CG Jung was born on July 26, 1875 in Switzerland and died on
June 6, 1961. He was a Swiss psychiatrist, psychologist, author and mystic.
Jung’s theories are based on clinical observations and studies on
other cultures. Jung was interested in the myths of the different cultures.
He easily mixed in elements as astrology and alchemy in his analysis of
the human collective unconscious. An early follower of Sigmund Freud,
but broke with him due to his different opinion on psychoanalytic theory.
The psychologists who are the followers of C G Jung’s theories are
called Jungians. and their practice called Jungians psychology or analytic
psychology.
Jung introduced a theory for different types of personalities based on
the psychical orientation (introvert – extrovert) and four functions
(the rational – thought and feeling, and irrational – perception
and intuition).
Thoughts and feelings are each other’s opposition likewise the perception
and the intuition. People develop differently and one of these functions
become a primary function for the individual which leads to the opposite
function remains undeveloped and primitive.
Some functions in the other pair can also be developed more in order to
become a supporting function. With other words; the individual will be
able to handle a couple of functions in a mature and conscious way.
Jung’s personality model can be explained in a number of layers.
The outmost layer is the conscious including ego. The ego is just that
one means by having self-knowledge – to know oneself.
The next layer is the personal unconscious with a number of unconscious
complex, among other the shadow, the persona. Anima or animus. The content
of this layer is unique for every individual and what complex one has
developed depend partly on, what mental power one has, what one experienced,
and how one has handled own experiences.
The third layer is the collectively unconscious, in common to all the
individuals, Here is our basic conception of life. They seek to the surface
in form of dreams, poems and myths – archetypes. Archetypal patterns
are according to Jung, common throughout the human species and constitute
on inherited “collective unconscious.
The examples for the archetypical are an eternal young man, the old man,
first mother, God.
Examples for archetypical events are birth, death, depart from parents,
propose, marry, divorce. Archetypical objects are for example snake, water,
sun, moon, fire.
Here is also persona who is our defense towards the world around, something
like a Greek theatre mask.
The shadow is named the repressed or unconscious side of oneself good
or ill. One cannot self see them but those around can to a certain degree
notice them,
Anima is the feminine part of a man’s personality. Animus is the
masculine part of a woman’s personality. Those who learn their anima
– animus reach a balanced personality, means Jung. An example can
be when a woman does not know her inner man, her projections of the inner
man can find an expression in constant seeking out the knight of the shining
armament. The attraction between a man and a woman depend thus on the
inner mental quality. The deepest core is the archetype the self who stands
for the entirety and the unity in the personality.
An important theme in Jungian psychology is the projections. The projections
occur continuously as that which is unconscious inevitably being projected
to externally, that is, one transfers qualities from the unconscious to
the world around. A child projects, for example, the inborn father archetype
to her father or some other masculine figure close by. In much to similar
way follows a newly hatched duck that which is close to it, for example,
a broom believing this is its mother. The projection is necessary to have
an individual an incitement to get up from the bed in the morning. However,
there is a kind of projection that is a scourge for mankind.
It is shadow projection. When shadow (the unconscious ego) projects to
people in the environs this brings to transfer one’s own dark side
to the others. An immature individual is unconscious of his own shadow
and therefore the shadow being projected to external objects. That is
why Jung in his books always remains of the fact to be aware of own shadow.
If one becomes aware of it so it is no longer in the unconscious sphere
and thus not being projected. By that one has got control over own dark
side and it does not have to meet one’s fellow creatures.
That is the shadow problem that lies behind scapegoat syndrome in the
working places and the schools. One very serious form of shadow projection
is when the collective shadow, that is, the entire people’s shadow
being projected to the people.
Anima or animus is the archetype that personifies the soul or the inner
attitude. In the man’s soul anima personifies all the feminine tendencies
as the ability to personal love, vague feelings, prophetical inspirations,
susceptibility to irrational elements and the relationship to the unconscious.
As a rule, a man’s anima is characterized by his mother. If the
mother has had a negative influence on the man, it shows in his anima.
For example, irritability, downheartedness, insecurity, hesitation and
being touchy. If he overcomes the negative power’s attacks, it may
strengthen his masculinity.
Anima helps when the man's logical thought can not see clearly through
certain things that come from his unconsciousness. Anima directs to the
man’s psyche to the inner values and opens the way to get deeper
in the soul - a guide to the inner world and the self. It enters via feelings,
frame of mind, expectations and fantasy, which the anima sends often to
the man in various forms, for example, art, poem, sculpture, dance, and
music.
The woman’s animus is influenced by her father. It is that inheritance
that gives the daughter’s animus the special colour, the "true",
indisputable, incontestable opinions, which do not belong to the woman's
self, her true ego. It could lead to that the woman gets difficult with
the human relationships, especially the contact with men. Much of her
dreams will turn into longing and thoughts about how things should be.
Via animus a woman can learn to hadle the masculine qualities, like courage,
objectivity, and initiation. Via her animus she can also receive knowledge
about the processes that have created the background of her cultural and
personal situation.
If the individual manages to learn and respect the conscious and the unconscious
within himself, and bring them in line with each other, the individuality
process is fulfilled. The individual becomes whole and happy. This might
be the essense of Jung’s philosophy in life.
