The Fish of Transmutation in the Sura of the Cave
Psychological Perspectives April 3, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/00332925.2026.2678139 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Hatem argues that Sura 18 can be read through analytical psychology as a unified, dream-like narrative expressing the unfolding of the Self, with the cave signifying incubation in the unconscious and the fish symbolizing psychic energy, death-rebirth, and the Self. He contends that Jung overlooked dimensions such as the coincidence of opposites, and proposes that transmutation is both a symbolic and lived process of spiritual and psychic renewal, contrasting rigid moral frameworks with a transformative, inwardly grounded ethics. |
Abstract
This article introduces Chapters 1 and 2 of La Transmutation: Jung et l’Islam, in which Jad Hatem offers a close hermeneutic reading of Qur’anic Sura 18 (The Cave) through the lens of analytical psychology. Engaging, and at times challenging C.G. Jung’s own interpretations, Hatem situates the narrative of the Sleepers, Moses, and Khidr within the process of individuation, emphasizing transmutation as a dynamic movement between consciousness and the unconscious. Central symbols—particularly the cave and the fish—are examined as expressions of psychic transformation. The cave signifies incubation within the unconscious, while the fish emerges as a polyvalent symbol of psychic energy, death–rebirth, and the Self. Through a critical re-reading of Jung, Hatem highlights overlooked dimensions of the text, including the coincidence of opposites and the role of the Sura as a unified, dream-like structure expressing the unfolding of the Self. The article further explores the ethical and epistemological implications of this process, contrasting rigid moral frameworks with a transformative, inwardly grounded ethics. By bringing Islamic mystical material into dialogue with Jungian thought, Hatem advances a comparative psychology of religion that reframes transmutation as both a symbolic and lived process of spiritual and psychic renewal.