October 2, 2012

Carl Jung - The Power of The Imagination


"When you observe the world you see people, you see houses, you see the sky, you see tangible objects; but when you observe yourself within, you see moving images--a world of images, generally known as fantasies. Yet these fantasies are facts. You see, it is a fact that the man has such and such a fantasy, and it is such a tangible fact, for instance, that when a man has a certain fantasy, another man may lose his life, or a bridge is built--these houses were all fantasies. Everything you do here, all of the houses, everything, was fantasy to begin with, and fantasy has a proper reality. That is not to be forgotten; fantasy is not nothing. It is, of course, not a tangible object, but it is a fact, nevertheless. It is, you see, a form of energy, despite the fact that we can't measure it. It is a manifestation of something, and that is a reality. That is just a reality. As for instance, the peace treaty of Versailles, or something like that. It is no more--you can't show it, but it has been a fact. And so psychical events are facts, are realities; and when you observe the stream of images within, you observe an aspect of the world, of the world within." - Carl Jung, from "Jung on Elementary Psychology: A Discussion between C. G. Jung and Richard I. Evans," pg. 190.

Video: Carl Jung in a conversation with Dr. Richard I. Evans, speaking about the power of the imagination.