Carl Jung: Archetypes, Symbols and the Unconscious
The unconscious mind has historically remained and continues to be at the forefront of many theoretical orientations developed within the field of psychology, seen in both individual and group therapy. This is because we all have authentic vs. adaptive parts of ourselves that interchange as we move through the world. As we grow, the people in our lives mirror back the unclaimed parts of us that we may be projecting onto them. A massive contributor to this ideal was Carl Jung and his identification of significant patterns in behavior that ring true for all humankind.
A psychiatrist native to Switzerland, Jung began his work with Sigmund Freud before ultimately moving in a separate direction toward the latter part of his career. This was not only because Jung disagreed with the weight that Freud put on sexual gratification as the driver of choice and motivation but also because he saw one’s future ambitions as equally important as their past experiences, dissimilar to Freud.
Jung posited that there were two layers to the unconscious mind: the personal and the collective. He described the personal unconscious as holding information that we are unaware of yet is still actively guiding our responses. Included within this layer are complexes, coined by Jung as concentrated energy focused on a single idea. This energy contains various factors at play, and as these factors increase, so does the complex's influence over an individual. On the other hand, the collective unconscious is less personal in that it is shared by society as a whole. What Jung said this means is that there are overarching themes seen throughout culture and expressed in the acts and values people subscribe to. He postulated that we all share innate characteristics by nature of being a part of the evolution process. An example of this would be the idea of a “mother figure” in the world.
Although the specifics look different, civilization has cultivated a general definition that we collectively call upon. Jung called these characteristics archetypes and believed they stemmed from our ancestral memories. While there were many more that he identified, the four main archetypes he outlined were: the Self, the Persona, the Shadow, and the Anima/Animus.
The Self - directed toward finding wholeness and solidarity in the human experience
The Persona - directed toward presenting the best version of ourselves to others; the mask we wear
The Shadow - directed toward following our most basic instincts and survival; our dark side
The Anima/Animus - directed toward one’s interpretation and expression of gender identity
He adhered that once we attune to an archetype, our true self will inevitably be repressed in the process if we do not learn to integrate both parts, allowing for them to coexist. In addition to these ideals, Jung contributed a plethora of information about personality types, ultimately identifying the now mainstream concepts of introverted vs. extroverted character traits. While not all universally support Jungian psychology, it cannot be denied that the field continues to benefit from and build upon his thoughts. His focus on the symbols that show up in our everyday lives, as well as the way in which we respond to them, can provide great insight into one’s own psyche.
Join a group today to learn about patterns impacting your own life and see how both the personal and collective unconscious work together in a group setting!