Memories, Dreams, Reflections

In Memories, Dreams, Reflections, Jung and Jaffé provide a personal metanalysis of Jung’s psyche by applying the scientific work of the author to his own psychological experiences. As Jung describes the history and modes of inquiry that informed his psychological theories, he evidences the integrated nature of his work. He develops a theory of psychic wholeness, symbolized by the geometric figure of a mandala, by integrating his autobiography with his own process of individuation—a journey of personal growth that involves the incorporation of the unconscious with the conscious. While this process is key to the individual life, it also, paradoxically, facilitates greater awareness of one’s connection to others, which Jung identifies as central to moral growth.

Jung uses real-life examples to explain the relationship between individuation and the active imagination. For example, he discusses a patient who recalled images, visions, dreams, and memories and shared them through talk therapy. As a young doctor, Jung soon realized that his patients showed greater improvement when he only asked questions and allowed the patient to share freely. Since the psychoanalyst had dedicated his life to the belief that individuation is an unending journey of growth and meaning making, he struggled with patients who exhibited miraculous recoveries.