From: Erin N. (enoonan@kent.edu)
Date: Fri Jan 03 2003 - 01:25:42 GMT
chapter 2 Synchronicity, Science, and the Esoteric
1. Jung drawing on theoretical physics and various
esoteric and occult teachings of prescientific times
in one discussion led to suspicision and confusion
to more conventional minds and is one of the main reasons
sychronicity has received scant attention until now.
2.Jung's interest in esoteric teachings have been based on
the insight that, in some obscure way, they express the
"underside" of human experiences. They are not
to be taken literally, but like dreams, should be
given an opportunity to speak for themselves within
their own indigeneous symbolism.
3. (talks about jung's writings on alchemy, zen,astrology, book of the dead,
Tarot,the I Ching) All of these teachings and methods
were "true" in the sense that they carried a perception of reality drawn from
the nonconscious and intuitive levels of the psyche. They
were not "true in themselves" in the sense of being
descriptions of external reality to be taken literally.
But they were descriptions of the interior landscape, and
to that degree were true as symbolic perceptions of a dimension of reality
that can be reached only indirectly.
4. There is a dimension of human experience that is not
exernal to us in the sense that it can be directly and tangibly grasped.
Rather it is within us but the word within must be also understood
metaphorically. It reflects a depth in us as human
beings and also a depth of the universe. Perceiving
one we perceive the other. But we can not do so
directly, as laying our hands on something and
grasping it. We can only do so indirectly, or
symbolically.
5. They are indirect and symbolic perceptions of reality that
can be reached in no other way. People who do not understand this and take
those teachings at face value miss the point altogether, and
therefore they think that these approaches are nothing
but superstitions. They are not superstitions at all, unless they are taken
literally by those who believe in them. Then they become
dogmatic truths, and with that they become untrue to the larger turth they are
reflecting.
6. While none are literally true in itself, all are ture in some form and some
degree as paradoxical vehicles traveling toward a place of spirit
that can only be reached indirectly.
7. Notes that Jung wished to present his idea of
synchronicity relationship to esoteric traditions
but at the same time recognizing the intellectual
atmosphere knew had to keep them as separate as
possible to associations that would get them
rejected. Paradoxically, it is this desire to help his concepts gain
acceptance
that is accounted for the ambiguity found in Jung's work.
It was like he rushed ahead and as an afterthought
tried protecting himself by hedging his positin
with statements that neutralized the thrust of
what he said
(just thought that point was funny)
8. Says the goal to make the synchronicity
concept more clear so it can be used
as a hypothesis in studying the recors of spontaneous
experience. Synchronicity is signficant to us on two levels.
theoretical- additional dimension of consciousness
empirical--factual study of the most elusive
aspects of human life and destiny
2 down 9 to go
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