He sounds arrogant and insensitive, was said to have very bad manners, and had views I could not agree with. It's true that I am certified to administer the MBTI(R) tool, which is based on his work. But it would be much more accurate to call me a devotee of Myers and Briggs, who rank among my heroes, and their work rather than that of Jung.
To be fair though, perhaps there was another side of him seen by few. Jung the Mystic does make his genius and the benefits of learning about his contributions clear.
The book does have one great flaw, its inaccurate and lightweight treatment on p. 135, an extremely disappointing dismissal almost, of personality type and the MBTI tool. Even though this topic is only intended to make up a very small portion of the book, it deserves fair and accurate treatment nonetheless.
Lachman starts this section by stating that Jung's Psychological Types, based on a concept with a long history, was published in 1921. Fair enough. He then states that Jung's four functions, thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition, plus his ideas on the introvert and extravert "...have become part of common parlance: extraverts, we know, love parties; introverts stay at home."
Oh, REALLY? We KNOW this?? This is at best misinformation or lack of information about Introversion and Extraversion, and at worst a stereotype! While I, for example, don't necessarily always love parties, though some are very enjoyable, I am an introvert (or to use
more accurate language, a person who prefers Introversion) who does NOT stay home much and is viewed by others as being very active. But I am energized by those times I spend alone in my inner world (at home or elsewhere), which is what Introversion means. And there are people who prefer Extraversion who are shy and don't enjoy parties, yet are energized by their outer environments which is what Extraversion is all about.
Lachman goes on to say that because these terms have become so common they've lost their original meaning. This is probably true, but I HATE the way he says it. " 'Personality Tests' to determine your 'type' using Jung's terminology are as common as newspaper horoscopes; probably the most popular is the Myers - Briggs Personality Test." Aargh!!! Ugh!!! Ouch!!! The use of the word test is a dead giveaway that the author is not really more than superficially familiar with the MBTI assessment (he doesn't even know its name, the Myers - Briggs Type Indicator(R)!) which is
NOT a test, and he has probably never taken it.
I suspect that like many other people, Lachman is ignorant of or confused by the basic concepts underlying the MBTI tool - that it is an indicator, about preferences which are fluid and dynamic, not a pigeonholing test about right or wrong, good or bad answers or types, or which measures the amount of any ability or quality. It reveals our type preferences, through a verification process, rather than determining them. If this is what he actually meant I do not believe it is clear to the reader.
Mention of the MBTI tool in the same sentence as horoscopes makes me wince because besides doing nothing to dispel all the misunderstandings and false information about it, it trivializes and robs the Indicator of its deserved recognition as a powerful, life - changing counseling tool, which stands head and shoulders above the "tests" he is referring to. The vast array of uses made of the Indicator and the impact it's had in the fields of business, education, counseling, etc., aren't even mentioned. This is a glaring omission in a book about Jung, without whom there would be no MBTI tool. I find it very sad that the contributions of Myers and Briggs, and scores of Certified Practitioners who have expanded on Jung's work over the past 73 years since the MBTI assessment was first published, don't receive even one sentence of recognition here.
The rest of Lachman's discussion of the MBTI tool appears to be adequate, until he gives his opinion that the distinctions between the functions aren't clear cut and the types start to blend. "Differentiating types according to the preference they have for a particular function is a handy rule of thumb, but as with most things, stretching its application too far reveals its inadequacies (p. 137)." Perhaps this is true of Jung's original system as outlined in Psychological Types, which I have not read. But I think Lachman does a great disservice in not mentioning the existence of the MBTI Step II(TM) tool, which provides useful individualized type results, or at least telling readers that the Indicator has been through a number of revisions to make it as accurate and helpful as possible.
While not a satisfactory source of information about the MBTI tool which was developed from his ideas, for those who want a fairly brief, readable, interesting biography of Carl Jung, this book should fill the bill. It will take readers to the heart of Jung, and just may give them enough mental stimulation to keep them Jung at heart!