Jung's analytical psychology today is not only used by professional psychologists and psychotherapists in their work, but also in a very simplified form is popular among ordinary people. So, for example, people who are no strangers to self-knowledge will certainly be able to easily answer the question of what socionic type of personality they represent and list their own complexes on their fingers. The foundations of socionics and the theory of complexes were formulated precisely in the works of Carl Jung.
As a unit of analysis, Carl Gustav Jung identified archetypes or innate models of perception of reality at different levels of consciousness - national, animal, family, etc. When a person's consciousness becomes imbalanced with its archetypal content, neurosis occurs. To eliminate it, it is necessary to establish a connection between a person’s consciousness and his unconscious. And the task of analytical psychology is to bring to light the images of the unconscious part of the personality, acting in such a way that consciousness is not absorbed by the unconscious (otherwise psychosis occurs). Archetypes form groups of memories and connections around themselves, which in Jung’s works are called “complexes.”
Carl Jung's theory of complexes is one of the most important components of his teaching, which literally turned the world of psychiatry upside down. Today, even among people who are only familiar with psychology at an amateur level, there are probably no people who have not heard about complexes and who have not tried to overcome them in one way or another. However, Jung himself did not endow complexes with a negative component, which must certainly be gotten rid of. He called complexes the mental content of a person’s personality, charged with a certain emotional energy. These are some kind of signs of development. And the task of analytical psychology, Jung believed, is to help a person establish contact with complexes. “Giving the floor” to each complex means listening to the hidden meaning that is inside the personality and thus turning obstacles on the path of development into the next step leading to internal growth.
Jung's methods of analytical psychology
Jung's theories are still used in practice today. One of the main methods for their implementation is active imagination. The person being analyzed is asked to draw something, make a figure out of sand or clay, play a musical instrument, etc. Through creativity, the unconscious part of the personality is revealed, which the doctor, together with the patient, needs to correctly interpret.
Dream analysis is also a method of searching for the content of the unconscious part of the personality. However, Carl Jung's theory regarding dreams is not similar to the development of his teacher, Sigmund Freud, who “tied” images in dreams to symptoms of certain neurotic diseases. Jung presented dreams as the key to solving deep personal problems.
Carl Jung's personality theory
Jung believed that a person's personality consists of three components:
- Consciousness or Ego (I);
- Unconscious individual (It);
- The unconscious is collective, consisting of archetypes. Unlike the individual unconscious, it is identical for a whole group of people living, for example, in the same territory. Jung considered the collective unconscious to be the deepest layer of the human psyche.
Many ideas expressed by C. Jung in his works have already become part of world culture. In the study of mental processes, he relied on folklore, philosophy, history, cultural studies and esotericism. Therefore, the works of this master are of value today, including for related humanities disciplines.
It should be noted that Jung himself objected to the transformation of treatment into a purely technical or scientific procedure, arguing that practical medicine is and has always been an art; this also applies to analysis. Therefore, we cannot talk about the methods of analytical psychology in the strict sense. Jung insisted on the need to leave all theories at the threshold of the consulting room and work with each new client spontaneously, without any attitudes or plans. The only theory for the analyst is his sincere, sacrificial love coming from the heart - agape in the biblical sense - and active, effective compassion for people. And his only instrument is his entire personality, because any therapy is carried out not by methods, but by the entire personality of the therapist. Jung believed that the psychotherapist must decide in each case whether he wants to take a risky path, armed with advice and help. Although in an absolute sense the best theory is to have no theories, and the best method is to have no methods, this attitude should not be used defensively to justify one's own lack of professionalism.
Jungian analysis. Analysis has been and remains the main method of practice of analytical psychology. The initial methodological model for Jungian analysis was Z. Freud's psychoanalysis. However, in analytical psychology this method received a slightly different theoretical justification and practical expression, so we can talk about Jungian analysis as a completely different type of work.
