Biographical information on Edward C. WHITMONT, MD This memoriam is reprinted with permission from Homeopathic Links. General Office: Marina van Haalen Grevingaheerd 115 9737 SJ Groningen The Netherlands Tel: +31(0)50-541 66 30 Fax: +31(0)50-549 17 47 E-mail: homeolinks@antenna.nl URL: http://www.antenna.nl/homeolinks Edward Whitmont 1912 - 1998 Uta Santos, Austria Dr. Edward Christopher Whitmont, a Jungian psychoanalyst and homoeopathic physician, died in September at his home in Sherman, Connecticut. His teaching and writing made him a leading figure, both in Jungian psychology as well as in homoeopathy. Since Uta Santos shares both homeland and interests with him, LINKS asked her to write an in memoriam for him. It is really an honor for me to write about E.C. Whitmont, as it was great gift not only to have met him, but also having been so fortunate to see him work and to work with him. Before we met for the first time in the summer of 1993 in Eisenbach, I had already read some of his books. In one of them, I saw a photograph showing him as a man with a warm soul and merry eyes. When I met him in person, I was more than surprised by the agility of his more than eighty years. The first thing he did was to inquire immediately about all the hills surrounding Eisenbach, making no secret of his intention to climb one after the other. Walking with him, I admired the quick step of someone who enjoys nature, and moreover, loves to move, to ascend, to overcome obstacles, to break new ground continuously. He was young, very young - physically and mentally. Exchanging ideas on homoeopathy, we found we shared the same doubts about the dream rubrics in our repertories. From this doubt was born the idea of an experiment, a dream proving of a 'small' remedy, where the dreams were to be analyzed according to Whitmont's deep understanding of the unconscious, tapping not only into his vast knowledge of homoeopathy, but also into his experience as a Jungian therapist. This experiment was something new for him as well, but he always welcomed trying something new if it promised to be interesting. Edgar Whitmont was born in Vienna in 1912. He returned to Vienna in 1994, the city from which he was forced to flee, some fifty years before. There was never any sign of resentment-just the warmheartedness and the wisdom of a man who knows life, and who loves all of us creatures still struggling with our ups and downs and dark sides. We were a group of about twenty homoeopaths, most of us a little shy about presenting our dreams and having Whitmont work on them, thus venturing deeply into our privacy. However, his experienced hand guided each of us safely, and we relaxed quickly in his presence. Whitmont had a wonderful sense of humor. We laughed a lot together. When one of our colleagues was talking about injustice in the world, Whitmont listened with interest, nodded his head, and said in his unique semi-serious way: 'I agree with you my dear, but who do you think we should address the letter of complaint to?' Whitmont returned back home to Connecticut. We pondered whether we had any right to feel national pride for him, one of so many of our most brilliant citizens who had been forced to find a new country. E. C. Whitmont died in September, 1998, in his home. I heard that he had been planning to take a canoe trip down the Grand Canyon, last year. Whatever might have been the secret of his great creativity and vitality, I had not asked him yet, for I had hoped we would meet again. Dr. Uta Santos Poststrasse 12 A-3032 Eichgraben, Austria Edward C. Whitmont graduated from the Vienna University Medical School in 1936 and had early training in Adlerian psychology. In 1937 he studied Rudulf Steiner's work with Karl Konig, later founder of the Camphill Movement. An initial interest in psychosomatics and holistic approaches led him into research in the area of naturopathy, chiropractic, nutrition, yoga and astrology beginning in 1940. During this time he studied Homeopathy with Elizabeth Wright Hubbard and medical dowsing with G.B. Stearns. From 1947 through 1951 he taught homeopathy at the Postgraduate School of the American Foundation for Homeopathy. A concurrent interest in Analytical Psychology led to correspondence and meeting with Carl G. Jung and training in Jungian therapy with various teachers including M. Esther Harding. He is presently in private practice of Analytical Psychology in New York while teaching at the C. G. Jung Training Center, of which he is a founding member and chairman. He is the author of The Symbolic Quest: Basic Concepts of Analytical Psychology (Princeton University Press) and Return of the Goddess (Crossroad). -Reprinted from Psyche and Substance.