The Earth Has a Soul: The Nature Writings of C.G. Jung

by C.G. Jung, Joseph Henderson M.D. (Foreword), Meredith Sabini (Editor)

While never losing sight of the rational, cultured mind, Jung speaks for the natural mind, source of the evolutionary experience and accumulated wisdom of our species. Through his own example, Jung shows how healing our own living connection with Nature contributes to the whole.

Genres: Psychology, Philosophy, Nature, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Ecology, Essays

248 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2002

About the author

Carl Gustav Jung (/jʊŋ/; German: [ˈkarl ˈɡʊstaf jʊŋ]), often referred to as C. G. Jung, was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytical psychology. Jung proposed and developed the concepts of extraversion and introversion; archetypes, and the collective unconscious. His work has been influential in psychiatry and in the study of religion, philosophy, archeology, anthropology, literature, and related fields. He was a prolific writer, many of whose works were not published until after his death.

The central concept of analytical psychology is individuation—the psychological process of integrating the opposites, including the conscious with the unconscious, while still maintaining their relative autonomy. Jung considered individuation to be the central process of human development.

Jung created some of the best known psychological concepts, including the archetype, the collective unconscious, the complex, and synchronicity. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular psychometric instrument, has been developed from Jung's theory of psychological types.

Though he was a practising clinician and considered himself to be a scientist, much of his life's work was spent exploring tangential areas such as Eastern and Western philosophy, alchemy, astrology, and sociology, as well as literature and the arts. Jung's interest in philosophy and the occult led many to view him as a mystic, although his ambition was to be seen as a man of science. His influence on popular psychology, the "psychologization of religion", spirituality and the New Age movement has been immense.

Reviews

[Olivier Goetgeluck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most practical book on Jung I've read! Read it if you are restless sometimes or most times.

We want simplicity. We are suffering, in our cities, from a need of simple things. We would like to see our great... terminals deserted, the streets deserted, a great peace descend upon us.

Dreams are pure nature to which must be added human reflection and discernment. We now know that the dreaming function in mammals is approximately 140,000,000 years old and does have a survival function.

Jung's advice for remedying the loss of contact with Nature, within or without:
- live in small communities
- work a shorter day and week
- have a plot of land to cultivate so the instincts come back to life
- to make the sparest use of radio, TV, newspapers and technological gadgetry
The purpose of doing these things, however, is not to repair Nature, but rather to let Nature affect us

I chop the wood and cook the food. These simple acts make man simple; and how difficult it is to be simple!

All time saving devices, amongst which we must count easier means of communications and other conveniences, do not, paradoxically enough, save us time but merely cram our time so full that we have not time for anything. Hence, the breathless haste, superficial-craving for stimulation, impatience, irritability, vacillation, etc. Such a state may lead to all sorts of other things, but never to any increased culture of the mind and heart.

I detest noise and flee it whenever and wherever possible, because it not only disturbs the concentration needed for my work but forces me to make the additional psychic effort of shutting it out. You may get habituated to it as to over-indulgence in alcohol, but just as you pay for this with a cirrhosis of the liver, so in the end you pay for nervous stress with a premature depletion of your vital substance. [...] Noise protects us from painful reflection, it scatters our anxious dreams, it assures us that we are all in the same boat and creating such a racket that nobody will dare to attack us. [...] The real fear is what might come up from one's own depths - all the things that have been held at bay by noise. [...] Modern noise is an integral component of modern "civilization," which is predominantly extroverted and abhors all inwardness.

Jung's list of how civilization makes Modern Man sick (causes and symtoms):
- effort to set records
- urge towards conformity
- desire for material possessions
- we keep forgetting we are primates
- atrophy of instinct, age-old forgotten wisdom stored up inus
- hypermasculine, linear, causal, goal-oriented orientation toward the visible outer world
- condescension toward whatever seems "irrational"
- overstrained from boundless activity
- the disease of knowing everything
- extraverted as hell
- lack of introspection
- greed, restlessness, uneasiness, superficiality, nervous exhaustion
- craving stimulation, impatience, irritability
- usual remedies such as diets, exercise, studying inspirational literature
- can't seem to find a way to live meaningful life
- ridiculous clothes, meanness, vanity, mendacity, egotism
- always seeking something
- too much head, too much will, too much walking about, and nothing rooted
- objective existence and meaning
- exaggerrated self-esteem
- inferiority complex
- intellect, rationalism
- loss of moral and spiritual values
- despiritualization of nature through objective knowledge of matter
- learned to control ourselves, disciplined, organized
- for all his outward succes, modern man stays the same inwardly
- time-saving devices cram our time so full that we have no time for anyting
- loss of soul
- social welfare
- constant noise thatprotects us from painful reflection, scatters our anxious dreams and the fear of what might come up from one's own depths
- thinking we are not nature
- people will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls
- modern education is too one-sided and only enables a young person to adapt himself outwardly to the world but gives no thought to the necessity of adapting to the self
- domination of nature
- define convention, not ethics

