The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious Daoism
The impact and influence that a religious tradition can have amongst culturally out-group populations can be quite unexpected and can even “boomerang” back home in equally unpredictable ways. This article explores one example of a Chinese religion’s unexpected cultural influence within the Western p...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/1/69 |
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| author | Ming Chen |
| author_facet | Ming Chen |
| author_sort | Ming Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The impact and influence that a religious tradition can have amongst culturally out-group populations can be quite unexpected and can even “boomerang” back home in equally unpredictable ways. This article explores one example of a Chinese religion’s unexpected cultural influence within the Western psychiatric community using religious Daoism and its appropriation by analytical psychologist Carl Jung. Although elements of religious Daoism, such as Daoist Internal Alchemy or the <i>Yijing</i>, integrated into a system of psychiatric practices, its influence was not straightforward. It will be argued that Jungian ideas such as active imagination, individuation, and synchronicity were directly influenced or inspired by Jung’s exposure to religious Daoism through Richard Wilhelm, Daoist texts, and his own adoption of Daoist Internal Alchemy techniques, an influence which would reverberate through both Western and Chinese popular culture. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae533d8efafa4e80b6f8466df6f89e22 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-ae533d8efafa4e80b6f8466df6f89e222025-01-24T13:47:30ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-01-011616910.3390/rel16010069The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious DaoismMing Chen0School of Marxism, Hunan First Normal University, Changsha 410205, ChinaThe impact and influence that a religious tradition can have amongst culturally out-group populations can be quite unexpected and can even “boomerang” back home in equally unpredictable ways. This article explores one example of a Chinese religion’s unexpected cultural influence within the Western psychiatric community using religious Daoism and its appropriation by analytical psychologist Carl Jung. Although elements of religious Daoism, such as Daoist Internal Alchemy or the <i>Yijing</i>, integrated into a system of psychiatric practices, its influence was not straightforward. It will be argued that Jungian ideas such as active imagination, individuation, and synchronicity were directly influenced or inspired by Jung’s exposure to religious Daoism through Richard Wilhelm, Daoist texts, and his own adoption of Daoist Internal Alchemy techniques, an influence which would reverberate through both Western and Chinese popular culture.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/1/69religious Daoismanalytical psychologyinternal alchemyCarl JungThe Secret of the Golden Flower |
| spellingShingle | Ming Chen The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious Daoism Religions religious Daoism analytical psychology internal alchemy Carl Jung The Secret of the Golden Flower |
| title | The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious Daoism |
| title_full | The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious Daoism |
| title_fullStr | The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious Daoism |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious Daoism |
| title_short | The Westward Spread of Eastern Learning: Jung’s Integration and Adaptation of Religious Daoism |
| title_sort | westward spread of eastern learning jung s integration and adaptation of religious daoism |
| topic | religious Daoism analytical psychology internal alchemy Carl Jung The Secret of the Golden Flower |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/1/69 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mingchen thewestwardspreadofeasternlearningjungsintegrationandadaptationofreligiousdaoism AT mingchen westwardspreadofeasternlearningjungsintegrationandadaptationofreligiousdaoism |