Carl Jung is probably one of the most recognized figures in the book. Mentored by Freud in psychoanalysis, the two had a big falling out over Freud’s hang-up with sex, prompting Jung to establish the school of analytical psychology. He is known for a range of concepts that have become part of our shared language: introversion and extroversion, the collective unconscious, archetypes, the persona, the shadow, and individuation. Arguably, one of his greatest contributions as a thinker was exploring and legitimizing Eastern philosophy, integrating it into Western culture.

I first meet Jung when he appears in a dream alongside Freud, Jacques Lacan, and William James, and they all proceed to psychoanalyze me. After that, he starts turning up everywhere—at Tesco, down the pub, in the belly of a large fish, and eventually deep in the Philippine jungle—guiding me on the path to individuation. Along the way, he introduces me to Eastern philosophers like Lao Tzu, Nagarjuna, and Nishida. This lot, together with Alan Watts, helps me make sense of the increasingly absurd world I find myself in.