Analytic Jungian Psychology

Many psychologists throughout history have developed theories that continue to be valued in the 21st century. One of those psychologists is Carl Jung, the founder of Jungian psychology. Here, we’ll cover the basics of how he developed this approach and what it consists of, plus how it has impacted modern psychology and other fields.

Jungian psychology, the collective unconscious, and theories of personality

Carl Gustav Jung, or CG Jung, was a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded Jungian psychology and the analytic movement in the early 1900s. While working as a research scientist at Burgholzli Hospital in Switzerland, he corresponded with the founder of classical psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Freud and Jung then spent six years as close companions, lecturing together and spending hours discussing psychology and conscious awareness.

The friendship eventually came to an end when Jung, having come to believe that Freud’s model of the unconscious was too negative, developed his own model. This drove a wedge between the two which eventually contributed to the end of their relationship, especially as Jung's theories started to take hold in the psychology community and in broader society. 

Understanding the collective unconscious

Although Jung, C. recognized the role that Freud's work played in the development of his own model, Jungian psychology and analytical psychology grew into a new field of psychology in their own right. A key part of Jung's analytical psychological theory is distinguishing between the personal and collective unconscious, unlike Freud’s. Jungian therapy considers both the collective and personal unconscious to help individuals gain a new state of awareness and understanding.

Key aspects of Jungian psychology

The Jungian psychology of Carl Jung is often considered a fluid and adaptable way of analyzing the human mind. Many psychologists and psychiatrists today incorporate Jungian psychology and its precepts when treating clients. A few central concepts that characterize this modality which Jung identified in his time include: 

• The collective unconscious elements
• Self-realization and neuroticism
• Archetypes
• Both an anima and an animus
• The unconscious feminine (regardless of biological sex or gender)
• Psychic energy, including destructive energies
• The wise old man and the wise old woman concept
• Shadow qualities
• The negative mother complex
• Psychoanalysis and dream analysis or interpretation

Jungian psychology is often considered to have a deeper, more spiritual base than other approaches to psychoanalysis. The fundamental concepts of the Jungian school provide a backdrop for studying the human psyche, but there are no absolutes. Jungian analysis often uses various methods of increasing awareness of the self, the emotions, and humanity under the guidance of a therapist. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these most integral principles.

Carl Jung: Uniting the conscious and the unconscious

Jungian psychology aims to remove mental blocks that may inhibit individuals from bringing both the conscious and unconscious mind together, which Jung called the process of individuation. A Jungian psychologist might use techniques like universal vision, active imagination, and self-realization exercises to help the client meet their goals for therapy and everyday life and avoid projecting shadow qualities. 

The concepts of Jungian psychology are meant to help the psychologist unlock the individual’s unconscious and make it available to their conscious mind. For example, per Jungian psychology, neuroticism can be caused by a lack of self-realization, and this lack of self-realization may be caused by the inability of the unconscious mind to connect and communicate with the conscious mind. As such, this theoretical orientation of psychology may benefit individuals who experience neurotic thoughts and behaviors and related psychological complexes and traits as well as mental health challenges like paranoia, anxiety, and personality disorders. 

The four psychic functions of the mind

Jung acknowledged four basic psychic functions of the unconscious and conscious self:

• Thinking
• Feeling
• Intuition
• Sensation

The Jungian school of psychology ascribes rational and irrational traits to these psychic functions. Rational traits refer to logic and logical reasoning, while irrational traits refer to chaotic, illogical thinking. The psychic functions of thinking and feeling are understood as rational traits and intuition and sensation are understood as irrational traits. Ascribing these traits to the four psychic functions can provide an added understanding of how to approach problem-solving or universal themes stemming from each function.

According to Jungian psychology, thinking and feeling are observable and logical. Thinking and feeling (your emotions) are explainable behaviors represented by the ego. The same is not true for intuition and sensation. Per Jung, an individual develops and experiences unconscious and conscious intuition differently. That’s why it can be challenging to establish a specific set of rules to understand intuition, because it can be a highly individual experience. The same is considered accurate for sensation, an experience that can differ from person to person. 