Jung's list of solutions to prevent disease/diminish effect:
- turn back too simple things
- rest
- realize that things being sought are irrelevant to a happy life
- listen to and analyze your dreams
- live in small communities
- work a shorter day and week
- have a plot of land to cultivate
- make spare use of radio, TV, newspaper, technological gadgets
- high mountains, rivers, lakes, trees, flowers, animals
- mystery, symbols, belief, age-old customs and convictions
- spirit
- living here and now
- spiritual welfare
- compensate intellectual work with philosophical interest
- self-expression and seeing the fruit of your own labour to nourish psyche
- ask yourself whether by any chance your unconscious might know something to help you
- look deeply into the eyes of an animal
- healing contact with Nature from the outside and from the inside (through experiences of the unconscious and dreams)
- cooperation with nature
- make contact with the archetypal functions
- "Go to bed. Think on your problem. See what you dream. Perhaps the great man, the 2,000,000 year old man, will speak."
- define ethics, convention


Nature is an incomparable guide if you know how to follow her. She is like the needle of the compass pointing to the North, which is most useful when you have a good man-made ship and when you know how to navigate. That's about the position. If you the river, you surely come to the sea finally. But if you take it literally you soon get stuck in an impassable gorge and you complain of being misguided. The unconscious is useless without the human mind. It always seeks its collective purposes and never your individual destiny. Your destiny is the result of the collaboration between the conscious and the unconscious.

Reduction to the natural condition is neither an ideal state nor a panacea. If the natural state were really the ideal, then the primitive would be leading an enviable existence. But that is by no means so for aside from all other sorrows and hardships of human life, the primitive is tormented by superstitions, fears, and compulsions to such a degree that, if he lived in our civilization, he could not be described as other than profoundly neurotic if not mad.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be like Carl and grow your own damn potatoes.

[Richard Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was born in Kesswil, Switzerland, a wee lakeside hamlet that had changed little since the Middle Ages. His rustic upbringing gave him the gift of intimate contact with the natural world, a profound source of meaning for him: “Every stone, every plant, every single thing seemed alive and indescribably marvelous.” Like his mother, Jung had the ability to access his archaic mind. He had an old soul that was intimately connected with all living creatures, and to the world of dreams. This gave him the unusual ability to observe people and events with extreme clarity, as they truly were.

From the sweet pinnacle of a tranquil, wholesome childhood, the rest of his life was a stunning downhill plunge, as the civilized world fell into ever-growing chaos and catastrophe — rapid industrialization, urbanization, population explosion, two world wars, mustard gas, atomic bombs, holocaust, the rise and fall of Hitler and Stalin. It was an excellent time to become a famous psychiatrist, because this new reality was a steaming cauldron of intense insanity.

Jung provided the world with a new model for understanding the mind. For almost the entire human journey, we had obeyed the laws of nature, like all other animals did. But with the emergence of domestication and civilization, we began violating the laws of life, snatching away some of nature’s power — power that did not belong to us. This cosmic offense created a break that shifted us onto a path of suffering. The gods are now punishing us for our immature and disrespectful impulses.

Jung left behind a huge body of writings, most of which are of little interest to general readers. Meredith Sabini heroically combed through the mountain of words, extracted passages about our relationship with nature, and published them as The Earth Has a Soul. It stitched together snippets from many sources, from different phases of his life, so it’s not as flowing and focused as a discourse written from scratch, but it’s an important collection of provocative ideas.

In recent decades, thinkers have tried to explain why the roots of the Earth Crisis emerged several thousand years ago. Most have diagnosed the root of today’s problems as rapid, out-of-control cultural evolution — our skills at learning, communication, and tool making evolved far more quickly than our genes did, and this pushed us dangerously out of balance.

Jung would agree with this theory, but his perception of the problem was far more complex. For almost our entire journey, humankind was guided by instinct, a form of intelligence that was magnificently refined by millions of years of continuous improvement. Like other animals, we lacked self-awareness, or consciousness. Like other animals, we could think and strategize, but we remained unconscious, and perfectly functional.

Jung thought that consciousness became apparent in civilized cultures maybe 4,000 years ago, and it has been increasing ever since. The expansion of consciousness went into warp drive when the era of modern scientific thinking arrived, and we plunged into an industrial way of life.

In remote, isolated locations, there are still a few “primitive” cultures which remain largely unconscious, guided by their normal instinctive intelligence. They do not engage in abstract thinking. They do not destroy their ecosystem. They continue to obey nature’s laws. But they are being driven into extinction by you-know-who.

Our conscious mind was new, infantile, incomplete, unstable, and easily injured. Jung saw it as a tiny boat floating in a vast ocean of unconscious knowledge. Like a fish out of water, we were separated from our ancient oceanic home, an unpleasant traumatic shock. In the good old days, we lived in an enchanted world where everything was sacred. But science and technology have dragged us away into a miserable manmade world where nothing is holy, and everyone is restless, anxious, and neurotic.

Consciousness was an extremely powerful two-edged sword, equal parts blessing and curse: “Unfortunately, there is in this world no good thing that does not have to be paid for by an evil at least equally great. People still do not know that the greatest step forward is balanced by an equally great step back.”

