Sonu Shamdasani
Encyclopedia
Sonu Shamdasani is a London
-based author
, editor
, and professor
at the UCL Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London
. His works are on the history of psychiatry
and psychology
from the mid-nineteenth century to current times.
In 2003, he founded Philemon Foundation
, along with Stephen Martin, where he is the general editor. In 2009, he edited the much awaited Red Book
written by Carl Jung
between approximately 1914 and 1930.
/Imperial College and gained his Ph.D.
in History of Medicine from WIHM/UCL (1996)
In an interview with the Times of India, dated 12 December 2009, he gives this brief personal biographical note:
"I am a Sindhi
, I was born in Singapore
and grew up in England. I first encountered Jung when I was travelling in India in my teens, looking for a guru. The first work of his that I came across was his commentary to The Secret of the Golden Flower, which was my first introduction to psychology. I then saw the text as promising the possibility of a mediation between Eastern mysticism and Western rationality. After further study, I thought that contemporary psychology and psychotherapy was in a mess, and I wanted to figure out how it had got into this state. This led me to the studying the history of psychology."
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
, and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the UCL Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. His works are on the history of psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from the mid-nineteenth century to current times.
In 2003, he founded Philemon Foundation
Philemon Foundation
The Philemon Foundation is a non-profit organization that exists to prepare for publication the Complete Works of Carl Gustav Jung, beginning with the previously unpublished manuscripts, seminars and correspondences...
, along with Stephen Martin, where he is the general editor. In 2009, he edited the much awaited Red Book
Red Book (Jung)
The Red Book, also known as Liber Novus , is a 205-page manuscript written and illustrated by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung between approximately 1914 and 1930, prepared for publication by The Philemon Foundation and published by W.W. Norton & Co. on October 7, 2009...
written by Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
between approximately 1914 and 1930.
Education
He gained his BA from Bristol University in 1984, followed by MSc, History of Science and Medicine, University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
/Imperial College and gained his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in History of Medicine from WIHM/UCL (1996)
In an interview with the Times of India, dated 12 December 2009, he gives this brief personal biographical note:
"I am a Sindhi
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
, I was born in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and grew up in England. I first encountered Jung when I was travelling in India in my teens, looking for a guru. The first work of his that I came across was his commentary to The Secret of the Golden Flower, which was my first introduction to psychology. I then saw the text as promising the possibility of a mediation between Eastern mysticism and Western rationality. After further study, I thought that contemporary psychology and psychotherapy was in a mess, and I wanted to figure out how it had got into this state. This led me to the studying the history of psychology."
Selected bibliography
- Cult Fictions: C. G. Jung and the Founding of Analytical Psychology (London: Routledge, 1998).
- Jung and the Making of Modern Psychology: The Dream of a Science (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003).
- Jung Stripped Bare by his Biographers, Even (London: Karnac Books, 2004).
- (With Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen) Le Dossier Freud. Enquête sur l’histoire de la psychanalyse (Paris: Les empêcheurs de penser en rond/Le Seuil, 2006).
- C. G. Jung, Seminar series, The psychology of KundaliniKundaliniKundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
YogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, Bollingen Series, Princeton (New Jersey/London: Princeton University Press/Routledge, 1996). - Jung, Carl Gustav, The Red BookRed Book (Jung)The Red Book, also known as Liber Novus , is a 205-page manuscript written and illustrated by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung between approximately 1914 and 1930, prepared for publication by The Philemon Foundation and published by W.W. Norton & Co. on October 7, 2009...
. Liber Novus (Philemon Series & W.W. Norton & Co., 2009).