The Red Book - Jung's Art Journal into the Depths

The Red Book or Liber Novus, by Carl Jung is a monumental work that blends deep introspection with artistic expression. It represents a journey into the depths of the unconscious mind, exploring dreams, visions, and archetypes through both text and images.

Jung's process in this book includes both paintings and written recordings of his visions, fantasies and inner dialogues with his unconsious. The book was written and illustrated between 1914 and 1930 during a pivotal period in Jung's life, which he referred to as his "confrontation with the unconscious." This phase began after his break with Sigmund Freud in 1913, leading to a profound personal crisis and a deep dive into his own psyche.

 Jung committed himself to listening to whatever emerged from the unconscious and diligently recorded the overwhelming material that demanded his attention. This became a disciplined practice integrated into his daily life, involving writing, painting, dreams and active imagination.

The book documents Jung's process during this period, and offers insight into his personal psychic journey, often described as a "creative descent." During this time, he developed a deeper understanding of the psyche's structure and formulated his own style of analysis based on the imagination and the quest for wholeness.

Through a complex exploratory process, Jung recorded his imaginations first in his black books, and then eventually transcribed and compiled them into The Red Book: a large, red leather-bound book, incorporating elaborate calligraphy and illustrations. This publication, nearly 50 years after his death, provided a profound glimpse into Jung's personal process.

 Jung's openness to using images to process his inner experiences paved the way for others to explore their own unconscious depths. The personification of images from the unconscious became a central aspect of Jung's psychology, shaping his approach to understanding the human psyche.

The Red Book is a blend of narrative, psychological insights, and artistic expression. Jung described intense visions and dialogues with personified aspects of his psyche, such as Philemon, a wise old man who became an important guiding figure for Jung's later work. The themes explored include the integration of the shadow, the process of individuation, and the discovery of the Self. For Jung, this was a pivotal time that had an effect for him for the rest of his life. He felt that everything he did after The Red Book was deeply rooted in the insights gained during that period of personal exploration.