Man and His Symbols

Joseph Lewis Henderson was born in the United States and lived from 1903-2007. He was both a practicing physician and a Jungian psychologist, who had his first dream analysis performed by Jung himself. Along with Jung, Henderson co-founded the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco in 1943. There, he spent his years actively analyzing patients until he was 102 years old.

Henderson wrote Part 2 of Man and His Symbols centered around the archetypes which permeate human society and have done so for thousands of years. The main archetypes that Henderson describes are that of the hero, the initiation, the beauty and the beast, Orpheus and the Son of Man, and symbols of transcendence. Through these descriptions, he sheds light on the deep-rooted history of symbols and how these symbols arise from the collective unconscious. He recounts many dreams of patients which reflect these archetypes in some fashion, explaining that there is an overall consistency to archetypal dreams. These archetypes may present themselves in the order of the individuation process and thus guide the individual through it.

Marie-Louise von Franz was born in Switzerland and lived from 1915-1998. A passionate Jungian psychologist, she applied Jung’s theories to the analysis of fairy tales and common stories, as well as the in-depth study of alchemy. She worked with many patients both during her collaborations with Jung and after his death, analyzing dreams through the lens of archetypes. From von Franz’s perspective, fairy tales and myths are manifestations of the unconscious collective which have very real implications in life. To her, the experiences in dreams and stories are no less real than waking experiences. They affect the way people think, behave, and feel, as well as the unconscious processes that are not part of conscious awareness.

Von Franz explains the process of individuation in her section of Man and His Symbols. Citing both stories and human history, she explains how this process guided by the unconscious. She includes evidence of archetypes and the individuation process from patient dreams, myths, history, current events, popular culture, art, and politics. Von Franz draws parallels between these facets of human existence, noting that there are striking similarities in the way the failure to individuate creates both inner and outer conflict. She explains that scientific inquiry has left little to explore aside from the unconscious mind. There are boundless discoveries to be made in this realm, she argues, asserting that the discovery and development of the Self is the very purpose of existence.

Aniela Jaffé was born in Germany and fled to Switzerland to escape the Nazis in the 1930s, living from 1903-1991. She is best known for her time spent working alongside Carl Jung and co-wrote several works with him including Man and His Symbols. She was an analyst and specialized in the study of the visual arts.

Jaffé wrote the fourth part in Man and His Symbols which focuses on the application of Jungian theories to the field of the visual arts including painting, sculpture, natural art, and modern art. She puts particular emphasis on the development of modern art and the way that it parallels the development of modern physics. She believes that the evolution of art and the current (during time of publication) trends toward using junk and natural materials are humanity’s way of trying to return to its natural roots and unconscious, instinctive drives. She explains that art is a manifestation of the unconscious, and that the symbols and archetypes commonly found in dreams are also found in art.

Jolande Jacobi was born in Hungary and lived from 1890-1973. She is best known for her work with Jung and as a Swiss psychologist. Jacobi put most of her efforts into helping to establish the C.G. Jung Institute for Analytical Psychology and writing several published works based on Jung’s theories. She worked as a psychologist for decades, employing Jung’s principles of dream analysis to many patients.

Jacobi writes the final section of Man and His Symbols which provides a more intimate and detailed look into the process of dream analysis. The entire section focuses on a single patient, nicknamed Henry, for whom she describes his entire analysis from start to finish. Over the course of nine months, Henry recounts dozens of dreams to Jacobi, who analyzes them through the lens of archetypal symbology and Henry’s individual context. By writing this in-depth explanation of dream analysis, she provides another layer of understanding and a direct application of everything previously learned throughout the work. In this way, her section acts as an overarching example of everything the previous writers discussed.

Major John Horace Freeman was born in Britain and lived from 1915-2014. He devoted his life to serving the public as a politician, public broadcaster, Army officer, and diplomat. It was during his time as a broadcaster that he met Carl Jung and was given the chance to interview him. Through this interaction, he was inspired, and urged Jung to compile his theories into a book that could be read by the layman. Although Jung resisted at first, he was overwhelmed by the reception from Freeman’s interview and changed his mind.

Freeman provides the introduction for Man and His Symbols. Jung personally requested this of him, because Jung did not believe in meaningless coincidences and was certain that his interview with Freeman was the first in a series of significant events that would propel his ideas to the public. Freeman uses the introduction to explain the Jungian perspective, acknowledging the potential for skepticism. He briefly describes the contents of each section, employing a language that is personable and understandable. By doing this, he ensures that the reader knows that this book will be readable; if Freeman can understand it, anyone can.