Jung's theory of individuation, the collective unconscious, and archetypes

Jung

Carl Jung: Theory & Critique

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist who founded analytical psychology in the early 20th century, has had a lasting influence on the field. His exploration of the human psyche led him to connect psychology to art, religion, folklore, sociology, and philosophy. He was a pioneer of dream analysis, and suggested that integrating the study of the unconscious with individual spirituality would enhance the profession. Among his most durable contributions is his theoretical approach to understanding personality. This theory may be divided into three components for discussion here: individuation, the collective unconscious, and archetype.

These components of Jung's theory do not directly define or explain personality formation. Thus, the approach taken here is to explain the fundamental parameters of Jung's work and then, after each piece is summarized, make more explicit connections to personality. The popular Myers-Briggs personality test will be profiled as it captures his contribution in that realm and demonstrates some modern practical uses of Jung's theory.

Jung's Theory

Individuation

Jung charted out human development into two stages: the natural phase, which is the first half of life, and the cultural phase, which is the second half. Transitioning between these two phases can be perilous, and Jung calls the shift out of youth the "dangerous age." The tasks facing people during their natural phase are largely external, such establishing a family and a career. The cultural phase is an internal project, where people struggle to find meaning in life. This search for meaning is individuation.

Individuation may be understood to be the "process of maturation in which the psyche ages or matures in much the same manner as the physical body." (Schuelers) According to Jung, this process cannot occur unless a person becomes aware of his/her archetypal spirit (see Archetype, below). Once a person has become conscious of what is otherwise hidden in the unconscious -- most likely through a process of intensive psychoanalysis -- s/he will experience self-realization. This process is not easy.

For Jung, achieving individuation means coming to terms with ones "true personality." He insists that this is universal process; that is, people everywhere find themselves searching for meaning as they shift from the external demands of youth into their adulthood. Individuation may occur following a personal crisis such as the loss of a job or relationship. It may also be prompted by internal doubt or religious questioning. Regardless of the instigating forces, the search for meaning can be profound:

" Those personal aspects which have heretofore been disregarded -- be they interests, talents, characteristics, experiences, or issues -- now come forth to be acknowledged. That which was fragmented now strives for unity. That which was broken now yearns for wholeness. That which was neglected now seeks expression. That which was previously formless in nature suddenly begins to take a new shape, strangely in keeping with what feels like a unique and deeply ingrained individual patterning. There is something in the human psyche, which in its own fullness of time, struggles to produce the 'true personality'" (Jungian Analytic Praxis)

Thus, according to Jung, most people do not develop one set personality type at birth. Instead, a person is likely to have some foundational personality traits but even these may be up for change during individuation. Not until adulthood does a person's true personality emerge, and then it is only following an extended period of introspection and self-discovery. Personality is dynamic.

The Collective Unconscious

Sigmund Freud was the reigning leader of the psychoanalytic field when Carl Jung emerged. The two men were initially friends and colleagues, but their famous break occurred over the concept of the collective unconscious. Jung speculated that the unconscious, a prominent piece of Freud's theory, had in fact many common features across time and cultures. That is, Jung argued that people everywhere experience similar fears, behaviors and thoughts. He supplied evidence for this argument by pointing to infants' fear of the dark, attachment for their mothers, and other common features that transcend cultural context. Furthermore, Jung noted that images like the sun, the moon, angels, and others are prevalent in all cultures throughout history; these common experiences suggest that all people are pulling from a collective unconscious.

Jung clearly separates his concept of the collective unconscious from Freud's idea of a personal unconscious: "While the personal unconscious is made up essentially of contents which have at one time been conscious but which have disappeared from consciousness through having been forgotten or repressed, the contents of the collective unconscious have never been individually acquired, but owe their existence exclusively to heredity." (Jung)

He goes on to argue that mentally ill patients suffer from being haunted by these collective ghosts. The solution, he suggests, is to understand our mythologies and thereby move these ghosts away from being threatening and instead into representations of our collective humanity (Boeree). However, Jung is certain that the collective unconscious can never become conscious. It is, by definition, unconscious. All people can hope to do is to understand it by watching the influences it has over our own lives and personalities. In particular, Jung argues that familiar feelings such as deja vu and falling in love are manifestations of the collective unconscious. Creative people are especially attune with these forces, as they are able to channel these unconscious images into art.

What does the existence of the collective unconscious suggest about personality? Unlike personality traits that emerge during individuation, these unconscious elements are perhaps unchanging. Indeed, if the collective unconscious draws on a similar set of images and influences for all people throughout time and culture, then there seems to be some boundaries on what individuation may create. In the next section this tension becomes a bit clearer.

