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Les mythes de création
Étude sur les contes et le processus en cours lors de la création. Montre qu'à l'origine de toute création, existe un épisode psychotique ou une crise morale. La peur peut nous conduire à des comportements névrotiques. Surmontée, elle peut cependant conduire à la créativité. La démonstration de l'auteure est illustrée par des exemples issus de contes et de mythes africains et indiens.
294 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
45 people are currently reading
847 people want to read
About the author
Marie-Louise von Franz
82 books858 followersMarie-Louise von Franz was a Swiss Jungian psychologist and scholar.
Von Franz worked with Carl Jung, whom she met in 1933 and knew until his death in 1961. Jung believed in the unity of the psychological and material worlds, i.e., they are one and the same, just different manifestations. He also believed that this concept of the unus mundus could be investigated through research on the archetypes of the natural numbers. Due to his age, he turned the problem over to von Franz. Two of her books, Number and Time and Psyche and Matter, deal with this research.
Von Franz, in 1968, was the first to publish that the mathematical structure of DNA is analogous to that of the I Ching. She cites the reference to the publication in an expanded essay "Symbols of the Unus Mundus," published in her book Psyche and Matter. In addition to her many books, Von Franz recorded a series of films in 1987 titled The Way of the Dream with her student Fraser Boa.
Von Franz founded the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich. In The Way of the Dream she claims to have interpreted over 65,000 dreams. Von Franz also wrote over 20 volumes on Analytical psychology, most notably on fairy tales as they relate to Archetypal or Depth Psychology, most specifically by amplification of the themes and characters. She also wrote on subjects such as alchemy, discussed from the Jungian, psychological perspective, and active imagination, which could be described as conscious dreaming. In Man and His Symbols, von Franz described active imagination as follows: "Active imagination is a certain way of meditating imaginatively, by which one may deliberately enter into contact with the unconscious and make a conscious connection with psychic phenomena."
Von Franz worked with Carl Jung, whom she met in 1933 and knew until his death in 1961. Jung believed in the unity of the psychological and material worlds, i.e., they are one and the same, just different manifestations. He also believed that this concept of the unus mundus could be investigated through research on the archetypes of the natural numbers. Due to his age, he turned the problem over to von Franz. Two of her books, Number and Time and Psyche and Matter, deal with this research.
Von Franz, in 1968, was the first to publish that the mathematical structure of DNA is analogous to that of the I Ching. She cites the reference to the publication in an expanded essay "Symbols of the Unus Mundus," published in her book Psyche and Matter. In addition to her many books, Von Franz recorded a series of films in 1987 titled The Way of the Dream with her student Fraser Boa.
Von Franz founded the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich. In The Way of the Dream she claims to have interpreted over 65,000 dreams. Von Franz also wrote over 20 volumes on Analytical psychology, most notably on fairy tales as they relate to Archetypal or Depth Psychology, most specifically by amplification of the themes and characters. She also wrote on subjects such as alchemy, discussed from the Jungian, psychological perspective, and active imagination, which could be described as conscious dreaming. In Man and His Symbols, von Franz described active imagination as follows: "Active imagination is a certain way of meditating imaginatively, by which one may deliberately enter into contact with the unconscious and make a conscious connection with psychic phenomena."
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 9, 2012
I would give these book 5 stars if she had just cut out some of digressions. That said, some of her digressions are just plain fascinating when she drops in unrelated anecdotes from her practice, fragments of myths or fairy tales or reflections on any one of those -- or a combination thereof.
Where excels is in finding common themes across mythologies -- and in relating those themes to processes in the human psyche. A good read--even if it is about 50-60 pages too long.
Where excels is in finding common themes across mythologies -- and in relating those themes to processes in the human psyche. A good read--even if it is about 50-60 pages too long.
December 30, 2017
Those who seek the Self and a greater understanding of the Jungian concept of individuation will be pleased with this excellent and entertaining book. Just as at the New Year many around the world stop to observe the solstice, engage in religious holiday festivities, and reflect in a secular manner on the year past and make resolutions for the new period of time to come, M-L von Franz speaks in great depth about how cultures the world over utilize creation stories at various points throughout the year to set both individual and group psychology into a mode of birth and renewal.
Through the exposition of various creation stories intertwined with fascinating anecdote and analysis, these transcribed lectures illuminate various aspects of creation in terms of the individual creative faculty, cultural and human origin stories, and interpretations of the myth with particular regard to the psyche.
A book best enjoyed at leisure with time for plenty of reflection. Not one of those books that should be raced through start to end but enjoyed page by page. Marie Louise von Franz is an excellent story teller but moreso an erudite cultivator of the rich bounty contained in seemingly straightforward myths.
A good book for those with a moderate background in Jungian psychology or otherwise a somewhat heavy introduction for the patient and receptive novice.
Through the exposition of various creation stories intertwined with fascinating anecdote and analysis, these transcribed lectures illuminate various aspects of creation in terms of the individual creative faculty, cultural and human origin stories, and interpretations of the myth with particular regard to the psyche.
