Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the profound influence of Gnostic thought on Jungian psychology as indicated by connections between C. G. Jung’s essay, “The Transcendent Function” and his Gnostic-inspired treatise, The Seven Sermons to the Dead, both written in 1916. It addresses issues of whether analytical psychology can be considered a psychological interpretation of Gnostic philosophy, as well as whether or not Jung can be considered a Gnostic. The book also examines the Gnostic influence on Jungian psychology through an exploration of the correspondences between Jung’s twin texts, The Seven Sermons to the Dead and “The Transcendent Function”, and their relationship with the major themes of the classic Gnostic texts of the Nag Hammadi Library. It explores the experience of the transcendent function in the author’s own dreams as influenced by an immersion in the topic and viewed through the lens of the Gnostic worldview.