Friday, October 24, 2014

Carl Jung Symbols Apply To Dreams And Life

By Dominique Martin


There are universal symptoms that apply to both the male and female Persona. The famous psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, Carl Jung, is credited for what he called the collective unconscious. He applied the theory of Jung symbols to figures that appeared in dreams.

Great emphasis was placed on the figures who appeared in dreams and the figures who existed in the waking hours. They represented people who were part of the dreamers waking life. He defined seven major archetypal characters and correlated their symbolic meanings to actual people.

The Persona of an individual is the part of his personality that he shows to the public. In the sleep state this covert side of his personality is represented symbolically by another figure, possibly someone famous for a positive reason. If a dream is memorable, he may realize the famous figure that represents some part of himself.

Next there is The Shadow, a symbol of your own worst side. You attempt to suppress this while awake. This figure may show up in your dreams as a a thief or murderer. In the morning if you recall the dream you know that The Shadow made you feel angry in some way.

According to Jung the woman has masculine aspects and the man a feminine side. He named this Anima-Animus. In dreams the man may play a female role, such as a caregiver. The woman, on the other hand, may take on a masculine one. While a female shows aggression this way, a male may step into a more emotional, thus feminine, role.

Due to the fact that he lived in a different era, his concept of gender roles differed from those that exist today. Women were most often in dependent roles, and males in dominant ones. Currently these roles are often intermingled.

The Divine Child is archetype number four. It is expressed as a baby or young child. This dream figure represents the sweet, uncomplicated part of yourself. The innocence is representative of your hopes for a happy life and what you hope to achieve in that life.

The main authority figure in your life is represented by a Wise Old Man or Woman. Any knowledgeable individual who offers help can fill this role. It might be a teacher you depend on for guidance. The Wise Old Man represents that character.

The Great Mother was someone who nurtured you and would appear as your own mother or grandmother. This archetype would provide reassurance. He theorized that a mother might become jealous when her child turned away from her as he matured. He theorized that this negativity would appear as dominance or death.

The seventh and last is The Trickster. He shows up to highlight some mistake that embarrassed you during the day. His mocking attitude stresses your weakness and vulnerability.

Among the many books he wrote, Jung penned three works of fiction. One was on the subject of murder. His professional theories have validity in the field of psychoanalysis and psychiatry to this day.

He wrote in German and his large body of work was translated into many languages. He did some writing in English. His books are now considered to be classics.




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