On the shore of Lake Zurich, Jung built a summer retreat out of rugged cut stones, a sacred refuge for solitude and contemplation. He cooked on a wood fire, raised food in his garden, and drew water from a well. There was no phone or electricity, because the technology of modernity was certain to frighten away the souls of his ancestors.

Primitive people were “hellishly afraid of anything new” because they feared “unknown powers and indefinite dangers.” This was just as true for modern folks, even if we pretended otherwise. “Nevertheless, we have plunged down a cataract of progress which sweeps us on into the future with even wilder violence the farther it takes us from our roots.” In 1912 he wrote that America “does not understand that it is facing its most tragic moment: a moment in which it must make a choice to master its machines or to be devoured by them.”

Jung had an intense dislike for modernity. A city dweller was reduced to a tiny, insignificant ant. Humankind was moving toward insectification. Overpopulation was destroying everything. Growing crowds multiplied the stupidity level, whilst sharply decreasing our intelligence and morality. Crowds were incubators for psychic epidemics, which were far more destructive than natural disasters. Excited mobs often created explosions of madness that nothing could stop. “The most dangerous things in the world are immense accumulations of human beings who are manipulated by only a few heads.”

In his psychiatric work, Jung helped patients heal by encouraging them to seek guidance from their dreams. Our unconscious has all the answers we need, but we usually avoid looking there, because we are afraid of it. We overload our lives with distractions to discourage reflection, and to hide from our darkness. We live at a rapid pace, and never leave a moment for looking inward.

Tragically, Jung never came to know a real live hunter-gatherer. He never spent a year or three with the Pygmies or Bushmen, people who lived in the traditional human manner, and lived quite well. If he had, his thinking would certainly have taken quite a different path — and very likely a far more powerful one.

He did take several brief expeditions to New Mexico, Africa, and India, to spend a little time with people who were neither Christian nor European. Contact with these miserable “primitive” people gave him feelings of superiority, because they seemed to be neurotic, “tormented by superstitions, fears, and compulsions.” But they also scared him. He once left Africa because of a powerful dream. He worried that he was in danger of “going black under the skin.” Did he come frighteningly close to breaking free from his civilized cage?

For Jung, returning to simple, primitive, sustainable living was not a possible solution. “The wheel of time cannot be turned back. Things can, however, be destroyed and renewed. This is extremely dangerous, but the signs of our time are dangerous too. If there was ever a truly apocalyptic era, it is ours.” He believed that salvation could be found by training the conscious mind to receive guidance from the unconscious realm, the world of dreams.

His recommendations for healing included: getting closer to nature, living in small communities (not cities), working less, engaging in reflection in quiet solitude, reconnecting with our past, avoiding distractions (newspapers, television, radio, gramophones), paying serious attention to our dreams, and simplifying our lifestyles.

In 1961, the year he died, Jung wrote: “Civilization is a most expensive process and its acquisitions have been paid for by enormous losses, the extent of which we have largely forgotten or have never appreciated.” In his final days in 1961, Jung had visions of massive catastrophes striking in 50 years.

[Lisa Blanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm halfway through this book and I love it. Jung believes that we as humans need to hold on to our connection to nature, because even though we may see ourselves as civilized beings, we are still essentially animals and are subject to our basic animal nature. A strong connection to the natural world aroud us helps us to enjoy our lives more and be at peace with our inner selves. (At least, that's an oversimplified take on the first half of the book, I'll revise this when I've read more!)

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Earth Has a Soul is a collection of writings on the subject of nature from Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, taken from various book passages, lectures, and personal correspondences. The thesis running throughout the book is that modern life, increasingly urban and dominated by technology, is unhealthy for the psyche. In the age of science and reason, nature has been stripped of her divine properties, and modern man is more disconnected than ever. Heavily influenced by his travels amongst the indigenous peoples of East Africa and New Mexico, Jung yearns to restore the tendency to live in accordance with the 'primitive' instincts that can make life so joyous.

I found his arguments compelling, and would certainly recommend this to anybody who's interested in the relationship between the natural environment and the human spirit. The only thing that frustrates me slightly about Jung is that his diagnosis seems much more developed than his cure. He realises that a certain form of atheistic materialism can lead to catastrophic nihilism, and I think that lesson is just as important today (if not more so), but also acknowledges that this viewpoint can certainly seem rational to the modern Western mind. However, other than to suggest that a more spiritual outlook is essential to the functioning of a healthy psyche, he doesn't really put forward a convincing philosophical argument against nihilism.

All in all though, I found this one very enjoyable. When I first realised that it was a compilation of his writings put together by someone else, rather than a book which he had purposefully written, I was a little bit disappointed. However, as I made my way through the book I found that I actually appreciated this format quite a lot - it allowed for different passages to be separated by subject matter, with a brief introduction by the editor in each section to give just enough context and information to help the reader with the text. 8/10

[Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.G. Jung on nature Technology and modern life by Meeedith Sabina: well this is a deep thinking book took extra long to read just over two hundred pages because some of the ideals were so interwoven and nested in time culture nature and symbols that it took me three tries or more at reading certain pages before I grasped what the concept was. Deep is the well and difficult is the task but the revelations are sweet and refreshing but I thirst for more and will have to return more than once to this and future books before I can even scratch the surface of the human psychic four stars a bit more difficult than my usual reads but very well worth the time and effort. My first book on Carl Jung.

