Century of Insight is the story of the discovery of the unconscious mind, based on the author's teaching of psychotherapy throughout his career. Beginning with the ideas of Freud and Jung, it is a journey that describes, through case histories, explanation and humour, how successive ideas have created a body of knowledge that the author calls the "Psychodynamic Enlightenment" of the 20th century. Whilst essentially it is a story of the 20th century, it includes a backdrop from tribal societies, and also ideas from 19th century Europe, including existentialism.In Part I, the ideas of Freud, Jung, and Adler are explained, their points of difference, and then how they disagreed so violently that they had to break with each other. Their individual theories and their personal conflict are understood from the story of their personalities and background. Why could Freud not tolerate the expansive Jung, and why did Jung clash so badly with his 'father'? The unfolding story continues with other major theorists of the 20th century: Anna Freud, Klein, Winnicott, and others. Links are made between ideas, and concepts are explained using case history from the author's professional practice as a psychiatrist and Jungian psychotherapist.In Part II, the author leaves the world of therapy, and invites us to engage head-on with how anxiety can rule us, the value of hate, why we become depressed and how we can use dreams to understand ourselves. Finally, we learn that the Psychodynamic Enlightenment is our personal quest to find our own capacity to love. The author offers some directions about how to love well, ('love is insatiably greedy') which gives the meaning to life.

Table of Contents:
Foreword , Introduction , Predecessors , Ihembi and anthropology , Moral treatment and hypnosis , State of mind , Forefathers , Freud: the early years , Freud and the beautiful mind , Adler: a complex man , War of nerves , Jung: the crown prince , Jung and God , Clashing swordsmen , Kierkegaard and existential psychotherapy , God is dead! , The Humanisation of Psychoanalysis , Anna Freud: new tricks , Melanie Klein: child’s play , William Fairbairn: the isolated Scot , Michael Balint: a Hungarian bastard , Donald Winnicott: the compassionate thinker , Karen Horney: the gentle rebel , John Layard: the divided man , Salvador Minuchin: family ties , The parts of a person , Sahid Sahid , Legacy for The Twenty-First Century , The shift to the left foot , Human development , Hate and aggression , I have a dream … , Living the dream , Masters of the dream , Dreams and evolution , Dream, imagination, and emotion