It is obvious that most people who seek psychological help seek analysis primarily for relief from their suffering. They must understand that if they cannot cope with their problems through volitional conscious efforts, then there are deep unconscious factors that prevent this. Usually they also realize that if their problem has existed for several years and has a long history of formation, then it is not so easy to solve it in a few sessions and requires long, painstaking work with an experienced specialist. It can be assumed that a typical “analytical client” has a long-term relationship in mind from the very beginning. He has enough self-respect and independence not to rely on a miracle or magical power from the outside, but to believe that with the help of an analyst he will be able to gradually understand his problems and sooner or later change his life.
Very often, the clients of Jungian analysts are people who have had unsuccessful experiences in psychotherapy. Such people already know how to relate to themselves psychologically, speak psychological language and are capable of reflection. Many people are attracted to analysis by the opportunity to express themselves freely. The analysis begins as an ordinary human relationship and is more like a warm, friendly conversation. In essence, the client does not need to specially “adapt” to the analyst; to a large extent, he himself conducts the process. An analyst is not the person who will teach you how to live, save you, or cure you. First of all, this is a close friend with whom the client has a personal relationship, in whose participation, attention and kindness he is absolutely sure. At the same time, the terms of the agreement with the analyst allow the client in this relationship not to depend on him in a way that could cause any harm or cause inconvenience. In this way, analysis becomes an experience of non-traumatic and healing intimate relationships. It can be assumed that analytical therapy is sought by people who experience a lack of such relationships in their lives.
Analysis is conscious and voluntary involvement in symbolic play. Its task is to create a new intersubjective space - a kind of virtual reality - as a result of the mixing of subjectivities of the participants. It arises on the border between “I” and “you”, external and internal, and serves as an arena for experimentation in synthesizing consciousness and the unconscious, imaginary and real, and all imaginable polarities. Essentially, this space is a space for creative life. Analysis helps you live creatively not only in relation to a specific hobby, but also in relation to any of your experiences, especially in relation to human relationships.
Therefore, in analysis, the client delegates to the analyst those parts of his personality that are responsible for comparison, evaluation, control, organization. For example, a client may treat an analyst as a good specialist in psychology, perhaps as the very person who is the only one he needs, realizing at the same time that he is not God or a guru, but a simple person, just like everyone else, with its own shortcomings and problems. But he comes to his sessions as a specialist, and not as a random person from the street. Only then will the analysis work.
Thus, the success of the analysis is determined by the extent to which the patient knows how to be a patient. Only then will he allow the analyst to be an analyst. This is the most important condition of analysis. The analyst uses rules and sets boundaries to create the most favorable situation for treatment. But the last word still belongs to the client himself, to his goodwill and desire to cooperate. Therefore, it is obvious that analysis as a method of psychotherapy is not intended for everyone. A certain willingness on the part of the patient and preservation of the functions of his Ego are required. The task of analytical psychology is to reveal the creative potential of any experience, to help the client assimilate it in a useful way, to individuate it.
The introduction of rules for external elements of analysis regarding the reception environment, frequency of meetings, and payment is associated not only with rational reasons. The analytical reception room should become for the client the place where a meeting with the depths of his own soul and mental transformation will take place.
* Duration of sessions. Typically the length of sessions is between forty and sixty minutes. Therefore, a session is often called an hour. There are probably no special rational reasons for such a choice. Rather, this is a tribute to tradition, since modern people tend to measure everything in hours. The main criterion when choosing the duration of a session is that something real must happen. We must remember that any ritual must take a strictly defined time, that the time for the sacred and the time for the ordinary must always have clear boundaries.
*Couch or armchair? One of the important changes in analytical technique introduced by Jung concerned the abandonment of the traditional psychoanalytic couch. He preferred the face-to-face situation, thereby emphasizing the equality of the positions of the client and the analyst. When both participants in the process sit opposite each other, they are open to each other and see their partner’s reactions. This is a natural and, in a sense, more respectful situation, closer to real life. In a face-to-face situation, nonverbal signals are clearly visible, and the communication space becomes denser and multi-level.
