Jungian Psychology - A cult?

[TranquilFlora]

I have recently been forced into learning a lot about Jungian Psychology, and I really started wondering if it was a cult. The more I’ve dug the more I think this. Today, I found out that there was actually a book about this by Richard Knoll, a psychoanalyst, entitled “The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement.” I wondered this because so many things involve odd rituals and practices. One class even involved summoning one’s “Inner Shaman” which involved the same process psychics use to summon one’s “familiar spirit” or “demon.” There is a Jung Center in many major cities, and they celebrate when a fellow “Jungian” gets a position of power. It all bothers me because as least Wiccans are open about being pagan. Jungians seem to believe in an analytical and intellectual paganism. Has anyone else encountered these odd people?

 

[Pilgrimage]

I have recently been forced into learning a lot about Jungian Psychology, and I really started wondering if it was a cult. The more I’ve dug the more I think this. Today, I found out that there was actually a book about this by Richard Knoll, a psychoanalyst, entitled “The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement.” I wondered this because so many things involve odd rituals and practices. One class even involved summoning one’s “Inner Shaman” which involved the same process psychics use to summon one’s “familiar spirit” or “demon.” There is a Jung Center in many major cities, and they celebrate when a fellow “Jungian” gets a position of power. It all bothers me because as least Wiccans are open about being pagan. Jungians seem to believe in an analytical and intellectual paganism. Has anyone else encountered these odd people?

I once knew a practicing Satanist who had a lot of Jungian referenced material/books in his home. Needless to say, he wasn’t the nicest of people and he did and threatened some horrible things to others ! He was very much into psychological power over others and using it to terrorise them over long periods. Reaching a position of power is a form of control and celebrating it is an overt way of promising others that they too will gain power.

Personally, I wouldn’t get too deep into it if I were you. Use what you have learned so far as a tool to base and build other knowledge on.

God bless

 

[jfoges]

I have recently been forced into learning a lot about Jungian Psychology, and I really started wondering if it was a cult. The more I’ve dug the more I think this. Today, I found out that there was actually a book about this by Richard Knoll, a psychoanalyst, entitled “The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement.” I wondered this because so many things involve odd rituals and practices. One class even involved summoning one’s “Inner Shaman” which involved the same process psychics use to summon one’s “familiar spirit” or “demon.” There is a Jung Center in many major cities, and they celebrate when a fellow “Jungian” gets a position of power. It all bothers me because as least Wiccans are open about being pagan. Jungians seem to believe in an analytical and intellectual paganism. Has anyone else encountered these odd people?

I have read some stuff by Jung and found it pretty interesting. He doesn’t share Catholics beliefs about God though. As for this Jungian movement you are talking about, it does sound kind of cult like. I don’t see anything wrong with learning about Jung, but joining the group sounds like a bad idea.

 

[sulkow82]

I found out that there was actually a book about this by Richard Knoll, a psychoanalyst, entitled “The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement.” I wondered this because so many things involve odd rituals and practices.

My mom found Jung through a New Age bookstore she helped out at during the '70s (before returning to the Church in 1980). There wasn’t a whole lot of rituals involved, but they did read Jung’s work as a philosophy text. I did the same in the '80s and some in the ''90s. I had never heard of a cult being built around Jung until reading this thread. I had just seen it as a psychological paradigm which was developed before modern cognitive approach become prominent. I think what happened is the cult described by the OP probably developed after Jung’s death or at the very least without his approval.

 

[Pilgrimage]

I had never heard of a cult being built around Jung until reading this thread. .

These things become cults because people learn psychological techniques that teach them how to gain power over the mind of another. It’s the person who uses the techniques as an instrument of power that is the problem, especially if they attract others because they then encourage others to adopt a similar attitude to learning.

Had he had faith in Christ he would never have come to write any of it and we wouldn’t hae he problem today.

God bless

 

[sulkow82]

These things become cults because people learn psychological techniques that teach them how to gain power over the mind of another. It’s the person who uses the techniques as an instrument of power that is the problem, especially if they attract others because they then encourage others to adopt a similar attitude to learning.

Too true.

Had he had faith in Christ he would never have come to write any of it and we wouldn’t hae he problem today.

I’m not sure where my copy of Jung’s autobiography is. He actually grew up in a Christian denomination (not Catholic), but I’d have to dig it out to tell you what his back round was. What I do remember was he reported not having any success with his clients until he started encouraging them to have faith in God. The cultic part of the Jungian centers could have grown out of this aspect of his work. Hubris is a nasty sin.