[Monika Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally understood my urge to buy land and grow plants on it. Thank you Mr Jung. :-)

[Qing Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

If one has the right attitude then the right things happen

The problem is that most of the time or basically all the time we do not know what is right. What one thinks right is quite possible to be taken as wrong by the other. How could you be sure you have the right attitude, or if you doubt that, where could you find it?

I had thought this book was about how human can learn to co-exist with Nature, to respect Nature, to learn to be kind to Nature. I was still thinking human and Nature as two separate entities. I had thought the importance of collective unconscious is that it enables people to appreciate humanity in a broader sense, to expand it to the whole human kind, not just one's own race or nation.

Jung talked about collective unconscious is Nature. It's not a reconciliation of human and non-human, but the conscious mind and the unconscious mind, the natural mind.

More important is that, as Jung made clear, once we understand what this really means, then we do not have to go to woods to return to the embrace of nature, we can just look into our own inner world, let the unconscious speak, let the images emerge. By setting onself right, one heals the world.

It always fascinates me that Jung could read so much from the East stories. I never can understand from that level by myself. The story of rainmaker actually happened in the precinct of my hometown, only that I had never heard about it.

Jung always insisted that West and East have to come together for the salvation of human kind. Guess we can all contribute to that. To set oneself right and bring things into the right order.

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Go to bed. Think of your problem. See what you dream. Perhaps the Great Man, the 2,000,000-year-old man, will speak. In a cul-de-sac, then only do you hear his voice.’

A very compelling read. What at first seems like a collection of unrelated writings about nature becomes a passionate and urgent case for us look inward. Jung’s case is not simply that man is disconnected from nature; it is that we have become estranged from the primitive man who still lives within our subconscious. Without this harmony, man is unpredictable and dangerous. Technology only amplifies our disconnect. Most of this was written in the first half of the 20th century, but it’s even more relevant today. If Jung were to be around in the age of social media he would be appalled.

I thought that perhaps I’d have to know more about Jung’s theories in order to understand this, but actually it provided a very good way in to learning about a lot of his concepts. There’s talk of the collective unconscious, archetypes and primordial darkness, but it’s fed to you bit by bit so you understand it. There’s also some travelogues at the beginning which are literally amazing.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nature is an incomparable guide if you know how to follow her".

This collection of Jung's writings beautifully presents his thoughts towards mankind and our connection with nature. Passages from Jung explain that we have become disconnected (especially in our cities) from nature, and this is evident in the mental unease that many people face. The most interesting piece in the collection is when explained the rapid increase in technology and noise.. in the 1930's! I feel he would be deeply ashamed to see the state of our world as it is today. However, it's now more than ever that teachings such as his need to be made available. His suggested remedy is for everyone to turn inwards, explore our unconsciousness through our dreams, and to strengthen our connection to nature.

As others have said, this collection is worth re-reading, as there is much to grasp and learn. Anyone who senses that there is something "off" about the world and that we are living an unnatural life in modern society will enjoy this book.

[Gianetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book once with the idea that I would read it again. So far, I have not. This is a compelling book of selections from Jung's published works, seminars, interviews, letters and speeches that demonstrate his affinity for and kinship with the natural world. One of my favorite quotes from Jung is: "Sometimes a tree can tell you more than can be read in a book." This is one of those books that begs to be re-read that one might glean more and more with each visit to its pages.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Consciousness should be viewed as the head of a gigantic billion-year-old creature, with a body and a tail that includes the evolutionary history of all life." Damn straight G!

[alexanderalava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially a ‘highlight reel’ of sorts, a curated collection, of words and thoughts from Jung focused around the idea of nature, that ‘the earth has a soul.’

Personally, I started off a little overwhelmed; I do think there is a role to be played by the ‘fluff,’ so to speak, the segments in between the heavy hitting doses of thought, to make it a more palatable reading experience. Because it’s curated, it’s very dense. There isn’t much room to take a breather. But as I continued, I got used to the structure, and was especially enthralled by the latter half of the book.

All in all, a wonderful wonderful book for anyone interested in Jung, or simply the concept and question of nature, period. Jung’s collected works are extremely lengthy, and this, at a mere 200 or so pages, is quite (by comparison) digestible.

Reading a physical copy, my notes are all in the book itself. However, at some point I should get around to adding them here below.

I’ll add, because I have then on hand, a couple in particular:

“
There was a great drought where [Richard] Wilhelm lived; for months there had not been a drop of rain and the situation became catastrophic. The Catholics made processions, the Protestants made prayers, and the Chinese burned joss-sticks and shot off guns to frighten away the demons of the drought, but with no result.

Finally, the Chinese said, ‘We will fetch the rain-maker.’ And from another province a dried up old man appeared. The only thing he asked for was a quiet little house somewhere, and there he locked himself in for three days.

On the fourth day the clouds gathered and there was a great snow-storm at the time of the year when no snow was expected, an unusual amount, and the town was so full of rumours about the wonderful rain-maker that Wilhelm went to ask the man how he did it.

In true European fashion he said: ‘They call you the rain-maker; will you tell me how you made the snow?’