Free association method. The general instruction at the beginning of the analysis is to suggest relaxing, entering a half-asleep state with free-floating attention and saying absolutely everything that comes to mind. In this case, the emphasis is on verbalizing all thoughts and feelings that arise, even if they seem insignificant, unpleasant or stupid, including those related to the analysis and the personality of the analyst. This is how the main method is ideally used - the method of free association.
The method is based on the idea that truly free associations of a person who has managed to abandon rational thinking are not at all random and are subject to a clear logic - the logic of affect. In Jungian practice, it is important to circle around the image, constantly returning to it and offering new associations until its psychological meaning becomes clear. The goal of this method is not to “bring the client to clean water,” but to organize free access to unconscious content. This approach requires the analyst to abandon his own monoideas, which can lead the process of association and, as a result, impoverish the image. There is a temptation to lead the client to the same associations that the analyst has.
Session frequency. Historically, analysis required as many regular meetings as possible. However, Jung deviated from this principle, deciding that at advanced stages, when the most difficult neurotic moments have already been worked out and the client is more focused directly on the tasks of individuation, the number of sessions can be reduced. This reduces the client's dependence on the therapist and gives him more independence. Jung and most of his early associates preferred one or two sessions per week. By making encounters more infrequent, we give them more symbolic weight. Holidays, rituals and ceremonies should not occur frequently. Significant events don't happen every day. Therefore, the issue of frequency of sessions goes beyond the dilemma: analysis or maintenance therapy. Rather, what is important is the place that analysis occupies in the client's emotional life. However, it is not easy for modern people to allocate a lot of time, and sometimes significant amounts of money, for their own psychological and spiritual development.
Interpretation. Any psychological analysis presupposes the ability to draw conclusions and interpret. It is always a verbal and conscious act aimed at bringing awareness to previously unconscious material. It can be assumed that the analyst needs to be very observant, have developed speech and sufficient intellectual abilities. However, interpretation is not a purely intellectual procedure. Even a brilliantly formulated and accurate interpretation, if expressed untimely and not accepted by the client, is completely useless. Therefore, Jungian analysts in general rarely resorted to interpretative methodology, emphasizing spontaneity and relying more on intuition.
Stages of analysis. Jung proposed a linear model of the psychotherapeutic process. He identified confession, recognition, or catharsis as the first stage. This procedure is more or less similar to known religious practices. Any mental movement begins with an attempt to get rid of the false and open to the true. He associated the second stage - clarification of the reasons - with Freudian psychoanalysis. At this stage, a person must free himself from “inadequate childhood claims,” “infantile self-indulgence,” and “retrogressive longing for paradise.” The third stage - training and education - is close to Adlerian therapy. It is aimed at better adaptation to everyday reality. Finally, Jung contrasted the fourth stage - mental transformation, the object of his main interest - with the three previous ones. However, it is obvious that it is absolutely impossible to imagine real therapy as a successive change of stages. Therefore, many analysts have proposed their own structural metaphors to better understand the dynamics of the analytic relationship.
Active imagination. The term “active imagination” was introduced by Jung to distinguish it from ordinary dreams and fantasies, which are examples of passive imagination, in which images are experienced by us without the participation of the ego and therefore are not remembered and do not change anything in a real life situation. Jung offered several specific reasons for introducing active imagination into therapy:
1) the unconscious is overflowing with fantasies, and there is a need to introduce some kind of order into them, to structure them;
2) there are a lot of dreams, and there is a danger of drowning in them;
3) too few dreams or they are not remembered;
4) a person feels an incomprehensible influence from the outside (something like the “evil eye” or fate);
5) a person “goes in cycles”, finds himself in the same situation over and over again;
6) adaptation to life is impaired, and imagination for him can become an auxiliary space for preparing for those difficulties that he cannot yet cope with.
Jung spoke of active imagination as an absorption carried out alone and requiring the concentration of all mental energy on the inner life. Therefore, he offered this method to patients as “homework.” Some Jungian analysts introduce elements of this technique into their work with children or groups. Their use in individual analysis is not so common. However, sometimes active imagination occurs as if by itself, when the patient spontaneously develops his fantasies. And if they carry an important semantic load for him and are not an expression of defenses or resistance, then there is every reason to support them and help him be in contact with the emerging unconscious material. But in any case, the analyst does not offer an initial image and does not direct the process at his own discretion. After all, active imagination is akin to artistic creativity, and true creativity is a very individual and valuable matter and cannot be carried out “to order” or under duress.
