To Mr. Lyons
Dear Mr. Lyons, 12 September 1946
I’m fully aware of the fact that it must be a most bewildering business to a rational American to collide with such strange a psychology as mine.
It seems to be full of the most unwarrantable contradictions.
On the one hand you ought to know more about my work and on the other hand you have no chance to talk to me.
I understand that such a situation is more or less incomprehensible but I should advise you to read something about Zen Buddhism.
I have written a little introduction to one of Suzuki’s books and you might get hold of one of his volumes.
That would give you a certain idea of what you are up against.
One can indeed use analysis as an escape and one has to be quite particularly careful in your case that such a thing does not happen, because you must learn to use your own powers and the more one helps you to do so, the more one hinders you.
There must be a certain optimum and this consists in seeing me and not seeing me, both in the right proportions.
The right proportion, however, cannot be established by man alone.
It will be established by peculiar circumstances over which we have little or no control.
Presumably you come across myself in the right moment and then you gain something, but if you try to force circumstances it is quite likely that you don’t hit it off.
Our last meeting in Ascona was absolutely on the right line.
Such a thing can happen again .
In the meantime you must hunt alone and seek it where you find it.
Yours sincerely,
C.G. Jung ~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. 1, Page 441.
