Carl Gustav Jung (/jʊŋ/;[3] German: [jʊŋ]; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was

a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology.

His work has been influential in not only psychiatry but also anthropology, archaeology, literature,
philosophy, and religious studies. As a notable research scientist based at the
famous Burghölzli hospital, under Eugen Bleuler, he came to the attention of the Viennese founder
of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. The two men conducted a lengthy correspondence and
collaborated on an initially joint vision of human psychology.
Freud saw in the younger man the potential heir he had been seeking to carry on his "new science" of
psychoanalysis. Jung's research and personal vision, however, made it impossible for him to bend to
his older colleague's doctrine and a schism became inevitable. This division was personally painful,
and was to have historic repercussions lasting well into the modern day. Jung was also an artist,
craftsman and builder as well as a prolific writer. Many of his works were not published until after his
death and some are still awaiting publication.
Among the central concepts of analytical psychology is individuation—the lifelong psychological
process of differentiation of the self out of each individual's conscious and unconscious elements.
Jung considered it to be the main task of human development. He created some of the best known
psychological concepts, including synchronicity, archetypal phenomena, the collective unconscious,
the psychological complex, and extraversion and introversion.

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875-1961) was interested in the way in which symbols and common
myths permeate our thinking on both conscious and subconscious levels.

Jung initially worked with fellow psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, whose 1899 work The Interpretation
of Dreams had attached significance to the recurring themes and motifs in people's dreams, and
sought to understand their relevance to subjects' psyches and their mental wellbeing.1

However, Jung and Freud later took different paths, with the former disagreeing with Freud's

emphasis on the influence of biological factors such as libido on behavior and personality.

Instead, Jung looked at areas of the mind that constitute the psyche, and the way in which they

influenced one another. He distinguished the persona, or the image of ourselves that we present to

the world, from our shadow, which may be comprised of hidden anxieties and repressed thoughts.

Jung also noted the relationship between our personal unconscious, which contains an individual's

personal memories and ideas, and a collective unconscious, a set of memories and ideas that is

shared amongst all of humanity. Shared concepts, which Jung described as archetypes, permeate

the collective unconscious and emerge as themes and characters in our dreams and surface in our

culture - in myths, books, films and paintings, for example.

Jung felt that disunity among thoughts in the personal subconscious and the conscious could create

internal conflicts which could lead to particular personality traits or anxieties. Such inner conflicts

could be resolved, claimed Jung, by allowing repressed ideas to emerge into the conscious and

accommodating (rather than destroying) them, thus creating a state of inner harmony, through a

process known as individuation.

In this article we will look at Jung's theories on psychoanalysis and the most significant of his

archetypes, and will see how his ideas influenced modern psychology.

Personal Unconscious

Jung's idea of the personal unconscious is comparable to the unconscious that Freud and other

psychoanalysts referred to. To Jung, it is personal, as opposed to the collective unconscious, which is

shared amongst all persons.

The personal unconscious contains memories which are unaware we still possess, often as a result

of repression.

As we exist in a conscious state, we do not have direct access to our personal unconscious, but it

emerges in our dreams or in a hypnotic state of regression.

Collective Unconscious

The collective unconscious is key to Jung's theories of the mind as it contains the archetypes.

Rather than being born as a tabula rasa (a 'blank slate' in Latin) and being influenced purely by our

environment, as the English philosopher John Locke believed, Jung proposed that we are each born

with a collective unconscious. This contains a set of shared memories and ideas, which we can all
identify with, regardless of the culture that we were born into or the time period in which we live. We

cannot communicate throughthe collective unconscious, but we recognise some of the same ideas

innately, including archetypes.

For example, many cultures have cultivated similar myths independently of one another, which

feature similar characters and themes, such as the creation of the universe.

Archetypes

Jung noted that within the collective unconscious there exist a number of archetypes which we can all

recognise. An archetype is the model image of a person or role and includes the mother figure, father,

wise old man and clown/joker, amongst others. The mother figure, for example, has caring qualities;

she is dependable and compassionate. We all hold similar ideas of the mother figure and we see her

across cultures and in our language - such as the term 'mother nature'.

Archetypes are often incarnated as characters in myths, novels and films - in the James Bond spy

series, 'M' embodies the mother archetype, whom the spy trusts and returns to. Similar, archetypes

permeate the cards of a Tarot deck: the mother archetype is seen in the qualities of the Empress

card, whilst the Hermit embodies the wise old man archetype.

The Persona

Distinct from our inner self, Jung noted that we each have a persona - an identity which we wish to

project to others. He used the Latin term, which can refer either to a person's personality the mask of

an actor, intentionally, as the persona can be constructed from archetypes in the collective

unconscious, or be influenced by ideas of social roles in society. For example, a father may adopt
traits which he considers to be typical of a father - serious or disciplining, for example - rather than

those which reflect his actual personality.

