Transpersonal Psychology And The Self-Field: An Overview Of The Works Of Jungian Analyst Erich Neumann

Erich Neumann, an Israeli Jungian analyst, extended Jung's concept of the collective unconscious into metaphysical territory, proposing a "Self-field" beyond the archetypal realm. In his correspondence with Jung from 1934 to 1959, Neumann argued that a complete depth-psychology must include this postulate to reach a new worldview. His 1948 Eranos lecture "Mystical Man" began this effort, distinguishing between personal and archetypal shadow and evil, and introducing a "Voice" from the Transpersonal Self. Neumann called for a "New Ethic" for depth-psychology, but died at age 55 before fully articulating how his ethic related to his metaphysic. The author presents Neumann's work as essential for transpersonal pedagogy and the history of the Integral movement.

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Abstract

In this essay the author gives a concise overview of the use of the word transpersonal in the life and writings of the Israeli Jungian analyst, Erich Neumann, who was born in Berlin Germany in 1905 and lived from 1934 until his untimely death, in 1960, in Tel Aviv. The paper provides readers with an overview of the correspondence that took place between Neumann and Jung from 1934-1959 and traces the way in which the word transpersonal was used in their mutual efforts to map out the terrain of the human psyche. What is made clear in the paper is that while Jung remained within the epistemological limits of empirical psychology in his theory of the collective unconscious, Neumann attempted to extend Jung’s epistemology into metaphysical territory, and in so doing he charted out a structural diagram of the psyche that extends beyond the archetypal field, to what he called the Self-field. The Self-field, Neumann argued, is a necessary postulate to include it in any complete inventory of depth-psychology that attempts to reach a new Weltanschauung. His attempts to extend Jung’s hypothesis of the Self into transpersonal territory began in his 1948 Eranos lecture in Ascona, Switzerland, “Mystical Man”. His calling from the Self led Neumann to venture forth a postulate of what he called a “New Ethic” for the field of depth-psychology as a whole. A distinction is made between the personal and archetypal shadow and evil, and the “Voice” Neumann refers to as part of the Transpersonal Self. The essay concludes saying it is tragic Neumann died at so young an age of 55, before he could formulate further how his Ethic related to his metaphysic. Neumann was the first Jungian analyst to present the world with a truly transpersonal theory of the Self that the author sees as essential reading for any transpersonal pedagogue who attempts to place Jungians in the history of the Integral movement. KEYWORDS Mystical man, numinous, Godhead, transpersonal, field-knowledge, Voice, Self-field, Wholeness, New Ethic, archetypal shadow, evil.