Article Information
Original Research Article | Open Access | Peer Reviewed
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Pursuing Inner Images: A Spiritual Interpretation of Jung’s Visual Art
Manyi Pei
Jiawei Gao
Abstract
Carl Gustav Jung was not only a pioneering theorist in psychoanalysis but also an innovative artist, with
works in painting, wood carving, and stone engraving. This paper analyzes Jung’s art through the lens of
spirituality, uncovering its role in serving his psychological research. Jung believed art could externalize inner
images and reflect the collective unconscious, offering a way to reconnect with the soul and express the
“supreme meaning”. Symbolic totems: mandalas, snakes, and dragons are central to his visual language. It
embodies deep psychological and spiritual meanings. This study approaches Jung’s work from a cross-cultural
perspective. It explores the resonance between Jung’s imagery and eastern philosophy, including yin-yang
duality in Traditional Chinese Medicine, spiritual awakening in Zen Buddhism and inner contemplation in
Taoism. Through this lens, the paper reveals Jung’s artistic act as a profound attempt to bridge Eastern and
Western thought, deepening our understanding of self, psyche, and image.
Jiawei Gao
Full Text: PDF |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30845/ijhss.vol15p14
Article History:
12 April 2025 | Accepted: 6 May 2025 | Published: 18 May 2025
Reviewer(s):
Michel Vandenput, Retired Professor, Radboud University, The Netherlands;
Email: [email protected] Tatiana Bugaenko, Department of Art and Technology, Omsk State Technical University, Prospekt Mira 11, Omsk, Omsk Oblast, Russia, 644050
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected] Tatiana Bugaenko, Department of Art and Technology, Omsk State Technical University, Prospekt Mira 11, Omsk, Omsk Oblast, Russia, 644050
Email: [email protected]
Address for Correspondence:
Manyi Pei, PhD, No. 901, Mingxing Village, Jinhui Town, Fengxian District,
Shanghai, 201405, China, +86 131 6209 6162.
[email protected]
[email protected]
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