The Self in Psychotic Process: By John Weir Perry, M.D. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1953. 158 pp.

The jacket of this book states, 'This is a Jungian analysis of material from a case of acute catatonic schizophrenia with paranoid trends … in which the self emerged as the central dynamic factor. The concept of self cannot be understood unless the analyst considers not only problems of psychosexual and interpersonal nature, but all the material that a thoroughgoing investigation of the unconscious must necessarily uncover.' The book is divided into two parts: the first deals with the data and material presented by the psychotic patient and the author's interpretation of this material. The second part deals with the symbolism of the quadrated circle, which is the mandala of the East or the symbolic representation of the self. An appendix contains a detailed account of the patient's history, with notes and bibliography. The author's conclusions about the patient's psychic process are drawn largely from a series of drawings that she made and some of her comments about them. The format and artistic productions are attractive and clear, and the written material is presented in a style interesting and easy to follow.

Apart from the usual arguments and criticisms that might be aroused by Jungian theory, the author leaves himself open to a number of possible criticisms. In the first place, the selection of a case that is to be the pièce de résistance of a monograph should be considered with utmost care. We might, since symbolism is so obviously the central theme, be happier if the author had chosen a patient who had not been previously interested and schooled in religion, especially someone who was an active Christian Scientist and not a mere passive churchgoer. In addition, the author saw this patient for only nine weeks, and he made practically no follow-up study. Since he maintains that the understanding of universal symbols is of benefit in therapy, he might have selected a patient with whom he had worked intensely and continued to follow for a long period.