Philip Zimbardo's study of social roles in a prison situation (1971) further demonstrated the effect that

our role has on our persona. Assigned a role, such as that of a prison guard, people often behave as

they would expect someone in their role to act.2

As the persona is not a true reflection of our consciousness, but rather an idealised image which
people aspire to, identifying too much with a persona can lead to inner conflicts and a repression of
our own individuality, which Jung claimed could be resolved through individuation.

Shadow archetype
"Taken in its deepest sense, the shadow is the invisible saurian tail that man still drags behind him.
Carefully amputated, it becomes the healing serpent of the mysteries." Carl Jung in The Integration
of the Personality (English translation).3

The shadow archetype is composed primarily of the elements of ourselves that we consider to be

negative. We do not show this side of the self to the outside world as it can be a source of anxiety or

shame. The shadow may contain repressed ideas or thoughts which we do not wish to integrate into

our outward persona, but these must be resolved in order to achieve individuation. However, it may

also include positive traits, such as perceived weaknesses (for example, empathy) which may not fit

into the 'toughness' that a person wants to present as a part of their persona.

In literature, the shadow is often presented as a villainous character - for instance, as the snake in the

Garden of Eden or The Jungle Book. Jung also observed Hyde, whom Dr. Jekyll transforms into, as

representing the character's shadow in Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella The Strange Case of

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Anima/Animus archetypes
The anima (in males) or animus (in females) represents the opposite gender to a person's self. As a

person develops a gender identity, such as that of being male, they repress the aspects of their

personality which might be considered to be feminine, such as empathy in social situations. Whilst

these traits form part of the true, united self, they are held back from our persona and are represented

in the form of the feminine archetype anima in males or the masculine archetype animusin females.

The anima and animus are idealised impressions of the male or female, which emerge from the

collective unconscious in dreams and inform our ideas of the opposite gender. As we age, they bring

us into touch with the aspects of our personality repressed during the formation of a gender identity.

For example, a man may allow their empathy to show more after the development of their masculine

persona.

The anima and animus can be found throughout our culture - Jane Austen's novel Pride and

Prejudice, for example, presents the anima archetype as the idealised Mr Darcey.

Wise Old Man archetype

Through his age and frailty, the Wise Old Man represents the power of peaceful contemplation in the

absence of physical prowess. The wise old man, through quiet thought, foresees the future and offers

guidance in turbulent times.

The wise old man is a prophetic archetype and can often be seen in stories as a wizard, such as

Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Great Mother
The Great Mother archetype embodies the idealised qualities of the mother figure. She is caring,

compassionate, dependable and loving and, like the Wise Old Man, she may offer guidance when

asked.

The stock character of the 'fairy godmother' often embodies the Great Mother in literature.

Other archetypes

The archetypes that we have looked at in this article are just a few of those which Jung believed to

populate our collective unconscious.

Many more archetypes may be recognised, possessing non-exclusive qualities which may be held by

multiple archetypes to different extents. Other archetypes include the magician, the child, the creator

and the caregiver, among others.

Individuation

Jung believed that by acquiring the qualities of an archetype from the collective unconscious, we

repress those attributes of our true self which do not conform to the archetype. To achieve

individuation and realise our true self, he claimed that, rather than repressing these traits, we must

'integrate' them by allowing them to surface from the shadow and to coexist with those in the ego, or

true self. Analytical psychologists may encourage this integration, or individuation, through therapy

including free association.

Introvert and Extrovert Personalities

Aside from the theories of the workings of the psyche described above, Jung also believed the people

could be divided by their personality type. He identified the introvertand extrovert personality types.
Introverts, though quiet and sometimes unsociable, take the time to think over problems, whilst

extroverts may be popular among their peers and unhesitant in expressing themselves.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Take the test

Jungian psychology today

Although his theories are discussed to a lesser extend than Freud's psychodynamic approach, Carl

Jung's ideas carry an influence whose effects can still be felt today.

The idea that we project in our personas not our true personality but an aspirational, idealised version

of who we would like to be, and Jung's distinction between inward-looking introvert and outgoing

extrovert personality types, have lead to the development of numerous personality tests which are still

used today, including that of Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers.

Jung's theories have also impacted on the field of analytical psychology, which is commonly referred

to as Jungian psychology.

Introversion and extraversion

Carl Jung introduced several new terms to the language, among which are 'introvert' and 'extravert.'

Introversion is "the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and
interested in one's own mental life." Introverts tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and relatively non-
engaged in social situations. They take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing,
watching movies, inventing and designing. An introverted person is likely to enjoy time spent alone
and find less reward in time spent with large groups of people (although they may enjoy one-to-one or
one-to-few interactions with close friends).

