Number and Time: Reflections Leading toward a Unification of Depth Psychology and Physics

344 Pages·1974·9.969 MB·English

by  Marie-Louise von Franz, Andrea Dykes

Number
and Time
Reflections Leading toward
a Unification of
Depth Psychology and Physics
Marie-Louise von Franz
Translated by Andrea Dykes
Northwestern University Press
Evanston 1974

Studies in Jungian Thought
JAMES HıLıman, General Editor
COPYRIGHT (C) 1974 BY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER 73-84647
ISBN 0—8101—0429—6
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Number and Time originally appeared in German under
the title Zahl und Zeit: Psychologische Überlegungen zu
einer Annäherung von Tiefenpsychologie und Physik, ©
Ernst Klett Verlag, Stuttgart 1970.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to Princeton University
Press, and to Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd, for the use of
quoted material and illustrations from The Collected Works
of C. G. Jung, edited by G. Adler, M. Fordham, and
H. Read, and translated by R. F. C. Hull, as follows: Vol.
VIII, The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche, copyright
© 1960 and 1969 by the Bollingen Foundation; Vol. IX (1),
The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, copyright
(Ὁ 1959 and 1969 by the Bollingen Foundation; Vol. X,
Civilization in Transition, copyright (© 1964 by the Bollingen
Foundation; Vol. XI, Psychology and Religion, copyright ©
1958 and 1969 by the Bollingen Foundation; Vol. XII,
Psychology and Alchemy, copyright 1953 and © 1968
by the Bollingen Foundation; Vol. XII, Alchemical Studies,
copyright (©) 1967 by the Bollingen Foundation; Vol. XIV,
Mysterium Coniunctionis, copyright (Ὁ 1963 by the Bol-
lingen Foundation. Reprinted by permission of Princeton
University Press and Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd.
Publication was assisted by a grant from the late Mr. Fowler
McCormick.
Marie-Louise von Franz is a lecturer at the C. G. Jung
Institute, Zurich.
CONTENTS
Preface 1X
Part I: NUMBER AS THE COMMON ORDERING FACTOR OF
PsycHE AND MATTER
CHAPTER ONE
The Problem of the Unity of Psyche
and Matter
CHAPTER TWO
Images and Mathematical Structures in
Relation to the Unus Mundus 15
CHAPTER THREE
Number as the Basic Manifestation of the
Mind and as the Unalterable Quality of
Matter 35
Part II: THE STRUCTURE OF THE FIRST Four INTEGERS-
CHAPTER FOUR
Number as a Time-bound Quality of the
One-Continuum 59
CHAPTER FIVE
The Number Two as the One-Contin-
uum’s Rhythm by Which Symmetries
and Observables Are Engendered 87
CHAPTER SIX
The Number Three as a Rhythmic Con-
figuration of Progressive Actualizations
in Human Consciousness and the Material
Realm 101
Vi NUMBER AND TIME
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Number Four as the One-Contin-
uum’s Model of Wholeness in All Rela-
tively Closed Structures of Human Con-
sciousness and in the Body 113
Part III: THe FIELD oF THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS
AND Its INNER DYNAMISM
CHAPTER EIGHT
Archetypes and Numbers as “Fields” of
Unfolding Rhythmical Sequences 6tI
CHAPTER NINE
Numbers as Isomorphic Configurations
of Motion in Psychic and Physical
Energy 155
Panr IV: HisroRICAL AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS
or THE Unus Mundus
CHAPTER TEN
Historical Mandala Models as Inner Psy-
chic Equivalents of the Unus Mundus 171
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Divinatory, Mnemotechnical, and Cyber-
netic Mandalas 195
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Archetype of the Number-Game as
the Basis of Probability Theory and
Number Oracles 213
Part V: NuMBER AND THE PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF
THE PRINCIPLE or SYNCHRONICITY
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Number, Time, and Synchronicity 235
vii Contents
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Unus Mundus as the World of the
Spirit and “Spirits” 265
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Synchronicity and the Coniunctio 285
301
SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
Bibliography 305
Index 321

PREFACE
Δ... C. G. June had completed his work on syn-
chronicity in “Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Prin-
ciple,” he hazarded the conjecture, already briefly suggested
in his paper, that it might be possible to take a further step
into the realization of the unity of psyche and matter
through research into the archetypes of the natural numbers.
He even began to note down some of the mathematical
characteristics of the first five integers on a slip of paper.
But, about two years before his death, he handed this slip
over to me with the words: “I am too old to be able to
write this now, so 1 hand it over to you.” For a long time
I was uncertain whether I ought to undertake this task, or
simply keep the idea in mind, in order to pass it to someone
more competent than I. But after Jung’s death the problem
allowed me no rest, and I have to thank my friend Barbara
Hannah for having urged me to venture on the undertaking.
This work has thus come into being over a period of more
than six years; it represents no more than a first attempt to
clarify a few questions on this difficult subject.
The book is not mathematical in the strict sense of the
word, nor is it intended to be a study of number symbolism;
rather it is in principle an attempt to observe the phenome-
non of number from a new angle, one based on a considera-
tion of the unconscious. Although I had to venture into the
field of mathematics, I remain fully aware that I lack the
1X
X NUMBER AND TIME
equipment to hazard far-reaching expositions in this area.
For similar reasons, I have not gone into the relation of
number to the logic of language and to the theory of music,
although a rich mine of related material lies there for the
uncovering.
As well as to Barbara Hannah, 1 also wish to express my
gratitude to the late Dr. Franz Riklin for his support of this
work, and also to Arnold and Nora Mindell who, as en-
thusiastic listeners, helped to clarify my thoughts. I am
especially deeply indebted to Nora Mindell for her enor-
mous contribution to the translation. I would also like to
thank Professor Konrad Voss of the Eidgenössische Tech-
nische Hochschule, who placed himself at my disposal in
his capacity as mathematician in order to discuss the basic
problems, and helped me to improve on certain amateurish
formulations. I must, however, take responsibility for the
ideas put forward in this work. My warmest thanks are also
due to William Byers Brown, professor of mathematical
chemistry at the University of Manchester, for correcting
some of my statements and making several valuable sug-
gestions.
In addition, my thanks are due to Dr. Mokusen Miyuki
for information on number theories in the work of Fa-tzang.
I cannot resist telling the interesting synchronistic phe-
nomenon that occurred in this connection. When I thought
I had finished the book I had the following dream: I was at
an exhibition of antique Indian art. In a showcase I saw some
figurines of demons, approximately thirty centimeters high,
which were crying. I knew this related to a story from the
life of Buddha, in which he was killed by demons, who,
when they saw what they had done, wept and were con-
verted to a more human attitude. A few figurines were miss-
ing because a young scholar had taken them in order to
give a lecture. I looked into the lecture hall, but it was pitch
black. The young savant (unknown to me) then emerged
from the room. At this moment, Jung approached him and
they began an animated scientific discussion. Jung signaled
to me that I should listen in too.