Robert Says: "Whilst working on the problem of a possible unity between quantum physics and depth psychology, I repeatedly experienced dreams of music, particularly the so-called ‘music of the spheres’.  We know that Wolfgang Pauli also dreamt of the ‘music of the spheres’ whilst working on this problem; and strangely, a physicist colleague, having read my work, dreamt of dancing to music in a circulation motif.  -  Why was this?”

The ‘music of the spheres’ refers to an old view that the planets above each revolve attached to their own sphere, and that each sphere as it moves, makes music.  Together these spheres were supposed to ‘sing’ out a harmony of cosmic order to guide our souls on earth.  Physics is fascinated with exploring the cosmic order of this world, but in doing so has lost touch with ‘soul’.   Jung’s psychology returns soul to us, but we are left ‘split’.  

While Pauli wanted to find a neutral language that might apply equally to both psyche and matter, Jung proposed the basic ordering power and quality of ‘number’ as the possible bridge between these two worlds.   According to Pythagoras, the harmony of music has its basis in ‘number’: Is this why dreams of the music of the spheres accompany this search to unite physics with depth psychology?

Robert Matthews has a PhD in theoretical physics and is Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Adelaide University.  He is also a Swiss trained Jungian Analyst in private practice and the current President of the CG Jung Society of South Australia.  Robert’s published book “The Paradoxical Meeting of Depth Psychology and Physics: Reflections on the Unification of Psyche and Matter” (Routledge, 2022) will form the basis of this talk and the Study Course that follows.