This category contains recordings in which Wolff addresses matters of cognition—that is, the mental processes by which we gain knowledge and comprehension. As such, it straddles both psychology and philosophy, a fact that is reflected in the name of this group of recordings.

Wolff held the psychological work of Carl G. Jung in very high regard, and he acknowledges a great debt to Jung in the epilogue to The Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object. Jung’s conception of the personal and the collective unconscious, his theory of psychological types, and his account of archetypes of the collective unconscious were all important influences on Wolff’s work. Wolff found Jung’s theory of psychological types particularly useful, applying it in contexts that include the determination of the type of yoga most suitable for an individual, a model of reincarnation, and a political scheme designed to provide “equal justice for all.” Wolff also accepted Jung’s judgment that science is a cultural heritage of Western peoples that cannot be safely discarded in order to adapt an Eastern method of yoga.

This is not to say that Wolff uncritically accepted Jungian psychology; indeed, Wolff argued that his mystical realizations exposed shortcomings in Jung’s work, and he was fond of using a statement made by Jung as a foil to make his own point. There can be little doubt, however, of Jung’s influence on Wolff, as references to Jung are pervasive throughout Wolff’s work. Here is a sample of Wolff’s mentions of Jung in his audio recordings: Jung’s notion of the unconscious; Jung’s thoughts on how the unconscious communicates with our conscious side (through both dreams and “creative fantasy”); Jung’s presentation of directed and autonomous thinking; Jung’s interpretation of the “incest wish”; Jung’s difficulty imagining a consciousness without a center; Jung’s comments on the significance of mandalas; Jung’s thoughts on dream interpretation; Jung’s concept of synchronicity; Jung’s thoughts on the process of individuation, Jung’s difficulty understanding mathematics; Jung’s empiricism; Jung’s discussion of the numinous; Jung’s discussion of the importance of belief systems and myth for the psychological health of the individual; Jung’s “Seven Sermons to the Dead”; Jung’s statement that sexuality is the opposite of spirituality; the Jungian doctrine of wholeness and his thoughts on the subject of fourfoldness; Jung’s notion of the anima; Jung’s identification of the intellect with the devil; Jung’s view of Samadhi as equivalent to an unconscious state; Jung’s interest in alchemy; Jung’s autobiography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections; Jung’s commentary on The Secret of the Golden Flower; Jung’s stance on the metaphysical reality of unconscious psychical formations; the differences between the positions of Kant and Jung; and, statements made by Jung on the subject of death.

Clearly the work of Jung significantly informed Wolff’s thinking, and this influence extends well beyond the recordings listed under the current category. Here you will find a number of Wolff’s recordings that specifically address Jung’s contributions to psychology. You will also find here a number of recordings that address matters epistemological, and in particular, the question of whether one can justify claims to metaphysical knowledge.