This text will reference Carl Jung's "Man and his symbols" a book he published in 1964.
For Jung the language of the unconscious are symbols and one of the biggest means of communication of the unconscious to the conscious is through dream symbolism. Dreams are an integral part of the communication of the unconscious. They are just as real as any other phenomena. Symbolism is this notion of a forgotten language that we all can read and interpret that regardless of being a modern man or woman has an instinctual understanding or element.
Jung believed that the primitive man was much under the influence of the subconscious instincts that the current "modern man". He states that modern man is too rational. This rationality and prioritisation of intellect has created this dissociation for the subconsious in the psyche of modern day society.
Jung really emphasises dreams as the communication gateway from this unconscious to our individual states and that we can use it to become more unified with our selves and the "collective".
The Collective Unconscious
This is where archetypes can be found. These are inhereted experiences of human life. Representing universal patterns of emotional and mental behavours and have been engrained inside of us instinctually.
Universal and inherited - Jung believed this isn't learned through personal experience but is inherited. It's like a psychological blueprint we're all born with, shaped by our ancestors' experiences over millennia.
Archetypes - The collective unconscious contains what Jung called "archetypes" - universal patterns, symbols, and characters that appear across cultures and throughout history. Common archetypes include:
- The Mother (nurturing, life-giving)
- The Hero (the journey, overcoming obstacles)
- The Shadow (the dark, repressed side of ourselves)
- The Wise Old Man/Woman
- The Anima/Animus (feminine and masculine aspects)
Evidence Jung pointed to - He noticed that similar myths, symbols, and stories appear in completely disconnected cultures worldwide. For instance, flood myths, creation stories, and hero journeys pop up everywhere from ancient Greece to indigenous cultures.
Why it matters - Jung thought understanding the collective unconscious helps explain why certain symbols feel meaningful to us, why we respond emotionally to certain stories, and why we have dreams featuring people or symbols we've never consciously encountered.
Think of it like psychological DNA - just as we inherit physical traits, Jung proposed we inherit these deep psychological patterns that influence how we perceive and interact with the world.
Individuation
Man becomes whole when and only when the process of individuation is complete. If someone constantly commits themesleves to the process of individuation, then he will have a positive effect on the people around him.Individuation is the lifelong process of becoming your true, whole self - what Jung called the "Self" with a capital S. It's about integrating all the different parts of your personality, including the parts you've rejected or hidden, into a unified whole. You're not trying to become perfect, but rather to become authentically you.
The journey involves:
Meeting your Shadow - This is probably the most crucial step. Your shadow contains all the traits you've repressed or denied about yourself - things you consider negative, shameful, or unacceptable. Individuation requires acknowledging and integrating these parts rather than projecting them onto others. When you say "I can't stand people who are selfish," you might be encountering your own unacknowledged selfishness.
Engaging with the unconscious - This happens through dreams, active imagination, art, or therapy. You're essentially having a dialogue with the deeper parts of yourself that don't speak in words.
Integrating opposites - Jung believed we contain contradictions: masculine and feminine (anima/animus), rational and emotional, light and dark. Individuation means holding these tensions rather than identifying with just one side.
Differentiating from the collective - This means separating your true values and beliefs from what family, society, or culture told you to be. It's finding your own path rather than living someone else's script.
The slow process of psychic growth emerges, disappear and then show up again. This is the process of individuation. This process of individuation allows the individual to be more conscious in daily relationships with others and the world itself. Preventing the go from becoming inflated and being more authentic to yourself.
The visual arts delight us because they contain these ideas of the "unconscious". The artist can be seen as the spokesman of the spirit of his age, the zeitgiest or unconscious predominant collective of the current age. The artist is said to be controlled by forces of the unconscious. People don't have ideas, ideas have people.
I want to take you through a history of art from the lens of a analytical psychology. There are these symbolic motif's that are recurring throughout history.
A symbolic motif is a recurring element - an image, symbol, theme, or pattern - that appears repeatedly throughout a work (like a novel, film, or piece of art) and carries deeper meaning beyond its literal presence.
Key characteristics:
Repetition - It shows up multiple times, which signals to the audience that it's significant. The repetition creates a kind of psychological resonance.
Symbolic meaning - It represents something beyond its surface level. A storm isn't just weather; it might symbolize inner turmoil or change.
Reinforces themes - Motifs help develop and emphasize the central themes or ideas of the work.
Common examples:
- Light and darkness in stories about good vs. evil, knowledge vs. ignorance
- Water appearing repeatedly might symbolize rebirth, cleansing, or the unconscious
For each individual is the exploration of his own unconscious, the ultimate goal of such a search is finding a harmonious and balanced relationship with the self.
Jung believed true symbols emerge from the unconscious and carry meanings that can't be reduced to simple definitions. They're alive with psychological energy and open-ended in their significance.
Symbols as Bridges
Jung saw symbols as bridges between the conscious and unconscious mind. They're the language through which the unconscious communicates with consciousness. When you dream of water, for instance, it's not just "representing" emotions in a fixed way - it's a living symbol that connects you to the deep, archetypal realm of the psyche.
He wrote that symbols are the best possible expression for something that is essentially unknown. They don't hide meaning; they reveal as much as can be revealed about psychic realities that transcend rational understanding.
The Living Quality of Symbols
This is key: Jung believed symbols were alive and transformative. A symbol that's truly working on you:
- Evokes emotional resonance
- Can't be fully explained intellectually
- Reveals new layers of meaning over time
- Carries numinous (spiritual/sacred) quality
- Facilitates psychological transformation
Once you "figure out" a symbol completely, it's dead - it's become a mere sign.
Archetypal Symbols
Jung believed certain symbols appear across cultures and time periods because they emerge from the collective unconscious - universal patterns of human experience. Think of symbols like:
- The Great Mother
The Hero- The Shadow
- The Mandala
- The Tree of Life
The Transcendent Function
Perhaps most importantly, Jung saw symbols as performing a transcendent function - they hold opposites together (conscious/unconscious, rational/irrational, personal/universal) and create a third thing that transcends both. This is how psychological growth happens.
When you're stuck between two opposing forces in your psyche, a symbol can emerge that doesn't resolve the tension but transforms it into something new. This is why working with symbols in therapy, dreamwork, or tarot can be so powerful.
