Synchronicities and Mirrors

CategoryResearch

I engage critically with C. G. Jung’s late work on the idea of synchronicities, and related work from other authors at the time. My focus is on methodology, argument analysis and conceptual inquiry (rather than empirical or historical research).

April 10, 2021

Personified archetypes

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
April 10, 2021
10April

In the midst of our chaotic life processes, as we experience them day by day, there is a pre-existent, hidden meaning. That meaning, or Sinn, is an archetype.

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April 3, 2021

Self-representing archetypes

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
April 3, 2021
03April

According to Jung, the archetypes of the collective unconscious are psychological patterns. An archetype thus represents how we (human beings) typically live through and experience certain situations. What kind of situations?

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March 13, 2021

What is Jung’s notion of causality?

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
March 13, 2021
13March

Jung’s essay on synchronicities is centered around the notion of causality: he points out certain phenomena that (according to him) cannot be causally explained, and in general he claims that the law of causality is insufficient as a principle for scientific explanation. What does he actually mean by terms such as ‘causal’ and 'causality'?

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March 6, 2021

Two styles of projection

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
March 6, 2021
06March

The notion of projection is a broad umbrella which covers a variety of different ways in which unconscious contents might appear, to a subject, as something they notice in the external world. Presumably, some archetypal structures are best expressed in personified form, whereas others lend themselves to a different, more abstract representation: as relationships, as connections.

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February 27, 2021

The mirror theory of eros: synchronicities

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
February 27, 2021
27February

Jung says that synchronistic phenomena appear when an archetype of the collective unconscious is triggered (or ‘constellated’). He also points out that this usually goes along with projections. Interestingly, the mirror theory of eros arrives at a similar result.

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February 20, 2021

The mirror theory of eros: projection

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
February 20, 2021
20February

When a person becomes infatuated, their soul is dominated by the phantasm that represents the loved one; the phantasm cannibalizes the entire psyche of the subject. In such a case, the unconscious image (the phantasm) acquires an astonishing power and autonomy.

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February 13, 2021

The mirror theory of eros: the spiritual mirror

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
February 13, 2021
13February

A word about this “spiritual mirror” business. It is called spiritual because in Ficino’s views, the notion of “spirit” is central, and among other things, the spirit acts as a mirror through which the soul can access what the senses take in from the external world. The setup is similar to an old-fashioned camera, with the eye (and the other senses) corresponding to the lens, the psyche (the...

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February 6, 2021

The mirror theory of eros: phantasmata

By Leif Frenzel
In Research
February 6, 2021
06February

1. Suppose a subject becomes enamoured with another person. In that situation, we can assume in the subject’s mind a cluster of ideas, perceptions, presumptions, etc., all of which have the other person (the “love object”) as their content in some way. For example, there may be memories (“When we first met, she looked like this …”), general ascriptions of personality (“He’s a very attentive...

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Synchronicities and Mirrors

Leif Frenzel is a writer and independent researcher. He has a background in philosophy, literature, music, and information technology. His recent interest is Jungian psychology, especially synchronicities and the relationship between consciousness and the unconscious.

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absurdity alchemy archetypes causality climates dark side death eros erotetic arch fairytale style film frame analysis impressionist style intertextuality Jung philology literature magic methodology mirrors mystery mysticism narrative analysis persona personal note personification prefiguration projection psychoid research program romantic love self-knowledge shadow subjectivity symbols synchronicities technology time