Carl Jung's Theories Of Personality

CARL JUNG:

Carl Gustav Jung was a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist who reached the heights of glory with his views on the personality development of an individual. He became the President of the International Psychoanalytic Association but only after the animosity between Jung and Freud did Jung achieve fame. Post-split Jung delved into his dreams and imaginations and initiated working on his theory of personality. He wrote down his dreams and analysed them which he later formulated into his idea of personal unconscious. Then, he discovered that parts of himself are calling onto him; he accepted his shadow and anima and came up with the concept of archetypes and collective unconscious. Jung also confronted the Great Mother and the Wise Old

These contents are active and influence a person’s thoughts, emotions and actions. These are responsible for myths, legends and religious beliefs and lead to big dreams- meaning beyond the individual dreamer and that are filled with significance for people of every time and place. It is the deeper layer of the unconscious. It is racial unconscious which has the experience of his/her race. Individuals inherit it through their brain structures. In each person, brain structures are the hidden primordial images. They are human representations of things. Stored within this are the primitive fundamental images and impressions called archetypes.

Jung explained personality in terms of causality and teleology. Causality holds that present events have their origin in previous experiences. Teleology holds that present events are motivated by goals and aspirations for the future that direct a person’s destiny.

For self realization, he stressed upon progression and regression. Adaptation to the outside world involves the forward flow of psychic energy and is called progression. Adaptation to the inner world relies on a backward flow of psychic energy and is called regression.

Jung gave two broad psychological types-Attitudes and

He said that the shadow is reflective of one’s prejudices. By analysing one’s inner self, one could understand his/her personality and such acceptance of the hidden aspects of oneself, i.e. the shadow helps in attaining a healthy mind.

Apart from the shadow, anima and animus, together known as syzygy, are stored withing the collective unconscious. However, the societal norms and the repeated emphasis on the type of personality expected from the member of a sexual group may lead to pressing down the opposite aspect of a male or a female. The continued pressure to conform to the social norms of masculinity and femininity may create a stereotypical image of a male and a female. This in turn, enhances the prejudices associated with men and women.

The present study aims to explore if prejudices against women have curbed or become latent in the collective unconscious.

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