The most difficult thing in mastering this method is to get rid of critical thinking and prevent slipping into a rational selection of images. Only then can something come completely spontaneously from the unconscious. We must allow the images to live their own lives and develop according to their own logic. Regarding the second point, there is detailed advice from Jung himself:
1) contemplate and carefully observe how the picture changes, and do not rush;
2) do not try to interfere;
3) avoid jumping from topic to topic;
4) analyze your unconscious in this way, but also give the unconscious the opportunity to analyze itself and thereby create the unity of the conscious and unconscious.
As a rule, a dramatic development of the plot occurs. The images become brighter and we experience them almost like real life (of course, while maintaining control and awareness). A new experience of positive, enriching cooperation between the ego and the unconscious arises. Active imagery sessions can be sketched, recorded and, if desired, discussed later with the analyst. But you need to remember that this is done exclusively for yourself, and not for the analyst. This is not the same as having to expose a work of art to the public in order to gain recognition. Some images require to be kept secret as the most intimate. And if they are shared, it is rather as a sign of deep trust. Therefore, there is no particular need to interpret these images, unless the interpretation is a logical continuation and completion of the plot. And in no case should they be treated as psychodiagnostic projective techniques. For the client, the direct experience of cooperation with images is important, because images are the psyche, they are the true life of the soul.
Amplification. Amplification means to expand, increase or multiply. Sometimes conventional methods are not enough to clarify unconscious contents. Such cases occur, for example, when the images seem clearly strange or unusual and the patient can make very few personal associations to them. Images can be very meaningful, hinting at something that cannot be described in simple terms.
Often such images have a rich range of symbolic meanings; to see them, it is useful to turn to the material of myths, legends, fairy tales and historical parallels. Restoring this holistic picture of the connections that exist in the world of imagination, in a sense, leaves the image in the unconscious, without attaching it to a specific interpretation in terms of the client's current problems. Thanks to this, it remains a true symbol for us, allowing us to get in touch with the creative power of the unconscious.
Speaking of amplification, Jung argued that it is necessary to give such fantastic images, which appear before the eyes of the consciousness in such a strange and threatening form, some context so that they become more understandable. Experience has shown that the best way to do this is to use comparative mythological material. Once these parallels begin to be developed, they take up a lot of space, making presenting the case a time-consuming task. This is where rich comparative material is needed. Knowledge of the subjective content of consciousness gives very little, but it still communicates something about the real hidden life of the soul. In psychology, as in any science, fairly extensive knowledge of other subjects is a necessary material for research work (Jung, 1991). Amplification leads to where the personal comes into contact with the collective, and makes it possible to see the treasury of archetypal forms and feel the energies of the archetypal world. It blurs our rigid identification with the usual worldview, allowing us to feel like we are part of something larger and more essential. The amplification paradox is associated with roundabout ways of self-knowledge. Just as when we want to see ourselves entirely in the mirror, we do not approach it, but, on the contrary, move away, so this dissolution in myths and in something at first glance not directly related to us actually allows us to get closer to your real self. In the mental world, everything is organized according to the principle of analogies, and its knowledge requires metaphorical thinking. Therefore, amplification provides the experience of learning such thinking. Of course, in analysis the task is not to teach clients anything specifically.
