10/11/2025
Carl Jung’s Journey to India (1938): Where Psychology Met Spirituality
In 1938, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung traveled to India — a journey that deeply shaped his understanding of the human psyche. Invited by the British Government of India, Jung delivered lectures in Calcutta, Bombay (now Mumbai), and Madras (now Chennai), exploring how Eastern philosophy intersected with Western psychology.
During his visit, Jung immersed himself in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, studying sacred texts, temples, and mandalas. He was fascinated by India’s spiritual depth — particularly its idea that the Self represents the ultimate reality within. These teachings echoed his own concept of individuation — the process of integrating the conscious and unconscious mind to achieve wholeness.
Jung saw in India a living example of what he believed modern Westerners had lost: a reverence for the inner world. He wrote that India “preserves the wisdom that the West has forgotten,” emphasizing that mental health is not only about cognition or behavior but also about meaning, spirit, and connection.
This journey bridged two worlds — science and spirituality — and marked Jung’s lifelong mission to unite psychology with philosophy, myth, and religion.
“The East has taught me that the psyche is not merely an object of study — it is the greatest of all mysteries.” – C. G. Jung
