Photo (c) Sonu Shamdasani

This talk explores the intellectual history and reception of Jung’s psychological interpretations of Buddhism. The notion that Buddhism is essentially a psychological religion is implicit within modern ideas about Buddhism, and the meditative practices associated with it. This talk will trace the history of Jung’s ideas about Buddhism and Buddhist meditation, while demonstrating their significance to his developing psychological theories. It will also explore the profound impact that Jung’s interpretations of ‘Eastern religion’ had on modern ideas about Buddhism, in particular the ‘psychologization’ of Buddhism familiar to many today.

Dr. Oliver Knox is the author of (forthcoming) The Legacy of Jung’s Buddha: From Eranos to Esalen, a book based on his PhD research at University College London. He is an academic author, practitioner of Zen Buddhism, and a training candidate at the Society of Analytical Psychology.