The Self

The self is the unifying whole that people compile unconsciously. It is the most important archetype because it represents the unity of the personality and the "transcendence of all opposites so that every aspect of your personality is expressed equally" (Boeree). That is, connecting various archetypes and primordial images, individuals manage to develop a complete personality. As described above, the self is the final product of self-realization, or individuation. Thus, as a person begins to understand the shadow and the animus / anima in the unconscious mind, s/he will be able to individuate. The self, then, does not stem from individual experience but rather from what has been called "early psychosomatic unity" (Urban 2008).

The existence of these many archetypes -- the shadow, the anima/animus, the mother, etc. -- in all people is evidence for Jung's concept of the collective unconscious. These universal archetypes do not come from individual experiences or conscious awareness. Instead, they are entirely unconscious and present in all people, regardless of background, culture, or life experience. It is the unification of these archetypes in our own awareness that allows us to develop a sense of self.

Myers-Briggs

Jung's theories about personality types have found their way into a popular and widely used personality "test": the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This assessment was crafted based on Jung's personality theories. It begins with the assumption that "much seemingly random variation in behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment." (Myers & Briggs). As described above, these ideas stem directly from Jung. Following the publication of his book Psychological Types, two American women sought to integrate Jung's complex psychological ideas into everyday life. They felt that his contributions were too powerful to remain limited to the narrow academic community.

Today, the Myers-Briggs Personality Test is used in corporate and group settings around the world. It offers a test whereby people can identify themselves along four matrices: extroverted -- introverted, thinking -- feeling, sensing -- intuiting, and judging -- perceiving. Through a series of questions, individuals are able to express their preferences in how they perceive the world, take in information, make decisions, and take action. Each person who completes the Myers-Briggs test will come away with their own "personality type," a summary code of four letters that condenses Jung's complex psychological theories into a useable format. Many report that having this information helps them be more aware of their own personality as well as the personality of friends and family members. It is used as a team-building tool and may effectively reduce conflict by increasing inter-personal understanding and acceptance.

Summary: Jung's Theory & Personality

Jung's work explains personality, and later thinkers, including Myers and Briggs, have made those links even more accessible. Rather than being solely the product of our life's experiences, or even our own family's genes, our personality is strongly influenced by timeless archetypal patterns that are similar across cultures. Four functions are common to all people in the way they interact with the world: sensing, thinking, intuiting, and feeling. Each of these factors is present in all people, but we also have what Jung called a "superior" function that is better developed for us and therefore becomes our primary mode of interaction (Boeree).

It is, then, the interaction of these archetypes -- the animus / anima and the shadow, for example -- with our own personal experiences that form our unique personalities. We may have innate tendencies to experience the world in particular ways or to learn and express ourselves in certain ways. These tendencies must be understood to be the product of the collective unconscious as interpreted through our own experiences with individuation. This process may give "specific meaning to a person's identity" (Roesler). The more a person invests in learning about his or her own archetypal unconscious -- through psychoanalysis -- the better equipped s/he will be to succeed at the difficult process of individuation and embody the self. Individual personality traits are thus a product of the collective unconscious, our own understanding of how those factors exist within us, and our personal life experiences.

Thus, the idea of the multiple choice format again becomes useful. Individuals have natural preferences and strengths and may find themselves pulled to one set of archetypal identities over others. But those tendencies are subject to change, and through individuation people may experience transformative personality adjustments.

A Critique

Jung's theories on psychoanalysis have had a lasting impact on the field. Many psychologists practice Jungian analysis, and the terms "archetype" and "collective unconscious" have become mainstream. Such diverse disciplines as business, political science, and sociology continue to rely on Jung's insights to guide their own inquiry. However, there are two fundamental problems with the application of Jung's theories to an understanding of personality formation.

First, his theories themselves are circular. He argues that the collective unconscious is comprised of archetypes and then, later, that the existence of these archetypes is evidence for the collective unconscious. This is like citing himself as proof of the validity of his work. In other words, his theories lack concrete evidence. How can we "prove" that the collective unconscious exists? How can we be sure that spending years probing it through analysis and seeking to individuate will be any more effective than other forms of counseling, or even none at all? His theories, then, may lack evidence and may not be applicable to life.

Secondly, even if we accept the validity of his theories for psychoanalysis, they are too spiritual and faith-based for my taste. His approach to understanding personality does not appear to be based in science; rather, it pulls from such "mushy" disciplines as astrology and spirituality. Many scientists are not convinced that these disciplines provide a sound basis for understanding something as medically complex as the human brain and the formation of personality.

Conclusion

Despite this critique and the well-known short-comings of Jung's theoretical approach to psychology, his insights are invaluable for understanding personality formation. We emerge from his work with a sense that our personalities have both static and dynamic elements. When young, for example, we may tend toward introversion and feeling modes of learning. We may connect with the archetype of the mother. But as we age and experience individuation, our personality may also shift. We may become more confident and extroverted. We may learn how to think analytically and critically, and therefore rely less on our feeling skills for learning. And we may break away from the comfort of the mother archetype and find ourselves more in touch with our own shadow. This Jungian roadmap through personality development is powerful and, like the collective unconscious, timeless.