About CG Jung and some of his approaches to the Psyche.
You do not need to study Jung’s work to undertake an analysis, which is an experience of a relationship with another person, rather than a theoretical study.
CG Jung and his colleagues wrote many, many books on the psyche (mind) and on his theoretical model. Writing a few paragraphs about this model is likely to oversimplify or state things too one-sidedly, but perhaps the following may be one starting place for those who have not yet had a chance to read about his work:
C.G. Jung (1875–1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist who worked in an inpatient hospital treating individuals experiencing psychosis, a severe psychiatric disorder.
Through his research into schizophrenia, Jung developed a deep interest in the mind, especially those parts which lie beyond an individual’s awareness and conscious control.
According to Jung, each individual embodies a unique personality, and life’s journey lies in unfolding the potential and meaning of this uniqueness—becoming the whole person an individual is meant to be, living up to our potential and sharing this with the world.
“All things have two sides” CG Jung 1963 Collected Works 14 Paragraph 470
Jung explained that our awareness of the vastness of the mind is limited. The part of ourselves we are aware of (and can think or speak about) is called the “ego”, “consciousness,” or “conscious mind.” The ego is a tiny part of the personality, and yet it is crucial because it is all we know about ourselves. It is basis for reflecting on and describing our experiences, sensing into ourselves as a coherent person with agency, an identity and a story. However, there is more to the mind than the parts we are able to describe in words- Jung called the parts of the mind which we are not aware of the unconscious.
The difficulty of the unconscious is that we don’t know what it is. We have to see round the edges of what we are aware of, as if we were looking at the stars, seeing distortions and inferring the presence of a black hole. We might become aware of unconscious processes when we have an irrational reaction to a situation, person or even a word or when we repeat patterns of behaviour even when we don’t want to. We sense something is happening beyond our rational control when we fall in love, intensely dislike a person for no good reason or perhaps when we feel fascinated by a subject. Images or body sensations may spontaneously present themselves and seem independent of our conscious mind. Perhaps in spiritual experiences, dreams or encounters with the vastness of nature we might have a sense of meaningful otherness.
The strength of the unconscious can be frightening or unsettling, and could seem childish, primitive, magical, irrational or unscientific. We might try to keep these uncanny feelings of a power which doesn’t make sense at bay. Yet, Jung argued that for all an individual may try to keep the unconscious at arm’s length, it still exists, and within the muddy waters there might be nuggets of gold in terms of meaning, inspiration and energy for the individual. Jung described how meaningful it is for the conscious mind to recognise parts of the personality which were previously unknown, but which belong to it. Working with the images and symbols at the edge of the “black hole” might help us find language for what the personality needs.
CG Jung described a term which he named individuation, and likened it to a journey towards a complete, unique self. The means of the journey is making conscious what is unconscious in the personality and discarding what does not belong to the individual. This process involves a dialogue between the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind and is on-going throughout life. When a person ignores or suppresses the whispers of their unconscious, or perhaps is forced by the expectations of others to live in a way which is not aligned with their personality, they may experience feelings of emptiness, fear, creative blocks, or illness—signs that something essential is out of balance, even if, to the outside world, and to the conscious mind, the person is on the right track for success and happiness.
CG Jung collaborated with Freud for a time, who was also interested in awareness of the unconscious, until their theoretical and clinical approaches diverged. Like Freud, Jung believed the unconscious holds everything we are do not acknowledge about ourselves (perhaps because we are ashamed of it or it does not match society’s expectations for us) or perhaps we have forgotten aspects of our personal history because of trauma. However, Jung argued that there were other layers to the unconscious which provide a key to being able to understand how it is expressing itself. Jung was fascinated by recurring themes across cultures worldwide, and noticed common images, motifs and stories. He argued that these patterns point to a language for deep psychological truths and that when images come up, for example in imaginations and recurrent themes, they could provide a way to explore what is alive and needing expression in the unconscious.
Jung described symbols and images as the language of the deeper layers of the psyche, and in Jungian sessions, this language is approached with respect and attentiveness
Jungian analysts have a particular interest in myth, fairy tales, dreams, images, and symbols which might seem important during our work.
One purpose of Jungian analysis is to listen carefully to the images of the unconscious, enabling the conscious mind to choose how to engage with this vital source of energy and creativity.
Jung described how a healthy relationship between the unconscious and conscious mind is key to living a fulfilled, creative, and “whole” life as a unique individual. This is individuation.
While individuation does not require formal analysis, having space, intention, and supportive relationships can nurture the process. Supportive encouragement for individuation is at the heart of Jungian analysis.
