Page 33 - A critical exposition of Jung's theory of alchemy

less when some late 20th Century astrophysicist makes the statement
“we are all literally stardust” - even though the recurrence might be
interesting.

Again we really need some kind of historical investigation into the
ways that mental processes were introduced into the work and the ways
these changed14. For example it would be interesting to investigate how
widespread was the practice Ruland calls meditatio. It might be that the
tradition of involving the imagination is quite late, or corresponds to a
particular stream of alchemy, as could the issue of the importance of
some subtle part of the alchemist to the work. To some extent, we might
be able to suggest that Jung’s theory of projection in alchemy depends
upon his perception of a separation between psyche and matter - so that
the two cannot interact (cf CW 12: 279). If one theorised differently then
it might not be only an unconscious, or irrational, action to ‘mix’ the
two. Jung also states that projection only works as long as it is
unconscious, and cannot be commented upon (CW 12: 299), yet in
contradiction to himself, he is able to quote alchemists such as Gerald
Dorn, who are explicit about this intertwining of person and work.

Jung also discusses the dangers of not regarding these symbols of
individuation as impersonal and taking them as entirely subjective. This
can produce, at best, an unstable result or even bypass the entire goal of
the process. If people go further to identify the process with the ego, this
can lead to inflation and madness (CW 12: 477ff). Hence the dangers the
alchemists warn of (see also CW 13: 322ff).

Jung first mentioned this issue in his earliest work on Alchemy
(SGF: 44-5), but elaborated it at length in the ‘Psychology of the
Transference’, where he uses an incomplete sequence of plates from the

14. In Chinese alchemy there is an explicit internal technique to do with the
manipulation of body energies (nei tan) which, ignoring the problems of
cultural transmission, would reinforce the idea of a participation between the
alchemist and their work. Unfortunately at the time of Jung’s encounter with
the Chinese text Secret of the Golden Flower neither he nor the translator,
Richard Wilhelm, was aware of this fact (Needham 1983: 246). Hence Jung had
to work from a mistranslated and misunderstood text which became even more
vague as a result and allowed the imposition of Western concepts. It could be
said that Jung’s whole programme of alchemical interpretation was based on
this misunderstanding.

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