The 'dark night' of becoming whole: C.G. Jung and the mystic John of the Cross

The author compares Jung's concept of individuation with the mysticism of t he Spanish Carmelite John of the Cross. Although different epistemological assumptions, the comparison reveals astonishing parallels. For example, Jun g's metaphor of the night sea journey has a parallel in John's images of th e 'dark night': the religious experience of finding God helps at the same t ime to deepen the relation to one's self and to develop new relationships t o the other. For both, Jung and John of the Cross, the night symbolizes the painful process of separating (psychologically as well as religiously) fro m all one-sided fixations as a prerequisite for the uniting of opposites. W ith respect to the understanding of man's need for becoming whole, the Anal ytical Psychology and the mysticism of John of the Cross could complement e ach other; they should try to have a dialogue, although they have different competencies to offer.