Challenge to the Concept of the Unconscious: Part 1

Recording Location
Lone Pine, Calif.
Recording Date
11 June 1981
Recording Information

Franklin Merrell-Wolff presents a discourse challenging the Jungian concept of the unconscious. He summarizes his previous critique of Jung’s identification of the intellect with the devil, and proceeds to address a number of questions raised by Jung in The Integration of the Personality concerning the nature of the unconscious. Wolff objects to Jung’s view of Samadhi as equivalent to an unconscious state; he also does not accept Jung’s use of the term ‘unconscious’ as referring to a state that is in itself unconscious, but rather maintains that that which is unconscious from one state of consciousness may be realized while in that state as another way of consciousness. He then expresses his objection to Jung’s characterization of the Realization of a universal consciousness as a “contradiction in terms”—one in in which the unconscious has devoured the ego-consciousness. Wolff comments upon the problem of a possible locked-in trance state, but he insists that in his own imperience, the ordinary ego-consciousness stood on the sidelines recording while another way of consciousness went through the deep state of Realization. He goes on to describe the imperience of the ananda realized in the state of Realization and the need to exercise some restraint in participating in it. Wolff then discusses the otherworldly orientation of Eastern yoga to the pure subjectivity of the Self in contrast to the emphasis given in Western depth psychology to the therapeutic objective of bringing about an integration of the personality within a complex conception of the self that is symbolized by psychical wholeness.

Transcript
Recording Duration
59 min
Sort Order
364.00