Nikola Tesla Books
IN SEARCH OF NIKOLA TESLA Tesla seems to combine within his psyche, the attitude of a forefront thinker in a very modern world with the inner life of an ancient alchemist. The depth psychologist Carl Jung studied many alchemical manuscripts. His conclusion was that rather than dabbling in pseudo chemistry the alchemists were projecting the deepest levels of their psyche onto the transformations of matter within the Alchemical Vessel. By pursuing their goal of the Philosopher's Stone, they were undergoing deep transformations of their psyche on the road towards what Jung termed individuation. Through a careful reading of the symbolism within alchemical texts Jung realised that these early workers had fully anticipated all the discoveries of depth psychology and the means of transformation of the psyche towards wholeness. Perhaps Tesla was involved in a similar alchemical movement, identifying powerful creative and destructive forces of nature as also lying within himself. In this way the deepest forces must be directed and harnessed instead of bursting out in an uncontrolled way into the world. Maybe it was this intimate identification with electrical power that enabled Tesla to see much further that others into the nature of its inner working. The Shadow side of Technology Tesla was certainly a lone visionary and genius but here, too, we begin to see his shadow; his focus on great energies and their potentially destructive power. We must never forget that while science and its associated technology have brought us so many benefits they also have their dark side. Many of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan project (building the first atom bombs) were seduced by the scientific challenge and the fact that they were dealing with the most elemental force of nature - the power of the atom. Their initial motive may have been legitimate selfdefence. Scientists truly believed that German laboratories had the necessary science to develop atomic weapons that could be used in Europe and even against the United States (with the development of the V2 rocket). Yet when Germany surrendered, that threat was over. Nevertheless the Manhattan scientists continued to work on the bomb. By now they had 147
