What is needed at present is only the loose organization of a national group.
To Alphonse Maeder
Dear friend, 22 January 1934
I am writing to you about the organization of a Swiss national group in the General Medical Society for Psychotherapy.
In consequence of the revolutionary changes in Germany the Germans have been compelled to form a national group under a “leader.”
This group has to pledge loyalty to the National Socialist State and is obliged to adhere most strictly to political guidelines within its organization.
The leader is Professor Dr. M. H. Goring (Platzhoffstr. 26, Wuppertal-Elberfeld).
Through the resignation of Professor Kretschmer, for whom things evidently got too “complicated,” I have been pushed forward from the position of vice-president to that of president.
I would never have accepted this doubtful pleasure had not the Germans particularly insisted on having a foreign president for the International Society.
The secretary-general is Dr. W. Cimbal (Allee 87, of Altona).
Essentially it is simply a question of someone taking the initiative and bringing together all those doctors in Switzerland who are interested in psychotherapy with a view to getting them to join the General Medical Society for Psychotherapy.
What is needed at present is only the loose organization of a national group.
Of course it would be desirable if this group could decide to hold one or two meetings annually, though this is not necessary since the International Society will also meet only once a year.
I would be very gratified if you organized this national group and took over its presidency.
I am in the midst of similar negotiations with Bjerre in Stockholm.
The Dutch want to wait until they see what happens in other countries.
I am convinced that if such groups were formed in Sweden and Switzerland, Holland would agree to do something along these lines.
Under the present political conditions probably nothing can be arranged with Austria, moreover the psychotherapists there are practically all Jews.
It seems that many people are afraid to go along with Germany because of the existing regime.
But with the Germans, as I know from experience, it is just the other way round.
Prof. Goring himself wrote me that foreigners should take a psychotherapeutic view of the present German situation.
The position of German science is really not to be envied.
Hence I think it necessary for outside neutrals, by founding a broad organization as a framework, to give it an opportunity to make international connections.
Germany is spiritually more cut off at present from the outside world during the war and is therefore in particular need of spiritual contact.
I don’t want to interfere with the practical arrangements.
I will only tell you how I think of them.
The founding of the gn, could be done by a circular letter which would simply need sign.
Membership fees could be kept low since we are not bound by German statutes.
Nevertheless it would be a good thing if you get in touch with Dr. Cimbal for further information.
(Particularly in Rega).
to subscriptions to the Zentralbatt, more favourable terms might be reached for subscriptions in large numbers.
In case anything is still unclear to you, I am ready to give you more
information.
A personal meeting is probably not necessarily at present.
Best thanks for kindly sending me the two offprints, one of which I knew already.
~With friendly greetings,
Jung Carl Jung, Letters Vol. 1, Pages 136-138
If any considerable group of persons are united and identified with one another by a particular frame of mind, the resultant transformation experience bears only a very remote resemblance to the experience of individual transformation.
A group experience takes place on a lower level of consciousness than the experience of an individual.
This is due to the fact that, when many people gather together to share one common emotion, the total psyche emerging from the group is below the level of the individual psyche.
If it is a very large group, the collective psyche will be more like the psyche of an animal . . . .
. . . The group experience goes no deeper than the level of one’s own mind in that state. It does work a change in you, but the change does not last. ~Carl Jung
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