Book Description

The Latin manuscript "Septem Sermones ad Mortuos", written by Jung in 1916, holds a unique and somewhat mystical position in Jung's oeuvre. It is a rare mythopoetic, esoteric text, reflecting a quasi-Gnostic cosmology, conceived during a time of intense introspection and self-exploration, a period that Jung described as his "confrontation with the unconscious." During this time, Jung was in contact with Hermann Hesse, who integrated many Jungian themes into his own works, especially the novel "Demian", which explores the uber-deity Abraxas. Seven Sermons to the Dead is a mystical and philosophical text in which Jung channels the ancient Gnostic teacher Basilides. The sermons address profound existential and psychological questions, exploring themes such as the nature of God, the dualities of good and evil, and the role of the unconscious in spiritual transformation. This work is significant because it reflects Jung’s deeper exploration into the realms of mysticism, Gnosticism, and the symbolic aspects of the psyche. It also laid the foundation for his later theories on the integration of the unconscious and the process of individuation. He presents a series of mystical revelations articulated in the form of sermons delivered to restless spirits seeking answers about the nature of existence, the divine and the self. The text explores dualities such as pleroma (the fullness of divine potential) and kenoma (the void), as well as the dichotomy of opposites within the psyche itself. It portrays the struggle of individuation, emphasizing the integration of the shadow, the paradoxical relationship between light and darkness, and an arcane encounter with the archetypes in the depths of the collective unconscious. Here Jung explores 4 main themes: Gnosticism, Pleroma, Creation and Duality, and God & Abraxas. The text is full of references to Gnostic thought and manuscripts. It presents itself as the sermons of the ancient Gnostic Basilides in Alexandria, although it's a product of Jung's own imagination and reflective exploration. Pleroma is a Gnostic term for the fullness or totality that is the source of all creation. The pleroma represents the undifferentiated, primordial reality. The sermons touch on the emergence of different qualities from the pleroma, leading to the duality inherent in creation, such as light and darkness, fullness and emptiness. God is discussed as the personification of certain dominant aspects of the pleroma. The text also introduces Abraxas, a deity who transcends both God and the Devil, embodying both good and evil, life and death. One could argue that Abraxas is a metaphor for Biological Deep-Time. This edition is a new translation with an Afterword by the Translator, a philosophic index of Jung's terminology and a timeline of his life and works.