Alchemy of the Spirit: Jung’s Psychological Interpretation of The Secret of the Golden Flower in Taoist Inner Alchemy

Shisheng Zhang; Rong Huang

doi:10.54691/mehac828

Authors

Shisheng Zhang
Rong Huang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/mehac828

Keywords:

Carl Gustav Jung; The Secret of the Golden Flower; Taoist inner alchemy; Cross-cultural interpretation; Analytical Psychology.

Abstract

Carl Jung’s engagement with The Secret of the Golden Flower (Taiyi jinhua zongzhi), a foundational classic of Taoist inner alchemy (neidan), is a typical representative of cross-cultural dialogue between Taoist inner alchemy and Western psychology. This study analyzes how Jung’s psychology absorbs religious concepts from Taoist inner alchemy in three aspects. First, the correspondence between the “Golden Flower” as a Taoist symbol of transcendence and Western alchemical image is explored, emphasizing their distinct practice. Second, it compares the procedure of Taoist circulation of the light (huiguang) with Jung’s method of active imagination, illustrating their similarities and differences in the process of spiritual transformation. Third, it discusses three core challenges in Jung’s cross-cultural interpretation: (1) simplification of Taoist spiritual cultivation into psychological metaphors; (2) Translation induced theological distortions; (3) The difference between Taoist non-dualism and Jung’s mind-body dualism. In a word, this study regards Jung’s psychological adaptation of The Secret of the Golden Flower in Taoist inner alchemy as an example of the global transmission of religious theories. During this adaptation, Taoist thoughts were creatively transformed while its transformative potential was retained. This study also contributes to a deeper understanding of how religious traditions are integrated in cross-cultural contexts, particularly between Asian spirituality and Western modernity.

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