Here's 12 Intense Pictures From Carl Jung's Red Book

Carl Jung’s Red Book is filled with absolutely amazing art the famous psychologist composed privately for years. Here’s 12 of the best images.

Therapist, philosopher, speaker to the dead: was there anything Carl Jung couldn’t do? It just so happens that he also had a knack for image-making. By “knack,” we mean he was pretty damn good, not like other celebrity painters (we’re looking at you George W. Bush). The text of Carl Jung’s The Red Book: Liber Novus is interspersed with dazzling spreads of mandalas, dragons, spirit-beings and what look like UFOs. If he was born decades later, Carl Jung could have had a flourishing career as a graphic novelist. Or, centuries earlier, as a manuscript illuminator. Alas, one can dream. Here’s a look at a few of our favourite illustrations accompanied with some lighthearted commentary.

1. Pan with a sunburn

Page 122A, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

2. The first of many, many unhappy dragon centipedes (a running theme for Jung)

Page 119A, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

3. “Forgive me, my Lord! What was your shoe size again?”

Page 36B, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

4. The last thing you see before the alien ship beams you up

Page 79, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

5. Swag is for boys. 10-gallon crowns are for men.

Page 51B, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

6. Our second unhappy dragon-pede.

Page 117, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

7. This dragon-pede is really hoping he’s not the father of that egg.

Page 61, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

8. “Ronny, the mike cut off! What do I do about this crowd?”

Page 155, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

9. We’re not saying it’s aliens, but…

Page 95, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

10. The scarab shrink machine.

Page 22, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

11. Remember those indigo children from Akira?

Page 133A, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

12. Can you spot the last unhappy dragon-pede? He’s looking right at you.

Page 364A, Reprinted from The Red Book by C. G. Jung (c) Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung. With permission of the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

The techniques that Carl Jung used to create The Red Book can be learned and used by anybody in order to create a personal inner world, symbol system and artistic output. To learn how to make your very own Red Book—in whatever medium you prefer—check out our online class Magick and Art: Sacred Techniques, Sacred Quest.