Difficulty ascribing specific rules to intuition and sensation is one of the reasons they are understood as irrational in Jungian psychology. Jung believed that many mental health problems can be addressed with this therapeutic focus on personal growth through the lens of Jungian psychotherapy. 

Key aspects of the analytical and Jungian psychology movements

The analytical psychology movement began with and was centered on Jungian psychology. It incorporated a different view of the human psyche from that of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic movement—namely, the addition of the collective unconscious. Jung proposed that personal growth was less about the inner mind and more about how individuals relate to unconscious material, like dream meanings. Below are some of the key components of Jung’s analytical psychology. 

Jung's personality archetypes 

Jungian psychoanalysts are often interested in all facets of the human condition, and one way they may work to understand it is by using psychological types called archetypes. Archetypes are common, repetitive themes that run through human experiences. For example, "hero" and "mother" are archetypes, and many people easily understand these characters and what they stand for. Similarly, the shadow archetype refers to the “dark side” or “shadow qualities” of one’s personality, which is a common theme in stories and literature.

Dream interpretation 

Dream interpretation is another aspect of the analytic movement and of depth psychology. Per this movement, dreams are viewed as a glimpse of the interactions between the conscious mind and the unconscious or collective unconscious mind. A Jungian analyst may make connections between dreams and how they relate to a person's life. 

Sigmund Freud believed dreams were unfulfilled desires of the conscious mind—but Jung felt that dreams hold the key to revealing the inner life of the unconscious mind. Interpreting dreams is one way an analytic psychologist may work to bring the conscious and collective unconscious minds together. In addition to dream analysis, an expert in analytical psychology may utilize active imagination or word association in conjunction with talk therapy.

Imagination 

Imagination can be viewed as essential to the well-being of the unconscious mind and as having universal meanings and innate characteristics. According to this school of thought, there is an association among the collective unconscious of every human. Imagination is thought to be a link to the unconscious, and it may bridge the gap between the conscious and the unconscious. In therapy, the meanderings of the imagination may create a deeper connection with the unconscious mind, and analytic psychologists might use this tactic in therapy to help the client begin conversations about their thoughts and feelings. 

Myths and esoteric experiences 

The analytic movement also delves into myths, archetypes, and other collective esoteric experiences to provide a deeper understanding of the human psyche and the self. Déjà vu is an example of how analytic psychology accepts elusive spiritual experiences and psychic phenomena. Many people have experienced déjà vu, but this feeling is not easily explained or well understood. Instead of dismissing this phenomenon as imaginative and irrelevant, analytic psychology works to deeply understand its underlying meaning. In Jung’s view, it had a relationship to the collective unconscious.

The impact of Jungian psychology on various fields today

The broad scope of the analytic movement and Jungian therapy has added to the research of many unrelated fields of study. Mythology, theology, anthropology, and archaeology are a few of the fields of study that the analytic movement has influenced over the years. For example, in anthropology, the research and study of archetypes and the collective unconscious have led to a more significant understanding of ancient humans, the psychological problems they may have faced, and the possibility of ancestral memories. 

The analytic movement is also used in many different therapy practices today, and the Journal of Analytical Psychology regularly publishes papers on the topic. Practitioners of some types of talk therapy, hypnosis, and personal growth-based therapies utilize Jungian analysis in their practice to treat mental health conditions. Depending on the mental health condition someone is experiencing, the principles of analytic psychology may offer insight and support and help the clinician create a safe place for the client to learn self-expression. 

Jung believed that Jungian psychotherapy and analytical psychology would be best practiced with a therapist leading the client through talk therapy while analyzing the meaning behind dreams, actions, and desires. If you’re interested in exploring Jungian psychotherapy, you might search for a provider in your area who specializes in this approach.

If you feel nervous about going to a therapist's office or aren’t able to locate an in-person therapist near you, you might consider seeking online counseling through a platform like BetterHelp. It matches you with a licensed therapist according to your needs and preferences as outlined in a questionnaire, and you can then connect with your provider from home via phone, video, and/or in-app messaging. Studies suggest that online therapy can produce similar outcomes to in-person therapy in many cases.