A book best enjoyed at leisure with time for plenty of reflection. Not one of those books that should be raced through start to end but enjoyed page by page. Marie Louise von Franz is an excellent story teller but moreso an erudite cultivator of the rich bounty contained in seemingly straightforward myths.
A good book for those with a moderate background in Jungian psychology or otherwise a somewhat heavy introduction for the patient and receptive novice.
June 7, 2016
Marie-Louise Von Franz writes about mythology with such deep insight that I was way more drawn in than I thought I was going to be. Overall this book made me pause and think for a second how much we don't understand. when she discusses the creative process of writing. I've always known writing was a form of stress relief for me, but for some it is the only way shape or form of thought.
January 10, 2015
This is her most perplexing one.
January 28, 2020
This book was a classic example of an honest shopkeeper selling me something that sounds like something that I needed, but is something drastically different.
I was (am!) looking for a book that compares various creation myths prevailing in societies that are geographically and culturally different from each other. With the help of such comparison, I had hoped, the turning points of development of human mind and body can be understood in a more sociological perspective. Instead, I ended up with a book that 'explains' creation myths in terms of Jung's theories!
That wouldn't have been bad. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be pedantic to the point of being soporific. Worse, the entire narrative structure was aimed at fitting facts into preconceived structures rather than developing a new picture. Harari has done it in style. But this book, probably because it was borne out of lectures aimed at a particular group, miserably fails in making the stories vibrate or vibrant.
Perhaps, to the target audience, it serves the purpose. Hence so many high ratings.
As far as I am concerned, this was a waste of money. I would search for a more comprehensive and lucid book in future.
I was (am!) looking for a book that compares various creation myths prevailing in societies that are geographically and culturally different from each other. With the help of such comparison, I had hoped, the turning points of development of human mind and body can be understood in a more sociological perspective. Instead, I ended up with a book that 'explains' creation myths in terms of Jung's theories!
That wouldn't have been bad. Unfortunately, I found the writing to be pedantic to the point of being soporific. Worse, the entire narrative structure was aimed at fitting facts into preconceived structures rather than developing a new picture. Harari has done it in style. But this book, probably because it was borne out of lectures aimed at a particular group, miserably fails in making the stories vibrate or vibrant.
Perhaps, to the target audience, it serves the purpose. Hence so many high ratings.
As far as I am concerned, this was a waste of money. I would search for a more comprehensive and lucid book in future.
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June 17, 2016Creation myths are stories about the birth of the world. Ever culture has there own myths that reveals how people in ancient times speculated about how the world may have emerged. Creation myths reveal a lot about the thoughts of human beings in the past- how they saw and tried to understand the world. These myths also teaches us a lot about ourselves.
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January 17, 2010A fabulous and in depth look at the creation myth and the different archetypes that accompany it...from a depth psychological persepctive.
January 1, 2012
Creation myths also express how we become more conscious.
June 30, 2013
Lo leí aunque no conseguí exactamente lo que buscaba. Es un buen libro sobre los mitos de creación de distintas culturas primitivas o antiguas (egipcia, germana, comunidades indígenas de distintas regiones), lo cual es interesante para "saber" o "entender" el origen de ciertas comunidades. Además que es un estudio super heavy desde el punto de vista de la psicología, del inconsciente y del consciente. Son varios capítulos que tratan los distintos tipos de creación: la dualidad de creadores, la creación desde arriba o desde abajo, la división en dos del mundo, etc. El que me gustó fue la creación abortiva, porque es algo así como una creación defectuosa que se aborta, se destruye para luego volver a crear. La destrucción y luego la creación. Me pareció que debió tener una especie de conclusión o páginas finales, pero termina así, seco.
July 22, 2021
This was brilliant and very thought provoking
December 2, 2024
Review in short: If you like Joseph Campbell's writing, you'll probably like this. If you don't like Campbell, avoid it.
The book was originally published as "Patterns of creativity mirrored in creation myths" which is a far more accurate title than what the revised title: "Creation Myths".
20% of the book is actual creation myths. Thankfully, there are several endnotes and references to where these texts come from.
30% is "Carl Jung was the most brilliant man to ever live and I personally worked with him."
40% is psychobabble interpreting creation myths as if they were the dreams of a person living in the 20th century, stripping them of almost any historical or social context.
10% is 'Let's talk about alchemy!'
The book was originally published as "Patterns of creativity mirrored in creation myths" which is a far more accurate title than what the revised title: "Creation Myths".
20% of the book is actual creation myths. Thankfully, there are several endnotes and references to where these texts come from.
30% is "Carl Jung was the most brilliant man to ever live and I personally worked with him."
40% is psychobabble interpreting creation myths as if they were the dreams of a person living in the 20th century, stripping them of almost any historical or social context.
10% is 'Let's talk about alchemy!'
August 29, 2022
In the beginning, there was…
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews