Most people know the concept of symbolism. Images are rarely literal, especially if they are in dreams. However the type of image and how they are interpreted help people make sense of the world. This is especially the case of Jungian or Jung symbols and the fact they transcend cultures.
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.
In this theory it is believed that these symbols were often a part of our collective understanding and that on a certain subconscious level we all recognise them. Often we recognise these particular subconscious images regardless of whether we are aware of this or not. It was on this basis that Jung developed a lot of his theories.
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.
A lot of these recurring symbols help people to make sense of the world. One reason that fairy and folk tales are handed down through the ages is because they teach children right and wrong, helping them to be aware of the potential danger around them without putting them under any real threat.
One big crucial difference between how the Jungian psychologists interpreted symbols and how Freudians interpreted them is the idea of the shadow. While Freud saw this purely in terms of sexuality the Jungian interpretation is arguably more complex. There is the idea that in effect our so called darker sides are merely a part of a whole and are not necessarily good or bad. Jung essentially argued that men have a female side and women have a male side as well and there could be good or bad in both.
Another aspect of this is the anima or animus. The anima represents the male perspective on women as well as any female tendencies in a man. With the animus this is reversed and is about what a woman expects from a man as well as any male characteristics that they may have. Often these expectations are what shape how we interpret the characters in stories or the images in our dreams and this will affect how we gain meaning from the world around us, whether we are aware of it or not.
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.
In this theory it is believed that these symbols were often a part of our collective understanding and that on a certain subconscious level we all recognise them. Often we recognise these particular subconscious images regardless of whether we are aware of this or not. It was on this basis that Jung developed a lot of his theories.
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.
A lot of these recurring symbols help people to make sense of the world. One reason that fairy and folk tales are handed down through the ages is because they teach children right and wrong, helping them to be aware of the potential danger around them without putting them under any real threat.
One big crucial difference between how the Jungian psychologists interpreted symbols and how Freudians interpreted them is the idea of the shadow. While Freud saw this purely in terms of sexuality the Jungian interpretation is arguably more complex. There is the idea that in effect our so called darker sides are merely a part of a whole and are not necessarily good or bad. Jung essentially argued that men have a female side and women have a male side as well and there could be good or bad in both.
Another aspect of this is the anima or animus. The anima represents the male perspective on women as well as any female tendencies in a man. With the animus this is reversed and is about what a woman expects from a man as well as any male characteristics that they may have. Often these expectations are what shape how we interpret the characters in stories or the images in our dreams and this will affect how we gain meaning from the world around us, whether we are aware of it or not.
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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