The Red Book (Liber Novus)
Referenced in 2 episodes
Definition
Carl Jung's private illustrated journal recording his visionary encounters with the unconscious between about 1913 and 1930. It was published in 2009 and revealed the deeply mystical side of his work.
Related episodes
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.
Dr. Paul Bishop on Jung and Nietzsche: Alchemists of the Abyss
Aeon Byte Gnostic RadioJul 17, 2026
Scholar Dr. Paul Bishop discusses the third volume of his series 'Jung and the Epic of Transformation', which examines how Nietzsche's 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' shaped Carl Jung's psychology and his visionary Red Book. Both men were sons of clergymen who descended into the 'abyss' of the unconscious. Nietzsche collapsed into madness, while Jung, grounded by family, profession, and community, returned to tell the tale. The conversation contrasts Nietzsche's proclamation that 'God is dead' with Jung's view that God is sick and must be healed, and explores the dangers and rewards of the inner journey.