The Psychology of Dementia Præcox. Illustrated

The Psychology of Dementia Præcox (1907) is one of Carl Gustav Jung’s earliest and most important contributions to clinical psychiatry and analytical psychology. Based on his experiences at the Burghölzli Psychiatric Clinic in Zurich under the mentorship of Eugen Bleuler, this monograph marked a decisive step in Jung’s intellectual development and laid the groundwork for many of his later theories.

In this work, Jung examines dementia praecox—an early term for what is now understood as schizophrenia—from both a clinical and psychological perspective. He critiques the purely biological view of mental illness, advocating instead for a psychogenic interpretation of symptoms. Jung focuses on the symbolic and affective content of delusions and hallucinations, proposing that these are not random but meaningful expressions of underlying psychological conflicts.

Jung’s approach diverges from the prevailing diagnostic methods of the time by emphasizing the inner world of the patient, laying the foundation for a depth-psychological approach to mental illness. This emphasis on subjective experience and symbolic expression would later evolve into key concepts within analytical psychology, such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, and the process of individuation.

The Psychology of Dementia Præcox was influential in establishing Jung's reputation as a serious thinker and brought him to the attention of Sigmund Freud, leading to their historic collaboration—and eventual split.

This edition offers a fascinating look into the early theoretical evolution of one of the most profound psychological thinkers of the 20th century.