And the rain-maker said: ‘I did not make the snow; I am not responsible.’

‘But what have you done these three days?’

‘Oh, I can explain that. I come from another country where things are in order. Here they are out of order; they are not as they should be by the ordinance of heaven. Therefore, the whole country is not in Tao, and I also am not in the natural order of things because I am in a disordered country.
So, I had to wait three days until I was back in Tao and then naturally the rain came.’[2]

If one has the right attitude then the right things happen. One doesn't make it right, it is just right, and one feels it has to happen in this way. It is just as if one were inside of things. If one feels right, that thing must turn up, it fits in. It is only when one has a wrong attitude that one feels that things do not fit in, that they are queer. When someone tells me that in his surroundings the wrong things always hap-pen, I say: It is you who are wrong, you are not in Tao; if you were in Tao, you would feel that things are as they have to be. Sure enough, sometimes one is in a valley of darkness, dark things happen, and then dark things belong there, they are what must happen then; they are nonetheless in Tao.
“

“
In a mythological age [people spoke of] mana, spirits, demons, and gods, and they are as active today as they ever were. If they conform to our wishes, we call them happy hunches or impulses and pat ourselves on the back for being smart fellows. If they go against us, then we say it is just bad luck, or that certain people have it in for us, or it must be pathological. The one thing we refuse to admit is that we are dependent on "powers" beyond our control.

It is true that civilized man has acquired a certain amount of willpower which he can apply where he pleases. We have learnt to do our work efficiently without having recourse to chanting and drumming to hypnotize us into the state of doing. We can even dispense with the daily prayer for divine aid. We can carry out what we propose to do, and it seems self-evident that an idea can be translated into action without a hitch, whereas the primitive is hampered at every step by doubts, fears, and superstitions. The motto "Where there's a will there's a way" is not just a Germanic prejudice; it is the superstition of modern man in general. In order to maintain his credo, he cultivates a remarkable lack of introspection. He is blind to the fact that, with all his rationality and efficiency, he is possessed by powers beyond his control. The gods and demons have not disappeared at all, they have merely got new names. They keep him on the run with restlessness, vague apprehensions, psychological com-plications, an invincible need for pills, alcohol, tobacco, dietary and other hygienic systems and above, all, with an impressive array of neuroses.
“

“Go to bed. Think on your problem. See what you dream. Perhaps the Great Man, the 2,000,000 year old man, will speak. Only in a cul-de-sac do you hear his voice.“

“Nature must not win the game, but she cannot lose....”

“A man does not notice it when he is governed by a demon… Nothing is so infectious as affect and nothing is so disarming as the promised fulfillment of one's own selfish wishes.”

“The fantastic, mythological world of the Middle Ages has, thanks to our so-called enlightenment, simply changed its place. It is no longer incubi, succubi, wood-nymphs, melusines and the rest that* terrify and tease mankind; man himself has taken over their role without knowing it and does the devilish work of destruction with far more effective tools than the spirits did. In the olden days men were brutal, now they are dehumanized and possessed to a degree that even the blackest Middle Ages did not know.”

“It is said of the yogi that he can remove mountains, though it would be difficult to furnish any real proof of this. The power of the yogi operates within limits acceptable to his environment. The Euro-pean, on the other hand, can blow up mountains, and the World War has given us a bitter foretaste of what he is capable of when free rein is given to an intellect that has grown estranged from human nature.”

“Western man has no need of more superiority over nature whether outside or inside. He has both in an almost devilish perfection. What he lacks is conscious recognition of his inferiority to the nature around him and within him. He must learn that he may not do exactly as he wills. If he does not learn this, his own nature will destroy him. He does not know that his own soul is rebelling against him in a suicidal way.”

“We would laugh at the idea of a plant or an animal inventing itself, yet there are many people who believe that the psyche or the mind invented itself and thus brought itself into being. As a matter of fact, the mind has grown to its present state of consciousness as an acorn grows into an oak or as saurians developed into mam-mals. As it has been, so it is still, and thus we are moved by forces from within as well as from without.”

“OUR INTELLECT HAS CREATED A NEW WORLD THAT DOMINATES nature, and has populated it with monstrous machines. The latter are so indubitably useful and so much needed that we cannot see even a possibility of getting rid of them or of our odious subservience to them. Man is bound to follow the exploits of his scientific and inventive mind and to admire himself for his splendid achievements.
At the same time, he cannot help admitting that his genius shows an uncanny tendency to invent things that become more and more dan-gerous, because they represent better and better means for wholesale suicide. In view of the rapidly increasing avalanche of world popu-lation, we have already begun to seek ways and means of keeping the rising flood at bay. But nature may anticipate all our attempts by turning against man his own creative mind, and, by releasing the H-bomb or some equally catastrophic device, put an effective stop to overpopulation. In spite of our proud domination of nature we are still her victims as much as ever and have not even learnt to control our own nature, which slowly and inevitably courts disaster.”

“There are no longer any gods whom we can invoke to help us.”

