Observations placeholder
Pauli, Wolfgang - Letter May 1934
Identifier
019959
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
We have an entry on the site for Nikolaus von Flue and an explanation of the vision using the symbol system
A description of the experience
Letter May 1934
Dear Professor Jung
I spent Whitsuntide in Melchtal and I visited the Bruder Klaus [1] chapel at great length, studying the pictures hanging there, which represent his visions. I was thoroughly fascinated by them and felt a strong and immediate rapport with them. His life was really turned upside down when he left his family and went into the wilderness. And he had that peculiar vision of the Trinity, which gave him such a terrible fright.
As far as I know, no attempt has yet been made to explain this fright. I believe that it must have been a similar fright, albeit much greater and stronger, to the one I had in the dream with the 3 giant horses. Now Bruder Klaus knew nothing about individuation or any alternative to Christianity. He must have had a vision of something like the end of the world.
And the relationship to the Trinity is perfectly understandable to me, for I once had a dream in which the Trinity turned into the 3 rhythms (the "world clock"). And the interplay of the latter is said to involve danger at a certain point in time.
Do you find this point of view outlandish? Perhaps it is. But we must not lose sight of the fact that these are objective, psychic facts, which all come from the same collective unconscious.
So I am really looking forward to seeing you again next Monday at 11 o'clock, and remain, with best wishes,
Yours sincerely, W Pauli
[1] "Bruder Klaus", or Nikolaus von Flue (1417- 1487), popular Swiss saint, canonized by Pius XII in 1947 and declared patron saint of SwitzerIand.