An Introduction To The Most Important Jungian Concepts.
Carl Jung (1875-1961) was a genius, Swiss psychologist and generally attributed as one of the most influential thinkers of psychological history.
He lived through a most fascinating timestamp of history watching first hand all the major and pivotal influences of the turn of the century. Alongside Freud, Jung pioneered the foundations of analytical psychology and the treatment of mental illnesses as a serious problem. But Jung also took his work to more serious depths. Throughout his life, Carl Jung steadily put together an original worldview that has captivated millions since.
Carl Jung dug into unchartered intellectual ground. As a psychologist, the nature of his work was intensely cerebral. Jung attempted to explain the human condition… the audaciousness of which cannot be understated.
Jungian Concepts Defined
Each one of Jung’s intellectual rungs is introduced in the following articles. They are each short and digestible, designed for a two-minute sitting.
The following is a sumation of Jung’s worldview.
The Main Jungian Concepts In One Paragraph
It’s all about individuation.
One’s purpose in life should be to become psychologically whole. This is to integrate each individual component of the psyche to complete the personality. In addition to this, to become psychologically whole is to become a true individual.
The psyche is made up of consciousness and unconsciousness. Consciousness is framed through your ever-developing persona + ego. The experience that is not acknowledged in consciousness (such as certain moods, looks, details) then moves past the surface and contributes to the development of the unconscious. The unconscious is both personal and collective. Elements of your unconscious that go unrecognised contribute to the formation of your shadow. Your shadow is equal in depravity to whatever your highest potential for good is. One’s shadow can exert will over ones conscious behaviour through a myriad of projections.
Socialisation is the process we all undergo in developmental years to learn and unlearn the behaviours deemed fit for ‘our’ society. It is this process and each individual’s unique experience of these formative years that work to influence the complexities of one’s shadow and various personas.
The collective unconscious is humanities shared experience dug deep into the darkest crevices of our mind. If we can physiologically evolve adapting traits that reflect the past, then why would our psyche be any different… for Jung this was obvious. Deep within our shared collective unconscious live the archetypes for human existence. Universal stories that have played out in the psyche of man since our inception.
It’s all about individuation. One’s purpose in life should be to become psychologically whole. This means to integrate all components of the psyche. Shed the false wrappings of the persona, integrate the shadow, fulfil your archetype. This person individuated is unmovable by opinion and steadfast in his pursuit. To be individuated is to be truly and absolutely psychologically healthy.
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