Jung's Analytical Psychology
Carl Gustav Jung, first disciple then dissident of Freud, founded analytical psychology — an approach to the unconscious that goes far beyond individual repression. Collective unconscious, archetypes, individuation process, psychological types, shadow and persona: Jung proposes a vision of the human psyche of unparalleled philosophical and spiritual breadth. His influence extends from psychotherapy to comparative mythology, history of religions and the arts.
Jung and Freud: Alliance and Rupture
Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), Swiss psychiatrist, met Freud in 1907. Their relationship, initially enthusiastic, deteriorated over two fundamental disagreements: Jung refused to reduce libido to sexual energy alone, and he postulated a collective unconscious independent of individual history. The break came in 1913, after which Jung underwent an intense creative crisis documented in the Red Book.
The Collective Unconscious and Archetypes
For Jung, the unconscious extends beyond personally repressed material. A deeper layer, common to all humanity, constitutes the collective unconscious, containing archetypes — innate matrices of experiences and images that have always structured the human psyche. Major archetypes include:
- The Persona: the social mask we present to the world.
- The Shadow: everything we refuse to see in ourselves.
- Anima/Animus: the unconscious feminine in man (Anima) and masculine in woman (Animus).
- The Self (Selbst): archetype of totality, the centre and circumference of the psyche.
The Individuation Process
Jung's central concept is individuation: the process by which an individual becomes what they truly are by integrating all psyche components. This involves confronting the Shadow, meeting Anima/Animus and encountering the Self.
Psychological Types
In Psychological Types (1921), Jung proposes a typology based on extraversion/introversion combined with four psychic functions: thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. This inspired the MBTI personality tool.
Dreams and Symbols
Unlike Freud, Jung sees dreams as messages from the unconscious expressed in archetypal symbolic language. The dream conceals nothing — it reveals. Jungian interpretation uses amplification and active imagination.
Jungian Therapeutic Practice
Jungian therapy occurs face to face, one to two sessions weekly. The analyst is more active than in classical Freudian analysis. Work uses dreams, creative productions, active imagination and synchronicities as therapeutic material.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace consultation with a qualified professional.