And there is no point in overloading them with knowledge that they do not need at all in everyday life or is even dangerous due to the threat of mental inflation. The principle of analysis is closely related to the understanding of the prospective nature of unconscious processes. Strengthening them with the help of amplification contributes to the emergence of something new and valuable, the realization of the goal for which they are aimed. In fact, this is the experience of trusting the unconscious when we simply follow it, allowing it to do work useful for development. But one should not think that amplification involves the active intervention of the therapist, filling up the session time with his analogies. Jung himself, when working with interesting dreams, indeed often launched into long discussions. His encyclopedic knowledge and amazing intuition allowed him, starting from afar, slowly circling around the archetypal elements of a dream, to unexpectedly offer such an interpretation, which, according to eyewitnesses, gave rise to a feeling of a miracle, some kind of magical, magical event. Of course, Jung's unique talent gave him the right to work very spontaneously, not according to the rules of analysis as they are understood today. For example, he could give direct advice, send clients for a while to his students, shout at them when he considered it necessary to stir them up and bring them out of a state of stupor (he compared this technique with electric shock and with the techniques of Zen masters). However, in modern everyday practice, the task is not to invent and perform some kind of tricks for the client. Even such a basic Jungian method as amplification, most analysts prefer to use extremely carefully, taking into account the patient’s own interest in these parallels and monitoring feedback. Knowledge of mythological analogies is necessary, first of all, for the therapist himself, and it is enough if he amplify it to himself.
Dream Analysis. In the tradition of healing the soul, dreams have always been given great attention. A classic example is the temples of Asclepius, in which the sick could see healing dreams. Jung's psychotherapy is based on his belief in the healing capabilities of the psyche, so in dreams we can see hidden movements of the soul, following which we can help the client both in resolving his current problems and in individuation. When starting to work with dreams, Jung proposed to forget all our theories in order to avoid reductionism, not only Freudian, but any other. He believed that even if someone has extensive experience in a given field, he still needs - always and invariably - before each dream to admit to himself his complete ignorance and tune in to something completely unexpected, rejecting all preconceived opinions. Every dream, every image of it is an independent symbol that needs deep reflection. This is in contrast to Freud's approach. Jung believed that Freud uses dream symbols as signs of what is already known, that is, encrypted signs of desires repressed into the unconscious. (E. Samuels, noting that modern psychoanalysis has moved far from Freud's ideas about the deceptive nature of dreams, refers to Rycroft, who in his book “The Innocence of Dreams” argues that symbolization is a natural general ability of consciousness, and not a method of hiding unacceptable desires .) In the complex symbolism of a dream or a series of dreams, Jung proposed to see one’s own healing line of the psyche.
Jung identifies two types of compensation. The first is observed in individual dreams and compensates for the current one-sided attitudes of the Ego, directing it towards a comprehensive understanding. The second type can only be seen in a large dream series in which one-time compensations are organized into a purposeful process of individuation. To understand compensation, it is necessary to have an understanding of the dreamer's conscious attitude and the personal context of each dream image. To understand the process of individuation that underlies compensation, according to Jung, it is also necessary to have knowledge of mythology and folklore, knowledge of the psychology of primitive peoples and the comparative history of religions. This leads to two main methods: circular association and amplification, discussed in detail in the previous sections. Obviously, in the dream under discussion we cannot limit ourselves to associations only. The antiquity of the bones and the ocean outside the window addresses us to the two-million-year-old man of whom Jung spoke (Jung, 1980, p. 100): “We, together with the patient, turn to the two-million-year-old man who is in each of us. In modern analysis, much of our difficulty arises from a loss of contact with our instincts, with the ancient, unforgotten wisdom stored within us. And when do we establish contact with this old person in us? In our dreams." An example of a classic amplification of the image of a perfume in a bottle would be an appeal to the plot of a perfume in a bottle. According to the alchemical version of the story that Jung refers to, the spirit Mercury is contained in the vessel. Having driven the spirit back into the bottle with cunning, the hero negotiates with the spirit, and for his release he gives a magic scarf that turns everything into silver. Having turned his ax into silver, the young man sells it and uses the proceeds to complete his education, later becoming a famous doctor-pharmacist. In its untamed guise, Mercury appears as a spirit of bloodthirsty passion, poison. But put back into the bottle, in its enlightened form, ennobled by reflection, it is able to transform simple iron into a precious metal, it becomes a medicine.
