Carl Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead

Interesting conversations ongoing at the Solar Seminar, topic entitled – “The Alchemical Romance of the Fifth Element”. As interesting as the post is, the collaborative comments are even more useful for Synchromystic considerations. Of note is the development of a discussion concerning The Seven Sermons to the Dead , an obscure document authored by Carl Gustav Jung. Find below an extended quote from a book review of Stephan A. Hoeller’s book, “The Gnostic Jung and the Seven Sermons to the Dead”…


“Without doubt Jung’s kind of psychoanalysis was different, approaching what could be called a path of initiation, the analyst becoming a hierophant and the patient a neophyte, or disciple. Mental illness was considered to be a divided or incomplete condition and health as a state of spiritual wholeness – or near wholeness. Jung always insisted that his writings were based upon empirical evidence and personal experience – and not mystical speculation. After his death and the publication of his autobiography, Memories, Dreams and Reflections, and disclosures by his most intimate disciples, it became clear that Jung underwent an intense period of spiritual experience between 1912 and 1917. This may explain his insistence on the word “empirical” to describe his investigations. The only fragment of his writings from that period which he permitted to be published was The Seven Sermons to the Dead, using terminology and style of second century Gnosticism. Jung attributes the authorship to Basilides, a Gnostic sage who taught in Alexandria around A.D. 125-140. Whether this implies some sort of mediumship or automatic writing is a matter of speculation. However, it should be borne in mind that it was the practice for centuries to ascribe authorship of spiritual treatises to someone who the real author considered to be more spiritually advanced than himself”.


“Tip-o-the-hat” to: Anadae Effro, for shareing the existence of Jung’s work, as well as to Dennis from Oregon (shine on brave soul) for bringing the conversation to our attention here at Tek-Gnostics. And... last, but certainly not least, a big thank you to Christopher Knowles for his excellent and thoughtful work at The Solar Seminar.