The Rhine-Jung letters: distinguishing parapsychological from synchronistic events - J.B. Rhine; Carl Jung

most arrogant, and everybody is free to think that I am writing a

particularly unclear and obscure style. The writer himself has to

suspend his own judgment. As far as I can see, my book has not had any

noticeable effect yet, with the exception of Prof. Bender's experiments. I

have seen him recently, and he told me that he pursues his experiments with

success. My best wishes to you; I always remember our rather noisy lunch at

the Ambassador's.

Sincerely yours, C. G. Jung.

Meaning

We need to understand the principle of meaning that connects the inner state with events in the outer world. This is best approached through an understanding of Jung's concept of unconscious compensation. Let's begin with an example.

When V. Mansfield (V. M.) got copies of the Rhine-Jung letters, he read the first half of them just before going to bed. He thought "these are interesting letters, but there is nothing earthshaking in them." He then had the following short dream: "I am carrying the letters around in a knapsack and telling people how important they are." He had also just finished reading the fairy tale, "Brother Lustig" (Grimm & Grimm, 1972), in which Saint Peter is an initiatory trickster figure who rewards Lustig with a magic knapsack. Anything Lustig wishes into the knapsack instantly appears there. At the end of the tale, Saint Peter denies Lustig entrance into heaven. Lustig then tricks Saint Peter into taking back the knapsack and then wishes himself inside the knapsack. Instantly he finds himself in the knapsack in heaven, where Saint Peter relents and allows him to stay.

Given this dream and amplification of its imagery by V. M., we have a simple case of unconscious compensation--an attempt by the unconscious to correct an inadequate assessment of the letters or the project of writing about them. For Jung, the chief form of interaction between the unconscious and consciousness is through unconscious compensation, the psyche's way of correcting the ego's blindness or lopsidedness and propelling the process of individuation. Through this dynamic principle we glimpse the purposiveness or guidance of the unconscious. Because of it, almost any psychological experience can be understood as presenting a new insight, compensation, or correction for our deficiencies or prejudices. We ask, "What does the dream, fantasy, or emotional irruption intend? What is the psyche trying to express though this experience?" Rather than viewing psychological phenomena as merely causally produced, Jung understood them as purposive, striving toward some goal or as vet unattained objective. The emphasis changes from the efficient causes of psychological phenomena to their final causes. Where is our neurosis trying to lead us? What does it demand of us? As Jung said:

By finality I mean merely the immanent psychological striving for a goal.

Instead of striving for a goal one could also say sense of purpose. All

psychological phenomena have some such sense of purpose inherent in them....