“The modern mind thinks... that it can dispense with all magical ceremonies which explains why it was so long at a loss to understand them properly. But when we remember that primitive man is much more unconscious, much more of a "natural phenomenon" than we are, and has next to no knowledge of what we call "will," then it is easy to understand why he needs complicated ceremonies where a simple act of will is sufficient for us. We are more conscious, that is to say, domesticated. In the course of the millennia we have succeeded not only in conquering the wild nature all around us, but in subduing our own wildness—at least temporarily and up to a point. At all events we have been acquiring "will," i.e., disposable energy, and though it may not amount to much it is nevertheless more than the primitive possesses. We no longer need magical dances to make us "strong" for whatever we want to do, at least not in ordinary cases. But when we have to do something that exceeds our pow-ers, something that might easily go wrong, then we solemnly lay a foundation-stone with the blessing of the Church, or we "christen" a ship as she slips from the dock; in time of war we assure ourselves of the help of a patriotic God, the sweat of fear forcing fervent prayer form the lips of the stoutest. So it needs only slightly insecure conditions for the "magical" formalities to be resuscitated in the most natural way. Through these ceremonies the deeper emotional forces are released; conviction becomes blind auto-suggestion, and the psychic field of vision is narrowed to one fixed point on which the whole weight of the unconscious forces is concentrated.”

“The tribe was increasing rapidly and there was great scarcity of food, and he dreamt about a further country with an abundance of seals, whales, walruses, etc., a land of plenty. The whole tribe believed him and they started out over the ice. Halfway over, certain old men began to doubt, as is always the case: is the vision right or wrong? So half the tribe turned back, only to perish, while he went on with the other half and reached the North American shore.... one can see in any ordinary dream... the same guiding function and attempt at a solution of the problem.”

“Man has always lived with a myth, and we think we are able to be born today and to live in no myth, without history. That is a dis-ease. That's absolutely abnormal, because man is not born every day.
He is born once in a specific historical setting, with specific historical qualities, and therefore he is only complete when he has a relation to these things. It is just as if you were born without eyes and ears when you are growing up with no connection with the past.
From the standpoint of natural science, you need no connection with the past; you can wipe it out, and that is a mutilation of the human being.”

“Nowadays animals, dragons, and other living creatures are readily replaced in dreams by railways, locomotives, motorcycles, aero-planes, and suchlike artificial products... This expresses the remoteness of the modern mind from nature; animals have lost their numinosity; they have become apparently harmless; instead, we people the world with hooting, booming, clattering monsters that cause infinitely more damage to life and limb than bears and wolves ever did in the past. And where the natural dangers are lacking, man does not rest until he has immediately invented others for himself.”

“For ages man has dreamed of flying, and all we have got for it is saturation bombing!”

[Tija Bija · Rating 3 out of 5]

~..."and how difficult it is to be simple"...~

Jungs' views on what humanity has sacrificed in order to achieve the Logos (the fire of the Gods) are followed by few images that I would not expect to see from one of the influential psychoanalysts of 20th century – sitting with an apron on and chopping some wood – pure difficult simplicity, that will always follow me daily, whenever I go for another pile of wood or remember to heat the water on a stove before I wash the dishes.

I was looking forward to read this book, but it was darn long read.. This is the kind of book which you read in between other books, that you actually finish. Something about the compilation style made it frustrating – cut out paragraphs from Jungs published works, his letters, seminars and speeches – which all were connected as linear collage, but were not coherent to full Satisfaction.

[Michael Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will give you an insight into Jung’s thoughts on our intrinsic rootedness in nature. Dreams, he muses, are wild nature within us. Since its publication in 2002, the reader has read this book at least a dozen times, sometimes even randomly opening the book to be reminded of its wisdom.

[Sue Cartwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up at the end of the nineteenth century, Carl Jung came to realise that the union of Nature and Spirit might offer to heal the disenchantment of the age. It was a time when philosophic connections were being broken apart by the new Darwinian science as 'religious belief systems were let loose from their moorings and drifted about in a sea of doubt.'

The consensus at the time was that science could take the place of divinity but Jung lamented this departure from reality, emphasising 'how important it is for us to remember what it is in the history of human kind we have lost.'

Jung's inclination to look at all sides of an issue became a life-long labour of love to discover the original unity of Nature with the spirits that reside within matter. His findings help us to understand the connection so that we can repair our wounded relationship with the natural world and challenge our limited conventional notions of what Nature is.

In this wonderful book, Earth Has A Soul, Meredith Sabini presents a rich selection of excerpts and quotes from Jung's publications, letters, interviews and speeches where he examines the natural mind informed by 'the accumulated wisdom of our species through our collective evolutionary experience.'

Jung was deeply concerned about the loss of our connection with Nature. He reminds us that Nature is not only matter but also spirit, and that by associating Nature with matter in a purely materialistic context, the profound emotional meaning of being human in this beautiful natural world is lost to us.

For Jung, the word 'matter' remains 'a dry, inhuman and purely intellectual concept' leading to a complete misunderstanding and depreciation of what it means to live a healthy, conscientious and fulfilling life on Earth.

Jung's appreciation for the spirit of Nature started at a very young age. He remembers lying in a pram in the shadow of a tree with an 'indescribable feeling of wellbeing.' His mother's connection with 'animals, trees, mountains, meadows and running water' gave him 'a sense of security and the conviction that here was solid ground on which one could stand.'

