Transformation

1. Etymology

Transformation names a psychic transition—often via regression and temporary loss of ego-hood—that brings unrecognized need into consciousness and makes the person more complete. Sharp redirects to rebirth. Related: individuation; nigredo; alchemy; initiation.

2. Plain summary

Sharp’s lexicon sends Transformation to Rebirth. Samuels keeps a dedicated head: not a one-time achievement but an ongoing process; stages should not be frozen with hard names; psychological opposite of repression; in analysis it means careful shadow investigation. Symbolism appears in initiation rites, alchemy, and religious ritual that avert injury at transitions. Includes transcendence and mystery, symbolic death and rebirth—relative change that preserves continuity (else splitting/amnesia). Can be negative (loss-of-soul, psychosis). Natural dialogue of ego and self / instinct for wholeness—another name for individuation.

Examples (exhaustive house list for this Index lemma — common transformation motifs named across Jung’s essays and standard Jungian lexica; not a claim that Jung’s CW contains only these):
Sharp → rebirth; regression / temporary loss of ego-hood; ongoing vs achievement; shadow investigation; initiation / alchemy / mass symbolism; death–rebirth; relative renewal; negative transformation; ego–self dialogue; CW 5 break with Freud; CW 11 mass essay.

3. Academic elucidation

In analytical psychology transformation is the process-name for psychic transition toward greater completeness, overlapping rebirth and individuation. Lexica (Sharp redirect; Samuels p. 151) supply paraphrase

4. Lexicon

Sharp (1991)

Transformation. See rebirth.

(Sharp, 1991)

Samuels, Shorter & Plaut (1986) — transformation p. 151 151 after TF/transference see-also on same opening):

transformation A psychic transition involving REGRESSION and temporary ‘loss of ego-hood’ in order to bring to CONSCIOUSNESS and fulfil a psychological need hitherto unrecognised. As a consequence, the person becomes more complete… Not to be equated with achievement, transformation is an ongoing process… Spoken of as the goal of PSYCHOTHERAPY, the psychological opposite of repression; in ANALYSIS transformation involves a careful investigation of the SHADOW… All transformation includes experiences of transcendence and mystery and involves symbolic death and REBIRTH… This process he also referred to as INDIVIDUATION.

(Samuels, Shorter, & Plaut, 1986/2013, p. 151)

5. CW concordance — sample, not exhaustive

Dual via rebirth (REBIRTH-1–2 already stamped; no rewrite):

rebirth as a purely psychic reality…
(Jung, 1940/1968, CW 9i, p. 116, ¶206)

lasting individual rebirth vs group identification…
(Jung, 1940/1968, CW 9i, pp. 125–126, ¶¶225–226)

See also: rebirth; individuation; transcendent-function; transference; shadow; regression; nigredo; tertium-non-datur.

References

Jung, C. G. (1968). Concerning rebirth. In H. Read, M. Fordham, G. Adler, & W. McGuire (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.) (2nd ed., Vol. 9, Pt. 1). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1940)

Samuels, A., Shorter, B., & Plaut, F. (1986). A critical dictionary of Jungian analysis. Routledge.

Sharp, D. (1991). Jung lexicon: A primer of terms & concepts. Inner City Books.