The Language of the Unconscious, II: Archetypes

My last post discussed how the unconscious speaks to an individual through symbols. This post describes how the unconscious speaks to the individual through archetypes, personifications of unconscious material that present themselves to a person.   For Jung, archetypes represent “riverbeds along which the current of psychic life has always flowed.”[1] He defined archetypes as…

The Language of the Unconscious, I: Symbols

My previous two posts presented an overview of dreams and active imagination, and discussed the role dreams and active imagination play in the psyche. This post, and the following post, define how the psyche speaks to an individual in dreams and active imagination: through symbols and archetypes (personifications of unconscious material) that dramatize the conflict…

Dreams & Active Imagination, I: Overview

My previous series of posts discussed the four elements, three stages, and the goal of the process of adaption and restoration (i.e., the process C.G. Jung called individuation). Jung observed adaption and restoration at work in the psychological lives of his patients, and developed his theory based on the manner in which psychological conflict manifested…

Adaption & Restoration, I: Introduction

My previous posts introduced the career and psychological methodology of C. G. Jung. This post introduces Jung’s process of individuation, which, for the sake of clarity, I refer to as the process of adaption and restoration (i.e., adaption to traumatic events and the restoration of psychological balance during and/or after trauma). The following posts will…