Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 12

"[Psychology and Alchemy] presents the gold that Jung believes the alchemists did produce from baser metals, and it consists of their guarded, confused, heretical anticipations of modern psychology. Not only did they prepare the way for chemistry; they also showed how man may free himself from the demons of the Unconscious."

"Those readers of Psychology and Alchemy who believe that medieval and early modern alchemy was only a misguided effort to transform base metals into gold, or at best a crude preparation for scientific chemistry, will experience a great and probably bewildering surprise. But even most of those who are more or less familiar with the early history of science and the importance of alchemy in it . . . will no doubt never have dreamt of the psychological implications which are at least as fascinating as alchemy itself."