Freud and Jung's Correspondence: The Story of a Friendship and Professional Relationship

From 1906 to 1913, their correspondence saw Freud and Jung initially exchange friendly, then gradually more tense discussions, which eventually led to the deterioration of their relationship.

Jung first wrote to Freud in 1906 after being deeply impressed by Freud's 1900 book, The Interpretation of Dreams. Freud's response was kind and enthusiastic, welcoming Jung's interest and support. In the early stages of their correspondence, they both approached each other with great respect. Freud viewed Jung as a talented follower, while Jung respected Freud as a master and became an enthusiastic supporter of psychoanalytic ideas. Throughout their letters, they discussed professional topics such as dream analysis, psychotherapy techniques, and the causes of psychological disorders.

Freud considered Jung's role in spreading psychoanalysis to be outstanding, especially because Jung was not Jewish, which Freud believed could have helped in gaining broader acceptance of the discipline. Jung gladly accepted Freud's trust and became a devoted advocate of psychoanalysis.

 As their correspondence progressed, more tensions arose between them. Jung gradually began to develop his own theoretical direction, which differed from Freud’s strict focus on sexual instincts. Jung’s interest in religion, spirituality, and the collective unconscious was unfamiliar to Freud.

According to Jung, human behavior is influenced not only by sexual instincts but also by ancient, collective experiences and archetypes carried by the collective unconscious. Freud, on the other hand, continued to view sexuality and repression as the primary foundations of psychology.

In their correspondence, these theoretical differences became more pronounced, with Freud increasingly concerned that Jung was straying from the psychoanalytic principles he had developed and attempting to steer him back to his own ideas. Jung, however, followed an increasingly independent path. In the final stages of their correspondence, the tone became openly tense. Freud struggled with Jung’s independence and new theories, while Jung felt that Freud was too rigidly attached to his own views. Finally, in 1913, they severed the relationship.

In their final letters, both acknowledged that due to their disagreements, they could no longer work together, and their friendship ended.

The correspondence between Freud and Jung was not just an exchange between two great minds, but it also reflected the paths of development in psychoanalysis and psychology.

The split between Freud and Jung led to the formation of two distinct psychological approaches: Freud’s classical psychoanalysis continued to emphasize the role of instincts, especially sexuality, while Jung’s depth psychology focused on the spiritual and archetypal dimensions of the unconscious.

Their correspondence remains a fundamental resource for researching the history of psychology and provides insight into how the views that continue to define the different approaches to psychotherapy today were developed.