Jung's profound connection with Nature continued throughout his life. He preferred to live in modest harmony on his land where he developed 'a feeling of kinship with all things.' He called his country place (the tower at Bollingen) his 'island of peace.' With no electricity or running water, Jung liked to light his lamps, pump water from the well, chop wood for the fire and cook his own food.

Jung travelled around the world to learn about native cultures. He found men 'still in full possession of their animal instincts with an ability to converse with their inner soul.' In contrast to the modern idea of man's psyche being the epitome of all that is subjective and subject to the will, native people saw it as something 'objective, self-subsistent and living it's own life.'
Jung observed that losing our spiritual values to one-sided rationalism resulted in a disintegration of moral tradition, and a worldwide disorientation and dissociation. We only have to look around us today to see how this forced disconnect from the hand that feeds us continues to have a devastating impact on our planet and our evolutionaory development in terms of human consciousness.

Without a relationship with Nature, our lives deteriorate into 'a pointless striving for material possessions' which reinforces a lack of individual responsibility. This disconnect between our spiritual selves and Natural Law is something that cannot be sustained in the long run.

The key message in this book is that if human lives are to account for anything, we need to 'realign human consciousness with the profound consciousness of Nature.' Only then will we achieve peace, health and fulfilment as we reconcile the conflict between our natural instincts and our cultural mind.

Jung proved that by living a more simple and natural life, we bring meaning and purpose into our lives. He shows us that when we allow Nature to affect us - to nourish and sustain us - we become whole again and we are healed.

[Mario · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how this book of Jung's writings, speeches, seminars, interviews and even letters, was put together. It was organized in a chronological manner which allows the reader to see his views either cement themselves or evolve further over his lifetime. I found I relate to a lot of his ideas and teachings. Highly recommended.

[CTEP]

I read ‘The Earth Has a Soul’, which is a compilation of speeches, books, and letters created by Carl Jung and edited by Meredith Sabini. Carl Jung is a world famous psychologist whose work and theory was concerned with reconnecting to nature. Since this material is copyright, some words are used that we would not use today (ref. primitive). We start with Jung’s idea that the people we are now are ‘modern’ and below the surface ‘archaic’. This book shares Jung’s experiences traveling all over the world, and engaging with many communities to understand their point of view. Jung’s argument is that with the advancements in technology, people are losing their connection with nature, which to him is losing a part of one’s soul.
I wanted to read this book because in my work as a CTEP I am constantly using technology, and helping people to use technology, but I feel conflicted. I know that for me, I would stay away from screens if I could, but right now, I depend on my computer to do everything. As a result of COVID -19 having technology is becoming a basic human need, and not everyone has access to it. I feel like many of us buy technology because it is the next new item to use. I want to question its necessity while still respecting the value of technology.
Jung is concerned with our sense of self, and believes that we find this connection through nature. He documents his visits with different communities, and praises their authenticity. What we would call superstitious, Jung sees people observing nature as powerful. He is concerned about ‘Western man’ and all of the power technology gives to him. With this power is the potential for people with technology to feel limitless. Looking at my service, I do want people to feel limitless potential, and therefore feel that everyone should have a computer. However, I think the industry of technology in our country is the limitless power that Jung feared. If my fellow CTEP is feeling a similar conflict to mine, I will say read this book and look for your answer. Even if you cannot find one, just questioning your beliefs is important. I think it is important to reflect on what people thought the technology age would look like. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but out world is looking like the 80s post-apocalyptic movies.

[Landen Acosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Earth Has a Soul: The Nature Writings of C.G. Jung" is a soulful exploration into the profound connection between humanity and the natural world. As someone who finds solace in nature and its therapeutic qualities, this collection of Jung's writings offered a heartfelt and insightful journey into the depths of ecological consciousness.

Jung's strength lies in his ability to articulate the spiritual and psychological dimensions of our relationship with nature. The book weaves together essays, letters, and reflections, showcasing Jung's deep reverence for the Earth. His writings encourage readers to see nature not merely as an external landscape but as a living, breathing soul that mirrors our own inner landscapes.

One notable aspect of the book is the timeless relevance of Jung's insights. His observations on the importance of reconnecting with nature, understanding the symbolic language of the natural world, and recognizing the healing power of the Earth resonate strongly in today's context. Jung's wisdom serves as a gentle reminder of the reciprocal relationship between humanity and the planet.

The language used is poetic and evocative, capturing the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Jung's writing style is accessible, making his ecological philosophy approachable to readers from various backgrounds. The book's structure, with thematic sections addressing different aspects of nature, allows for a contemplative exploration of its contents.

The practical applications of Jung's ecological consciousness are evident throughout the book. Whether discussing the symbolism of landscapes, the significance of animals, or the therapeutic benefits of nature, Jung's writings provide a holistic understanding of our interconnectedness with the Earth.

In conclusion, "The Earth Has a Soul" is a soul-stirring read for anyone seeking a deeper connection with nature and a greater understanding of the human-nature relationship. Whether you're an eco-conscious reader or simply someone who finds solace in the outdoors, Jung's nature writings offer a timeless and enriching perspective. The book invites readers to embark on a contemplative journey, fostering a renewed appreciation for the Earth's soul and our integral role within it.

