Catafalque
Referenced in 2 episodes
Definition
Peter Kingsley's 2018 two-volume book on Carl Jung, presenting him as a prophet-like figure who journeyed into the underworld in the tradition of ancient Western mystics, with the second volume made up entirely of footnotes.
Related episodes
InPresence 0161: Jung’s Underworld Journey – Further Reflections on Peter Kingsley’s Catafalque
New Thinking AllowedOct 16, 2026
Psychologist Jeffrey Mishlove revisits Peter Kingsley's book Catafalque and its account of Carl Jung's perilous journey into the underworld, framed by an ancient 'sacred contract' between the living and the dead. He argues this idea splits parapsychology into two camps: physicalist researchers focused on psychic abilities among the living, and those who study survival of consciousness after death. Drawing on near-death experiences, mediumship, reincarnation research and psychic healing, he suggests that living only for ourselves may be driving humanity toward self-destruction.
InPresence 0160: Carl Jung and the End of Humanity – Reflections on Peter Kingsley’s Catafalque
New Thinking AllowedSep 23, 2026
Psychologist Jeffrey Mishlove reflects on Peter Kingsley's two-volume book Catafalque: Carl Jung and the End of Humanity, which argues that Jung was not merely a scientist but a prophet akin to Jesus, Muhammad, and Mani. Kingsley claims Jung deliberately hid the mystical, religious nature of his work behind scientific language, and that orthodox Jungians do him a disservice by denying it. Mishlove explores Kingsley's warning that Western civilization is doomed for losing touch with the source of consciousness, and shares a personal moment of insight about self-initiation.