The Origins and History of Consciousness (Princeton Classics)

A great book, it gives you a comprehensive and understandable rundown of the psychological archetypes and their significance in mythology. Take your time with the book, there's a lot of ground to cover if you're unfamiliar with Jungian psychology. It will probably be a lot to take in though it is an undoubtedly fun ride. Also for whatever it's worth, if you're a fan of Jordan Peterson this book would be invaluable to you if you want to understand what he's actually saying when he talks of the archetypal stories and their significance. Though as always, don't let your excitement over these concepts stop you from being mindful that there's always another perspective.

Neumann is a fricken genius.Profound unraveling ouf the individuation process within the human tapestry of collective mythical entanglement.

A difficult read, every paragraph is densely charged with information. That being said, it is a magnificent book, worth the read if you are into Jungian Psychology. Neumann manages to organize and systemise the rather chaotic teachings of Carl Jung, who was a genius, and very difficult to comprehend for his mind did not work in the manner of an ordinary man. Neumann's work is the best shot we mortals will get to understanding the genius of Carl Jung.

This book was recommended by Camile Paglia and Jordan Peterson - and they were right about it. A deep dive into depth psychology!! Not for the faint of heart, but very rewarding for those with the persistence and intellectual engagement to stick with it. A classic text that will never be outdated.

"Copyright 1954" with subsequent printings. The lack of disclosing original publication dates thru Amazon never ceases to disappoint me.Nevertheless, the foreword and 1st pg. of introduction lend to the book's depth, I am excited to learn more.

Neuman's ideas and book need considerable study, I think, not only to understand them but to assess them. I had considerable training in archetypal theory in literature, so I hesitated reading Neuman's book. However, Neuman's ideas came alive for me as I worked through the book. Indeed, there were days when I could not get his notions out of my head. I began to see their application everywhere throughout contemporary life. The book added dimensions to my awareness. It has also provided useful explanations to Buddhist teachings in Zen, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen for me.I found the writing difficult to read, sometimes. The writing repeats itself, but in different ways. What one reads in later chapters was often written in an earlier chapter. To be fair, though, that redundancy was helpful as there were some ideas / concepts that I still struggle with definitively--especially when I have to explain them to someone else outside of this field of study.Last, I disagree with reviews who claim that Neuman's book and ideas are dated or no longer applicable. That would be like claiming that the love of a mother for its child is dated and no longer applicable. I think such criticisms are unambiguous signs of a overly emphasized mental-rational point of view. If Neuman's ideas and book say anything, they work to show how much of the experience of life cannot be understood conceptually or rationally.

Explains that consciousness development is a part of the culture.

This book changed the way I think about mythology, history, philosophy and psychology. All the more fascinating, since the subject matter lies at the intersection of so many related topics, it led me to tie together what were previously separate or fragmented areas of thought. A reader would, however, need to be much better read than I in order to understand everything in the book. Much of it is over my head, but it's a great book nonetheless.