I am taking a stab at psychology today folks. You may want to knock yourself unconscious reading through this article, but I have mustered the various, but limited, powers of my consciousness to articulate the following (that being hysteria).
“The unexamined life is not worth living” as Socrates so famously put it. In light of today’s subject, an examination of the Jungian concept of the psyche, Socrates’ phrase takes on further meaning. The proceedings will go as follows: first, an introduction and examination of Carl Jung’s “diagram of the self,” and second, what to do about it.
Before we delve into the diagram, I’d like to lay down some context as usual. Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist who lived from 1875 to 1961. He is most well-known for developing the study of analytical psychology, which is the theory of human personality and thought in light of the relationship between the individual unconsciousness and the collective unconsciousness. For years, he studied under, and worked alongside, Sigmund Freud, until differences in their psychological theories caused them to part ways. To my understanding, much of the disagreement revolved around Freud’s belief that repression of sexual desires and aggression were the key driving forces behind human behavior. Jung took on a more positive position, holding that our lived experiences and future aspirations were instead the seminal drivers of our behavior. (Anyone with more extensive knowledge than my minimal understanding of their schism, please enlighten me if I have misspoken!) Perhaps in a future article the dynamic between the two psychologists can be further examined, but I believe the Freudian context helps set the picture. On to Jung.
The Jungian Psyche
As for the aforementioned diagram of the self, as set out by Jung, I refer you to the image below:
I am going to keep the following explanation as succinct as possible.
Note the three main components of the diagram: The ego, the self, and the shadow. For each of these, there is a corresponding consciousness, personal consciousness and collective consciousness. The ego, which resides in the consciousness, is what we as humans project to the “outer world,” mentioned above. In other words, the ego is the manifestation of what we want the world to see us as—and/or how we think the world sees us and how we want to see ourselves. The ego is the underdeveloped understanding of who we are, whose true face is influenced by the factors of the outer world. Since it is manifest, it thus lives within the consciousness. However, the consciousness is only the tip of the iceberg as far as what defines who we are. The seemingly more subtle realms of personal and collective unconsciousness uphold the foundations of our ego.
Meanwhile, the shadow aspect resides in the “collective unconsciousness.” The shadow and the collective unconscious are ultimately defined by what Jung calls “archetypes”. These archetypes are a sort of prenatal instinct that live within everyone and define a structure of behavior. Within the shadow dwells the Anima and Animus. The Anima (could be literally translated as “female spirit”) embodies the universal sensibilities of the female kind, while its counterpart, the Animus (guess what that translates to) represents those attributes typical of a man. Here is where the script is flipped: the Anima actually lives within the collective unconsciousness of the male mind and vice versa for the female mind.
As for the “Self”, Jung would say that it exists from the very beginning of life and from it develops the ego. Jung further held that it is part of the personal unconsciousness, or, rather, the personal unconsciousness is the self because we are more than what we are merely conscious of. Since the consciousness can only grasp one thought at a time, it would be limiting to say that the whole self is contained within the consciousness. More importantly than this, however, is Jung’s claim that the Self is the psyche, since it is the Self that mediates between the ego and the shadow in a process of personal development and creative growth. This process Jung calls “individuation.”
Beyond being an interesting diagnosis of the human psyche (at least for me it is), I believe Jung’s concept of the self and the process of individuation is a very helpful illustration. When I say helpful, I mean that his theories help shed light on the confusing and dark subtleties of our minds and hearts. As a result, Jung’s theory is consequential in that it allows one to strive for real change in how they view themselves and the world around them. The process of Individuation is easy enough to grasp in conceptual form. The real challenge lies, as is typically the case, in the conscientious implementation of that process. Further, I believe that like any idea, Jung’s articulation of the psyche can have dangerous implications if misinterpreted. On that note, however, I’ve come to learn that, as the old Latin phrase goes “Abusus non tollit usum” (translated as “misuse of something is no argument against its proper use”) and Jung’s manifestation of the psyche can be a constructive tool for self-examination and personal growth.
Ultimately, Jung claims that the process of individuation is the Self’s constant and deliberate mediation of the ego and shadow. The person who fails to “integrate their shadow”, as Jung puts it, fails to evolve into their true self. On the flip side, one must also be careful not to let the shadow control them. Part of integrating the shadow is realizing the immense evil of which one is capable. Merely by acknowledging that the shadow, or whatever you want to call it, exists within us, we have taken that first step towards self-realization. Of course, everyone’s path to a better understanding of himself will be unique and individual, but the realization of the capacity of evil is an important first step.
I don’t think Jung would go here, but I like to think of Jung’s shadow as a sort of Original Sin. That would certainly help make Jung’s shadow more palpable from a Christian perspective. Like the shadow, Original Sin is this dark mark on the soul of every person. Failing to realize its actuality, like failing to see one’s shadow, can be a blockade in our journey to spiritual development. We must realize that Original Sin, and all that it entails, is part of who we are, but must never let it consume us.
Up to this point, I have made the shadow appear as some evil spirit that lives within each person. Certainly, it has the potential to be, but that is not its sole purpose. In fact, according to Jung, the shadow is meant to be a means of achieving self-realization, while also connecting us, through the collective unconscious, to each other. Besides being a realization of one’s potential for evil, integrating the shadow is also a realization of all the good that one can do.
If you found this little article at all interesting, you should definitely go straight to the source and read some of Jung yourself. If anything, the purpose of this article has been merely to point the reader in the direction of greater minds than the author. Why drink from the polluted stream when you could instead drink from the clear source of the spring!? And don’t just look up Carl Jung (access), buy his book to make John Briggs happy (ownership).
Have fun integrating your shadow!
I thought that a succinct (while still interesting) commentary on Jung was impossible. You've proven me wrong.
Great insights Joseph!