Jung, Gnosticism, Alchemy and the Religious Function of the Psyche
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Jung, Gnosticism, Alchemy, and the Religious Function of the Psyche
I have been studying the depth psychology of Carl Gustav Jung since the 1980s. And since the publication of Jung's The Red Book (Liber Novus) in 2009, I have devoted particular attention to studying the relationship between Jung's psychology, Gnosticism, and Alchemy.
In this presentation, we will explore Jung's concept of the "religious function of the psyche"—the natural human tendency to seek meaning, wholeness, and experiences of the numinous through dreams, symbols, myths, and spiritual experience.
For Jung, this religious function is not limited to organized religion. It can also express itself through secular and everyday activities, including creative work, relationships, personal values, the search for purpose, and the symbolic meaning we find in ordinary life.
We will examine key Gnostic themes such as gnosis, Sophia, the divine spark, Anthropos, and the Pleroma, and how they influenced Jung's understanding of archetypes, the Self, and individuation.
We will also consider important alchemical symbols and processes, including the nigredo, albedo, rubedo, coniunctio, Mercurius, and the Philosopher's Stone, as expressions of psychological transformation.
Together, Gnosticism and Alchemy provided Jung with a "symbolic language for describing the lifelong process of individuation," the movement toward greater consciousness, integration of opposites, and realization of the Self.
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This event is part of the NYC Philosophy & Psychology Readers Conference 2026. For full details please visit: https://www.meetup.com/reading-philosophy/events/314020228/
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This room holds a maximum of 80 people seated or 148 people standing. It will be first come first served. If you cannot make it please update your RSVP to decline to allow others to use your space.
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