Jung was a psychiatrist. He was a contemporary of Freud. However while he built on the theories of Freud a lot of his conclusions were a very different. One concept he was particularly interested in was what is known as the collective unconscious and what we now know as Jungian or Jung symbols.
The idea of the collective conscious is that there are certain concepts that appear to be universal and transcend boundaries and cultures. For example pretty much all cultures around the world have some form of story about the origin of the world as well as prophecies about how the world will end. In a lot of these stories there tend to be familiar images such as floods.
Jung was a psychiatrist working around the same time as Freud. In both cases they looked at the idea of the subconscious as well as how and why people repress memories. Where they differed was the how and why regarding this repression. While Freud mainly focused on deviant behaviour and sexuality the Jungian approach is arguably more complex. His theory was that the shadow side of a personality was not necessarily evil and rather was more another aspect of the psyche as opposed to something that needed to be dealt with or exposed.
A classic example is the trickster. In fairy tales, folk legends and modern movies we see numerous variations on this archetypal character. In some cases the trickster might be a good character such as Brer Rabbit. In other cases this character is evil such as the fox that corrupts Pinnochio. However such is the nature of the trickster that in the story the character may be more ambiguous such as Willy Wonka. While he may turn out to be good in the end there is a certain mischief and malevolence that he seems to revel in.
Freud was also interested in symbolism. However his theory mainly centred on the idea that these represented repressed memories and desires. Often these desires were dark and had to be confronted in order to keep people away from carrying out these darker desires. However this was not how Jung interpreted it.
For example one symbolic figure that often recurs is the idea of the wise old man or the mentor. In any story this figure is the one that provides guidance for a hero. In effect this is the equivalent of a teacher or parent guiding the child and providing them with some kind of moral framework.
In both Jungian and Freudian interpretations there is a need to acknowledge that darker instincts should not be ignored. The danger of repression is that it results in developing neuroses and could potentially damage mental health. Equally a person who continually lashes out or indulges could equally harm themselves and others.
In short the archetypes and symbols that Jung describe are an effective way to help people interpret themselves and the world around them. Our mentors help guide us, we learn to avoid tricksters and we come to accept both the light and dark in our personalities. Look online for more information of Jung and Jungian symbol interpretation.
The idea of the collective conscious is that there are certain concepts that appear to be universal and transcend boundaries and cultures. For example pretty much all cultures around the world have some form of story about the origin of the world as well as prophecies about how the world will end. In a lot of these stories there tend to be familiar images such as floods.
Jung was a psychiatrist working around the same time as Freud. In both cases they looked at the idea of the subconscious as well as how and why people repress memories. Where they differed was the how and why regarding this repression. While Freud mainly focused on deviant behaviour and sexuality the Jungian approach is arguably more complex. His theory was that the shadow side of a personality was not necessarily evil and rather was more another aspect of the psyche as opposed to something that needed to be dealt with or exposed.
A classic example is the trickster. In fairy tales, folk legends and modern movies we see numerous variations on this archetypal character. In some cases the trickster might be a good character such as Brer Rabbit. In other cases this character is evil such as the fox that corrupts Pinnochio. However such is the nature of the trickster that in the story the character may be more ambiguous such as Willy Wonka. While he may turn out to be good in the end there is a certain mischief and malevolence that he seems to revel in.
Freud was also interested in symbolism. However his theory mainly centred on the idea that these represented repressed memories and desires. Often these desires were dark and had to be confronted in order to keep people away from carrying out these darker desires. However this was not how Jung interpreted it.
For example one symbolic figure that often recurs is the idea of the wise old man or the mentor. In any story this figure is the one that provides guidance for a hero. In effect this is the equivalent of a teacher or parent guiding the child and providing them with some kind of moral framework.
In both Jungian and Freudian interpretations there is a need to acknowledge that darker instincts should not be ignored. The danger of repression is that it results in developing neuroses and could potentially damage mental health. Equally a person who continually lashes out or indulges could equally harm themselves and others.
In short the archetypes and symbols that Jung describe are an effective way to help people interpret themselves and the world around them. Our mentors help guide us, we learn to avoid tricksters and we come to accept both the light and dark in our personalities. Look online for more information of Jung and Jungian symbol interpretation.
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