The Self and the Quintessence A Jungian Perspective Research in Analytical Psychology and Jungian Studies Series

The Self and the Quintessence explores Jung?s work on number symbolism and the alchemical journey and considers how they act as metaphors underpinning theories about the development of the self and individuation. It goes on to consider the implications of these dynamics in terms of the symbol of the quintessence and what this represents psychologically.

Initially exploring number symbolism and the way numbers can express dimensionality and emergence, this book explores the theories which underpin Jung?s ideas about the self and its complexity, including the dynamics of opposites, the transcendent function, and the symbol of the quaternity (fourness). The book then explores the symbol of the quintessence from a theoretical and clinical perspective and also in relation to its use in alchemy and physics. It goes on to consider the symbolic and psychological significance of the quintessence in relation to complexity, emergence, individuation, wholeness, truth and the spirit of matter.

Extending Jungian ideas to explore the archetypal symbol of the quintessence and its psychological significance, The Self and the Quintessence will be of great interest to Jungian academics, researchers and clinicians, and anyone looking to expand their knowledge and understanding of Jungian psychology.

Acknowledgements and Biography; Glossary of Specific Terms; Section 1. Orientation, Themes and the Symbolic Significance of Number; Orientation and Themes; The Symbolic Significance of Number; Section 2. Number as a Symbol of Psychological Development; The Dynamics of the Opposites; Triadicity, Thirdness and the Transcendent Function; The Symbolic Significance of Four: A Quaternity; Section 3. Exploring Wider Perspectives; Dimensions of the Self; Physics, Psychology and the Quintessence; Alchemy and the Quintessence; Section 4. The Quintessence; The Quintessence: An Overview.; The Quintessence: The Fifth as a Symbol of Psychological Development, Emergence and Psychological Truth; The Quintessence: The Teleological Nature of the Self, Individuation and a Symbol of Wholeness and the Spirit of Matter; The Quintessence: A Final Perspective; Index

Christine Driver is a Jungian analyst, psychoanalytic psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer.