Sometimes after years of detailed study of a field I find it useful to read a summary or introductory volume on the field. Goldbrunner's book was such a book for me. He gives a splendid introduction to Jung's depth analysis—he covers both the entire field of Jung's work & the subject of individuation.

Josef Goldbrunner's explanation of neurosis is one of the high points of

Sometimes after years of detailed study of a field I find it useful to read a summary or introductory volume on the field. Goldbrunner's book was such a book for me. He gives a splendid introduction to Jung's depth analysis—he covers both the entire field of Jung's work & the subject of individuation.

Josef Goldbrunner's explanation of neurosis is one of the high points of the book. He uses the metaphor of a ship whose planks are the cultural mores & expectations thru which the waters of the unconscious leak through. Neurosis occurs when the bailing consumes such a major portion of psychic energy that navigation suffers.

He explains the process of individuation in depth & points out that it leads to a religious orientation invariably. This matches my experience & I found Goldbrunner's exposition of the process enlightening.

His explanation of the relationship of Freud, Adler & Jung's theories is as follows: Freud, the extravert, saw therapy as uncovering the repressed external energies (sexual) & Adler, the introvert, saw therapy as uncovering the repressed internal energies (power). Jung took the meta-position & showed us with his theory of types that individuals' theories were a natural outcome of their individual personality types.

This little paperback is an excellent review of Jung's works: one to be read by novices, put aside for 10 years, then reread to help anchor in & firm up one's concept of Jung's work.

Goldbrunner is easier to read than Jung & not so difficult as Hillman or von Franz when they write about Jungian analysis. I found the book engrossing; it pulled me thru to the last page with enthusiasm. The last chapters deal with Jung's concept of ultimate realities & are well worth the price of the book by themselves. "God as a psychic construct" will undoubtedly upset the fundamentalists who have reified so many of their pyschic constructs that they would self-destruct if they accepted them as internally generated fabrications.--Bobby Matherne