Extraversion is "the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with and obtaining
gratification from what is outside the self." Extraverts tend to enjoy human interactions and to be
enthusiastic, talkative, assertive and gregarious. They take pleasure in activities that involve large
social gatherings, such as parties, community activities, public demonstrations, and business or
political groups. An extraverted person is likely to enjoy time spent with people and find less reward in
time spent alone.
According to Jung, extraversion and introversion refer to the direction of psychic energy. If a person's
energy usually flows outwards, he or she is an extravert, while if this energy normally flows inwards,
this person is an introvert. Extraverts feel energized when interacting with large group of people, but
feel a decrease of energy when left alone. Conversely, introverts feel energized when alone, but feel
a decrease of energy when surrounded by large group of people.

The words introvert and extravert have become part of everyday speech, often confused with ideas
like shyness and sociability, partially because introverts tend to be shy and extraverts tend to be
sociable. But Jung intended for them to refer more to whether the individual more often faced outward
through the persona toward the physical world, or inward toward the collective unconscious and its
archetypes. In that sense, the introvert is somewhat more mature than the extravert. Our culture, of
course, values the extravert much more. And Jung warned that we all tend to value our own type
most!

We all exhibit degrees of introversion and extraversion and most people fall in-between the two
extremes. The term ambivert was coined to denote people who fall more or less directly in the middle
and exhibit both tendencies in respect to different aspects of their lives. An ambivert is normally
comfortable with groups and enjoys social interaction, but also relishes time alone and away from the
crowd. Note: Mind Development has further coined the term 'Metavert' to describe a person free of
any compulsion or inhibition with respect to either state and is able to be introverted or extraverted at
will and as appropriate to the circumstance.

The personal unconscious contains all the beliefs, values, feelings and memories which one is not
currently conscious of. It contains material that can be made conscious by simple act of will, which
can be termed 'Preconscious'; material that requires some effort or external stimulus to retrieve, both
cognitive and affective, which can be termed 'subconscious'; as well as material that may never be
recalled to consciousness ever again. It is made up of the things you've experienced every day of
your life. The personal unconscious is also a dumping ground for things we aren't comfortable with
and which we'd really rather not have in consciousness very often.

In analytical psychology, the "personal unconscious" is Carl Jung's term for the Freudian
"unconscious," as contrasted with the "collective unconscious." Jung made the significant step of
defining the unconsciousness of a person as comprised of both a personal unconscious (proceeding
from the experiences of the individual) and a second, far deeper form of the unconscious underlying
the personal one, the collective unconscious (issuing from the inherited structure of the brain, and
common to humanity)...

The collective unconscious contains instinctive drives and patterns of behavior that we all share, as
human beings. It includes the overall cellular memory of past ancestors, that is located inside of the
body and is passed on genetically. But Jung also perceived the collective unconscious as something
we tap into by psychic means, as a current 'over-mind' of our race.

In Jung's theory, complexes may be related to environmental traumatic experience, or they may be
caused by internal conflicts. There are many kinds of complex, but at the core of any complex is a
universal pattern of experience, or archetype. He postulated that the complexes originate in the
archetypal depths of the psyche - deep structures, patterns and ways of living that represent an
inherited memory of the history of human culture.

Archetypes are innate, universal psychic dispositions that form the substrate from which the basic
themes of human life emerge. A group of memories and interpretations associated with an archetype
is a complex, e.g. a mother complex associated with the mother archetype. Jung treated the
archetypes as psychological organs, analogous to physical ones in that both are morphological
constructs that arose through evolution. Being universal and innate, their influence can be detected in
the form of myths, symbols, rituals and instincts of human beings. Archetypes are components of the
collective unconscious and serve to organize, direct and inform human thought and behaviour.
According to Jung, archetypes heavily influence the human life cycle, propelling a neurologically hard-
wired sequence which he called the stages of life. Each stage is mediated through a new set of
archetypal imperatives which seek fulfillment in action. These may include being parented, initiation,
courtship, marriage and preparation for death.

Although the general idea of an archetype is well recognized, there is considerable confusion as
regards their exact nature and the way they result in universal experiences. The confusion about the
archetypes can partly be attributed to Jung's own evolving ideas about them in his writings and his
interchangeable use of the term "archetype" and "primordial image." Strictly speaking, archetypal
figures such as the Hero, the Goddess and the Wise Man are not archetypes, but archetypal images
which have crystallized out of the archetypes-as-such. Basically, each of us have archetypes that are
dominant in our personalities and lives. Although the number of archetypes is limitless, there are a
few particularly notable, recurring archetypal images: the Child, the Hero, the Mother, the Sage, the
Trickster, the Leader, the Explorer, the Warrior, the Artist, the Hero, the Master, etc.

The concept of archetypes - potent universal symbols appearing in myths, fairytales and dreams - is
an important part of Jung's concept of the unconscious. He considered the complexes existing in the
personal unconscious to be personifications or manifestations of archetypes from the collective
unconscious leading to characteristic patterns of behavior. The archetypes represented within each
person also include the projected ideas of the world around, according to the way the individual
perceives the world, in ways that may tend toward positive or negative, and according to diverse
influences from upbringing, education and enculturation. Another factor is the overall intelligence of
the people in whom the person has originated from; through the genes, and psychological decent.