In this introduction to Jung’s works, Mayes brings Jungian thought into contemporary culture, using modern-day situations as examples. Mayes describes and discusses Jungian terminology, concepts, and theories in a clear, accessible manner and reminds readers of Jung’s warning against concretization of language and dogma. Jung’s interest in world religions, multicultural perspectives, and lifespan development aligns him with current popular culture. Mayes covers Jung’s philosophical influences and integrates humanistic and transpersonal psychology into the blend and also addresses the cultural politics of sexual identity (current day anti-Jung sentiments). Establishing a solid foundation for studying the works of Jung, Mayes's book is a refreshing addition to Jungian scholarship, reminding readers that at the core of Jung's thought is the individual’s psycho-spiritual journey toward individuation. The volume includes extensive references.

Summing Up:Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.

Choice Reviews

“An Introduction to the Collected Works of C.G. Jung: Psyche as Spirit distinguishes itself from other texts of introduction to Jung’s thought through the clear voice of the author who takes complex concepts and offers them in a fresh, accessible, non-jargoned language. The book, which is replete with examples relevant to 21st century culture, could easily serve as the primary text for a course of study on Jung. The author interweaves Freud and drive theory into his primary subject in a way that is informative but without the polarizing enmity that too often separates the two schools. The lyrical undercurrent found in An Introduction to the Collected Works of C.G. Jung and the author’s emphasis on the spark of the eternal in Jung’s opus provides the reader not only an excellent introduction to Jung’s thought, but also a psychospiritual uplifting.”

Kathryn Madden, PhD, author of Dark Light of the Soul, coeditor of The Encyclopedia of Psychology & Religion, and President of the C.G. Jung Institute of New York

“Drawing on decades of experience as a professor and psychologist, Mayes has created a quintessential introduction both to C. G. Jung's writings and to his enduring impact on current culture. Jung is not an easy subject to introduce; his vision was vast and his collected writings seldom make for easy reading. In An Introduction to the Collected Works of C.G. Jung: Psyche as Spirit, Mayes masterfully distills Jung's foundational insights into clear and accessible language. This is a book that meets the need of readers looking for an articulate overview of Jung's psychological vision; it also provides the necessary grounding for a more in-depth study of his writings. It is a book that evokes and affirms Jung's vision of psyche and spirit as primal experiences of human life.”

Lance Owens, MD, author of The Hermeneutics of Vision: C.G Jung and The Red Book

“A great introduction to Jungian psychology that neither simplifies the context and implications of the work, nor does it omit its philosophical and disciplinary heritage…. distill[s] a lifetime of reading and teaching Jung into an accessible and appealing introduction to the work. Students will resonate to it and learn from it more than most such introductory works.”

Susan Rowland, PhD,Core Faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California; author, "Remembering Dionysus" (2017)