The term narcissism rarely appears in Jung’s writings after his split with Freud. Yet, Jung describes what is arguably the same phenomenon in archetypal language. One example might be the puer aeternus, an archetypal condition that resembles in many ways the narcissistic disturbances described by Heinz Kohut. In his famous essay “The two analyses of Mr. Z”, Kohut describes a pivotal (albeit autobiographical) case that marked his own split from Freudian drive theory as he sought to work with patients’ narcissism with the aim of transforming it. Using Kohut’s essay as a starting point, this seminar will explore the alchemical process of life-renewal, the ambivalent value of regression, and the potential pitfalls of the lesser coniunctio. The presenter will also address the clinical relevance of this topic when working with patient who fit Kohut’s description of Tragic Man, or Jung’s puer æternus.

Jacoby, M. Individuation and narcissism: The psychology of self in Jung and Kohut. Routledge. (2017)

Kohut, H. The two analyses of Mr. Z. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 60 (1979): 3–27.

Phillips, M. The alchemy of narcissism: Depression, regression, and the lesser coniunctio. Journal of Analytical Psychology. 70(1) (2025): 1-22.

Schwartz-Salant, N. Narcissism and character transformation: The psychology of narcissistic character disorders. Inner City Books. (1982)

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