Carl Jung’s relationship with Sabina Spielrein: A reassessment

Launer, John (2015) Carl Jung’s relationship with Sabina Spielrein: A reassessment. International Journal of Jungian Studies, 7 (3). pp. 179-193. ISSN 1940-9052 (Print) ; 1940-9060 (Online) Full text available

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Abstract

The aim of this article is to give an accurate account of the relationship between Sabina Spielrein and Carl Gustav Jung, based on a close reading of the available documentary evidence. I challenge many of the commonly held assumptions about their relationship. These include the belief that Spielrein was Jung’s first analytic patient, that they had a long and mutually passionate affair, and that Spielrein was the inspiration behind Jung’s conception of the ‘anima’. I argue that there is little evidence for these and a number of other beliefs that have been passed down through successive cultural iterations without careful documentary analysis.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Published online: 09 Jul 2015. Published in collaboration with the International Association for Jungian Studies
Uncontrolled Keywords: Bleuler, Freud, Psychoanalysis
Subjects: Psychological Therapies, Psychiatry, Counselling > Psychoanalysis - History of
Department/People: Honorary Staff
URI: https://repository.tavistockandportman.ac.uk/id/eprint/1081

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