[Mason Neil · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very disappointing compilation for me. Portions were so cut-and-paste that often each paragraph came from a different piece and read like sloppy academic writing without any writing to connect the disparate pieces. This disjunction in itself is not unforgivable to me, but without the benefit of seeing Jung build his argument, the portions that were presented felt empty. I felt the description and introduction of the book exaggerated much of the actual content. Also much misogyny and transphobia—though I suppose that’s to be expected. To be fair, I stopped after the first 2/3 of the book. Perhaps that last part was redemptive.

[Anna Marija Kola · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The man whose interests are all outside is never satisfied with what is necessary, but is perpetually hankering after something more and better which, true to his bias, he always seeks outside himself."

A wonderful book for everyone who loves Jung's way of thinking. Great excerpts from different sources.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enlightening.. Wish it would have been written by him completely, not just excerpts put together.

[David D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading and re-reading, it changes if you let it "stew" awhile.

[Analis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of those books that changed my life. I saw a couple one star complaints about this book due to it is copy and paste of different materials. But the author of this book explains that in the beginning that this is a compilation of pieces of letters and lectures, and discussions that the author has taken the time to curate and organize into a few subjects for us readers. I really appreciate this as I don’t have all the time in the world to review all of Carl Jung’s work. I love that this is a compilation of information spanning decades on a specific subject. The information in this book and hearing Carl Jung in private letters is enlightening to say the least. I loved reading his thoughts and observations which lead to many lightbulb moments within myself. Of course you don’t ever need to agree with 100% of the information and we should always reserve room to be critical, But I think that it is important to under understand the overall objective and message in these curated writings as well as the time period from which they are written.

If I could give this book to everybody, I know I would. This is a book that I will be referencing for the rest of my life and which has changed me forever.

[Todd C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really into Psychology as a subject but received this as a gift. Note that this isn't a biography. The editor collected various writings of Dr Jung that deal with the subject of the book. Dr Jung was my wife's hero so I figured I'd give it a shot. I thought it was ok, had some interesting points. Dr Jung is obviously against modernization, and believes we have lost touch with our primal selves and Nature, which I agree with him on. There were some stories which I found interesting, like his visit to Africa, and also the shaman rainmaker, one of his favorite stories to tell according to the editor. Dr Jung left city life to help build his home in nature, worked on his farm, took walks in the woods, etc. He did what he could to get back in touch with nature.

Probably not high on the list of books to read on Dr Jung, but if you're interested on his views of Nature and modernization, it's an interesting read.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed. If I wanted to read Jung, I would go to the primary sources. This is like throwing all of the original citations and texts into a blender - with a strong editorial voice that interferes with the philosophy of Jung instead of lifting it up or creating a streamlined scholarship of his ideas. Paragraph by paragraph, the editor Meredith Sabini has made a collage of Jung's ideas and knowledge. Considering her background is in dreams, you would think the fragmentation would be antithetical to conveying the principles set forth, but it certainly works to sculpt his words into her narrative. If she was billed as the author, that would be a different story, but I feel like I've been hornswoggled.

[Ann Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful compilation of excerpts for writers, researchers, or historians who want to locate materials Jung wrote that relate to Nature, the state of nature, what is considered "natural," and human interaction with Nature or wildness (and the positive good that comes from integrating the human body with the landscape and with animal/creaturely life).

Not so much a "good read" on its own, but a fascinating series of primary Jungian texts such as letters, lectures, and essays as well as Jung's better-known books.

I liked the photographs of Jung in "natural" environments...his garden, the lake, the tower he built.

[Ajay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is short, but is heavy reading. It is simple to understand, but almost every page is full of meaning. Mr. Jung is a deep thinker and his writings make a lot of sense. Mr. Jung also provides good examples for support to his statements.

The big takeaways for me are to get more connected with nature and community, and less connected with technology. Other insights are to listen to your dreams and instincts. Mr. Jung had great foresight on how western culture would become less interested in nature, spirits and our prehistoric culture, and how this would come at a great cost. In summary, I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Olivia Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible and enlightening gathering of excerpts from Jung’s essays, lectures, letters and more. Jung gives us real food for thought, and asks us to acknowledge, accept and uncover our psyches in order to reconnect to ourselves and nature - that is, Mother Nature and our human nature. He teaches us that there is an abundance of knowledge to be gained from both natures, and that if we do not reconnect to nature, we’re in real danger - and that we are already by ignoring, objectifying and devaluing nature in all forms. This is a book everyone should read, and whose advice everyone can follow.

[Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A curated selection of passages relating to man and nature, it provides a unique perspective on the ills of modern man and how we might go about solving them. Jung uses a fair amount of his own terminology, but he sufficiently explains his intended meaning. The ideas presented are both philosophical and practical. I appreciate how Jung recognizes the importance of the soul rather than just the psyche and links modern human problems to our ancestors and evolution. This book plus Man and His Symbols have been my introduction to Jung’s work, and from my layperson’s perspective, it’s been a great introduction.