Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 9 (Part 2): Aion: Researches Into the Phenomenology of the Self

This a phenomenal but incredibly advanced work that many people (including myself) simply won't be able to grasp without the helping hand of commentaries and, if you're fortunate enough personal experiences with the phenomena Jung discusses.The beginning is a basic rundown of concepts that form the cornerstones of Jung's "archetypes." After this Jung gets his "toothbrush and pick" ready to dig into some very arcane alchemical and gnostic ideas that, without some outside elaboration, are sure to put you to sleep or dissuade you from venturing further into the work. For this reason I recommend Edingers "Aion Lectures" as companion material.Once you have some background on these incredibly obscure and alien ideas, a lightbulb will switch on in your head and you will understand the theoretical magnitude of the work. Jung essentially psychoanalizes the previous 2000 years of western history to convey to you SOME of the aspects of his "collective unconscious."It is an absolutely brilliant exhibition of Jungs intuition, pattern recognition and his sheer mental perseverance. I would absolutely reccomend this book. It took me over a year to finish it, but by the end of it my entire perception of history and the human being had been irreversibly deepened.

If I was forced to have a complaint about this book it would be that you should be well versed in history, literature, mythology, psychology, and the occult to get the most out of Jung. His writing is quite dense, and assumes a base line of knowledge as a context for understanding it. I found it inspired me to research any references he made that I wasn't familiar with. Calling Jung 'astute' is a gross understatement.

Service was good and the book was well-received. The cover was a little beat up but I don't mind, the pages were as good as new.

Wow, all is said in Aion. I would not recommend it as an introduction to Jung but if you are already well versed with his thinking, this book will take you to a higher level of awareness.

Aion is a continuation of Jung's work in psychology. He explores the role of symbols in archetypes and how symbols are used to creation connection with archetypes, as well as exploring different aspects of a person's sense of self. I found the book to be useful for understanding Jung's contribution to psychology and why his work has continued to be significant. If you're interested in psychology or just want to understand Jung, this is a good book to pick up.