Amplification allows the dreamer to change a purely personal and individualistic attitude towards dream images. It attaches special importance to the metaphorical rather than literal interpretation of the dream contents and prepares the dreamer for the act of choice.
Introduction.
Swiss psychologist K. Jung (1875-1961) graduated from the University of Zurich. After completing an internship with psychiatrist P. Janet, he opened his own psychological and psychiatric laboratory. At the same time, he became acquainted with Freud's first works, discovering his theory. The rapprochement with Freud had a decisive influence on Jung's scientific views. However, it soon became clear that, despite the similarity of their positions and aspirations, there were also significant differences between them, which they were never able to reconcile. The final break came in 1912, after Jung published Symbols of Transformation. The breakup was painful for both parties.
C. G. Jung - One of the most significant, most complex and most controversial theorists of psychology. Jung considered the task of analytical psychology to be the interpretation of archetypal images that arise in patients. Jung developed the doctrine of the collective unconscious, in the images (archetypes) of which he saw the source of universal human symbolism, including myths and dreams. Jung died in 1961, but for almost a century, and especially the last sixty years, his ideas have been of growing interest in the world, and the followers of his method - “Jungian psychologists” - continue to develop his methodology in relation to the analysis of phenomena of the human psyche.
Jungian psychology focuses on establishing and forming connections between conscious and unconscious processes. Dialogue between the conscious and unconscious aspects of the psyche enriches the personality, and Jung believed that without this dialogue the processes of the unconscious could weaken the personality and endanger it.
Jungian analysis of human nature includes studies of Eastern and Western religions, alchemy, parapsychology and mythology. Initially, Jung's influence on philosophers, folklorists and writers was more noticeable than on psychologists or psychiatrists. However, today, the growing interest in everything that relates to human consciousness and human capabilities has led to a revival of interest in Jung's ideas.
Analytical psychology by K. Jung.
Innovations: Jung, in particular, introduced the concept of “complex” into psychoanalysis, including the “Electra complex,” which meant a girl’s innate erotic attraction to her father and the associated rejection of her mother. Archetypes. Personal and collective conscious, unconscious.
Rejecting Freud's theory of sexuality, Jung proposed to understand libido as a person's mental energy, which determines the intensity of a person's mental processes and the psychoenergetic basis for the development of culture and civilization.
Being already a famous scientist, Jung came to the idea that the method of associations (in particular, word association tests) could be used to study the psyche of an individual. Jung developed the technique of “free association” and brought it to the level of a fundamental method of psychiatric research.
According to Jung's complex concept, the structure of the human psyche consists of four universal elements:
1. Personal consciousness
2. Collective consciousness
3. Personal unconscious
4. Collective unconscious (“the mind of our most ancient ancestors, the way they comprehended life and the world, gods and human beings”). A certain reflection in the soul of an individual of the historical experience of all previous generations. The collective unconscious includes the family, national, racial, and universal unconscious. It is transmitted from generation to generation through brain structures and plays a vital role in the life of society and the individual.
According to Jung, the collectively inherited aspects of unconscious perception are certain “archetypes”.
In general terms, “archetypes” form the most ancient and universal forms of thinking, manifesting themselves in consciousness in the form of a huge number of collective images and symbols (mother, father, child, etc.). These images and symbols represent uniquely coded, formalized patterns and programs of human behavior. Jung considered the main archetypes of the individual unconscious to be:
Ego. It is the central element of personal consciousness, as if collecting disparate data from personal experience into a single whole, forming from them a holistic and conscious perception of one’s own personality. At the same time, the Ego strives to resist everything that threatens the fragile coherence of our consciousness, tries to convince us of the need to ignore the unconscious part of the soul.
A person. That part of our personality that we show to the world, how we want to be in the eyes of other people. Persona has both positive and negative influence on our personality. A Dominant Person can suppress a person’s individuality, develop conformism in him, and the desire to merge with the role that the environment imposes on a person. At the same time, the Persona protects us from environmental pressure, from curious glances trying to penetrate our soul, and helps in communication, especially with strangers.
