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The bookcase crack that Jung predicted
- Type
- Story
- By
- C. G. Jung (retelling)
- Source
- Jung's account (1909)
- Published
- 1909
During an argument with Freud about parapsychology, Jung felt a hot sensation in his diaphragm. A loud crack came from the bookcase. Jung told Freud "there, that is an example of a so-called catalytic exteriorization phenomenon" and predicted a second crack — which, he said, came moments later.
In 1909, during an argument with Freud about parapsychology, Jung felt a hot sensation in his diaphragm — and then a loud crack came from the bookcase. He told Freud it was an example of a "catalytic exteriorization phenomenon" and predicted a second crack, which he said came moments later.
The story is told by Jung alone, decades after the event, and Freud disputed it — which did not stop it from becoming part of the mythology of their famous break. Wood expands and pops, and a prediction made in the heat of an argument can be its own self-fulfilling interpretation. The anecdote remains the clearest single document of the gap between the two men.
The meaning
The second, predicted crack is the detail that believers point to: a coincidence Jung called in advance.
The skeptic
Freud disputed the account, and the story comes only from Jung, decades later. Wood expands and pops, and prediction can be a self-fulfilling interpretation.
About the source
A famous anecdote from Jung's 1909 visit to Freud, in which Jung claims to have predicted a second cracking sound.
Key takeaways
- Jung claims he predicted a second crack in Freud's bookcase in 1909.
- The story is told by Jung alone, decades after the event.
- A key anecdote in the rift between Freud and Jung.