The Transcendent Function: Jung's Model of Psychological Growth through Dialogue with the Unconscious

The transcendent function is the core of Carl Jung's theory of psychological growth and the heart of what he called individuation, the process by which one is guided in a teleological way toward the person one is meant to be. This book thoroughly reviews the transcendent function, analyzing both the 1958 version of the seminal essay that bears its name and the original version written in 1916. It also provides a word-by-word comparison of the two, along with every reference Jung made to the transcendent function in his written works, his letters, and his public seminars.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction to the Transcendent Function Development of the Ego in Western Consciousness Emergence of Depth Psychology and Emphasis on the Unconscious Primer on the Transcendent Function Scope and Organization of the Work 2. Detailed Analysis of the Transcendent Function Essay 1916: Historical Context for the Transcendent Function The 1916 and 1958 Published Forms of the Essay Exploration of Details of "The Transcendent Function" Paper The Prefatory Note Definitional Sections Compensatory Relationship of the Unconscious to Consciousness Omnipresence and Compensation of the Unconscious The Constructive Method: Importance of Purpose and Meaning The Role of the Analyst: Mediating the Transcendent Function Artificially Inducing Unconscious Contents Producing Unconscious Material: Active Imagination Utilizing Unconscious Material: Creative Formulation and Understanding Relation of Ego to Unconscious: Bringing Together the Opposites Final Result: Dialogue Creating Emergence of the Third Closing Passages: Liberation and the Courage to be Oneself Synthesis: The Transcendent Function as Reflected in the Essay 3. Tracing the Transcendent Function through Jung's Works Thematic Analysis of References to the Transcendent Function The Opposites: The Source and Development of Jung's Thinking The Dynamic Opposition of Consciousness and the Unconscious The Role of Fantasy and Symbol Operation of the Transcendent Function Jung's Ambiguity about the Nature of the Transcendent Function Individuation: Constructive View, Meaning and Transformation The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious Anima and Animus: Mediators between Consciousness and the Unconscious The Self as Progeny of the Transcendent Function Jung's Inconsistencies Surrounding Dreams and the Divine The Shadow: Relationship to the Transcendent Function Integrating the References to the Transcendent Function 4. The Transcendent Function as the Core of Jung's Work The Transcendent Function As Jung's Root Metaphor Implications of the Expansive Transcendent Function beyond Jung The Core of the Transcendent Function The Transcendence of the Transcendent Function 5. The Transcendent Function and the Theories of Others Winnicott: Transitional Objects as Mediating Elements The Analytic Field: The Third as Mediating Agent Freud and Ego Psychology: The Ego as a Mediating Structure Other Depth Analogies: Kohut, Klein, Fordham, and Hillman Non-Depth Analogies: Gestalt, Client-Centered, and Cognitive Therapies The Third as a Universal Psychological Construct 6. The Deeper Roots of the Transcendent Function The Binary Opposition Inherent in Consciousness Bridging the Chasm between Subject and Object Liminality and Initiation: An Archetypal Between-ness Hermes: The Archetypal Messenger between Realms The Third: Foundations of the Number Three Rhythm of Consciousness between Differentiation and Unity The Transcendent: Connection with a Greater Consciousness The Neither/Nor and Autochthonous Urges of the Psyche 7. Vivifying the Transcendent Function in Everyday Life The Metaphorical View of the Transcendent Function Tilling the Transcendent Function with the Alchemical Metaphor The Neither/Nor and the Metaphorical Third The Germination of the Alchemical Fourth Plowing the Transcendent Function Field in Relationships Surveying the Transcendent Function in Social and Cultural Issues Transcendent Functioning in the Garden of Everyday Life Concluding Remarks Appendix A. Textual Comparison of the 1916 Version to the 1958 Version of "The Transcendent Function" Appendix B. References to the Transcendent Function in Jung's Works, Letters, and Seminars Appendix C. Review of Literature Relating to "The Transcendent Function" Introduction Jung and Jung's Writings Basic Reference Materials Elements of Jungian Psychology Origins of the Transcendent Function Role of the Analyst Clinical Aspects and Applications Cultural, Political, and Societal Contexts Religious and Spiritual Matters Notes References Index