Shadow. The shadow is the center of the personal unconscious. Just as the Ego collects data about our external experience, so the Shadow focuses and systematizes those impressions that have been repressed from consciousness. The content of the Shadow are those aspirations that are denied by a person as incompatible with his Persona, with the norms of society. At the same time, the more the Person dominates the personality structure, the greater the content of the Shadow, since the individual needs to repress an increasing number of desires into the unconscious.
Anima (for a man) or Animus (for a woman) are those parts of the soul that reflect intersex relationships, ideas about the opposite sex. Their development is greatly influenced by their parents (mother for a boy and father for a girl). This archetype has a great influence on both human behavior and creativity, being a source of projections and new images in the human soul.
The Self is the central archetype of the whole personality, and not just its conscious or unconscious part; it is “an archetype of order and integrity of the individual.” Its main meaning is that it does not oppose different parts of the soul (conscious and unconscious) to each other, but connects them so that they complement each other. In the process of development, the personality acquires increasing integrity and, individualizing, becomes more and more free in its expression and self-knowledge.
“Archetypes,” according to Jung, constitute the material of dreams, myths, religions, art, and in indirect forms they manifest themselves in philosophy, sociology, politics and other types of human activity.
Jung noted that psychologically people are at the stage of childhood. They do not yet have the necessary experience in the development and biopsychic consolidation of culture. Believing that the basis of culture is the progress of symbol formation, Jung interpreted the development of culture and man as a painful process of suppressing the instinctive nature of people.
It should be noted that, in an effort to typologize the system of relationships between the individual and the environment, Jung proposed a classification of individuals based on their relationship to the social environment. As an initial feature, he adopted a certain direction of the spread of psychic energy (libido).
Jung identified two main opposing personality types:
1. Extroverted - alien to self-contemplation, introspection, directing mental energy into the external environment.
2. Introverted - turning psychic energy inward.
This typologization, like a number of other fragments of Jung’s psychosociology, stimulated the interest of scientists in the problems of the relationship between the individual and the social Environment and had a certain influence on the development of both sociology and social psychology.
Methods of analytical psychology K.G. Cabin boy.
It should be noted that Jung himself objected to the transformation of treatment into a purely technical or scientific procedure, arguing that practical medicine is and has always been an art; this also applies to analysis. Therefore, we cannot talk about the methods of analytical psychology in the strict sense. Jung insisted on the need to leave all theories at the threshold of the consulting room and work with each new client spontaneously, without any attitudes or plans. The only theory for the analyst is his sincere, sacrificial love coming from the heart - agape in the biblical sense - and active, effective compassion for people. And his only instrument is his entire personality, because any therapy is carried out not by methods, but by the entire personality of the therapist. Jung believed that the psychotherapist must decide in each case whether he wants to take a risky path, armed with advice and help. Although in an absolute sense the best theory is to have no theories, and the best method is to have no methods, this attitude should not be used defensively to justify one's own lack of professionalism.
Jungian analysis. Analysis has been and remains the main method of practice of analytical psychology. The initial methodological model for Jungian analysis was Z. Freud's psychoanalysis. However, in analytical psychology this method received a slightly different theoretical justification and practical expression, so we can talk about Jungian analysis as a completely different type of work.
It is obvious that most people who seek psychological help seek analysis primarily for relief from their suffering. They must understand that if they cannot cope with their problems through volitional conscious efforts, then there are deep unconscious factors that prevent this. Usually they also realize that if their problem has existed for several years and has a long history of formation, then it is not so easy to solve it in a few sessions and requires long, painstaking work with an experienced specialist. It can be assumed that a typical “analytical client” has a long-term relationship in mind from the very beginning. He has enough self-respect and independence not to rely on a miracle or magical power from the outside, but to believe that with the help of an analyst he will be able to gradually understand his problems and sooner or later change his life.
