Clear all
Work #343 · Late

Psychology and Alchemy

Carl Gustav Jung
1944 · German
Psychological-historical study · Analytical psychology

Alchemy as archetypal-psychological individuation process

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute Psychology and Alchemy (Late)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Non-Deterministic
Time · Traversability Cyclical
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Substantival
Space · Curvature Flat
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Non-local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Substantival
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Multiple
Observer · Space Instance Multiple
Observer · Knowledge Extent Partial
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Both
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency Cosmic-ordering
Observer · Moral Authority Experience
Observer · Theological Method —
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Reversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

⧖

Time

Psychology and Alchemy

Medieval-Renaissance alchemical time; timeless archetypal structure.

✦

Space

Psychology and Alchemy

Alchemical laboratory as symbolic space.

◉

Matter

Psychology and Alchemy

Material as literal and symbolic.

◎

Observer

Psychology and Alchemy

Alchemist as individuating self.

⚡

Energy

Psychology and Alchemy

Transformative alchemical-psychological energies.

⧉

Information

Psychology and Alchemy

Alchemical tradition preserved.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

Psychology and Alchemy

Jung's reading of alchemy as psychological-symbolic has been continuously controversial.