Very often, the clients of Jungian analysts are people who have had unsuccessful experiences in psychotherapy. Such people already know how to relate to themselves psychologically, speak psychological language and are capable of reflection. Many people are attracted to analysis by the opportunity to express themselves freely. The analysis begins as an ordinary human relationship and is more like a warm, friendly conversation. In essence, the client does not need to specially “adapt” to the analyst; to a large extent, he himself conducts the process. An analyst is not the person who will teach you how to live, save you, or cure you. First of all, this is a close friend with whom the client has a personal relationship, in whose participation, attention and kindness he is absolutely sure. At the same time, the terms of the agreement with the analyst allow the client in this relationship not to depend on him in a way that could cause any harm or cause inconvenience. In this way, analysis becomes an experience of non-traumatic and healing intimate relationships. It can be assumed that analytical therapy is sought by people who experience a lack of such relationships in their lives.
Analysis is conscious and voluntary involvement in symbolic play. Its task is to create a new intersubjective space - a kind of virtual reality - as a result of the mixing of subjectivities of the participants. It arises on the border between “I” and “you”, external and internal, and serves as an arena for experimentation in synthesizing consciousness and the unconscious, imaginary and real, and all imaginable polarities. Essentially, this space is a space for creative life. Analysis helps you live creatively not only in relation to a specific hobby, but also in relation to any of your experiences, especially in relation to human relationships.
Therefore, in analysis, the client delegates to the analyst those parts of his personality that are responsible for comparison, evaluation, control, organization. For example, a client may treat an analyst as a good specialist in psychology, perhaps as the very person who is the only one he needs, realizing at the same time that he is not God or a guru, but a simple person, just like everyone else, with its own shortcomings and problems. But he comes to his sessions as a specialist, and not as a random person from the street. Only then will the analysis work.
Thus, the success of the analysis is determined by the extent to which the patient knows how to be a patient. Only then will he allow the analyst to be an analyst. This is the most important condition of analysis. The analyst uses rules and sets boundaries to create the most favorable situation for treatment. But the last word still belongs to the client himself, to his goodwill and desire to cooperate. Therefore, it is obvious that analysis as a method of psychotherapy is not intended for everyone. A certain willingness on the part of the patient and preservation of the functions of his Ego are required. The task of analytical psychology is to reveal the creative potential of any experience, to help the client assimilate it in a useful way, to individuate it.
The introduction of rules for external elements of analysis regarding the reception environment, frequency of meetings, and payment is associated not only with rational reasons. The analytical reception room should become for the client the place where a meeting with the depths of his own soul and mental transformation will take place.
Duration of sessions. Typically the length of sessions is between forty and sixty minutes. Therefore, a session is often called an hour. There are probably no special rational reasons for such a choice. Rather, this is a tribute to tradition, since modern people tend to measure everything in hours. The main criterion when choosing the duration of a session is that something real must happen. We must remember that any ritual must take a strictly defined time, that the time for the sacred and the time for the ordinary must always have clear boundaries.
Couch or armchair? One of the important changes in analytical technique introduced by Jung concerned the abandonment of the traditional psychoanalytic couch. He preferred the face-to-face situation, thereby emphasizing the equality of the positions of the client and the analyst. When both participants in the process sit opposite each other, they are open to each other and see their partner’s reactions. This is a natural and, in a sense, more respectful situation, closer to real life. In a face-to-face situation, nonverbal signals are clearly visible, and the communication space becomes denser and multi-level.
Free association method. The general instruction at the beginning of the analysis is to suggest relaxing, entering a half-asleep state with free-floating attention and saying absolutely everything that comes to mind. In this case, the emphasis is on verbalizing all thoughts and feelings that arise, even if they seem insignificant, unpleasant or stupid, including those related to the analysis and the personality of the analyst. This is how the main method is ideally used - the method of free association.
The method is based on the idea that truly free associations of a person who has managed to abandon rational thinking are not at all random and are subject to a clear logic - the logic of affect. In Jungian practice, it is important to circle around the image, constantly returning to it and offering new associations until its psychological meaning becomes clear. The goal of this method is not to “bring the client to clean water,” but to organize free access to unconscious content. This approach requires the analyst to abandon his own monoideas, which can lead the process of association and, as a result, impoverish the image. There is a temptation to lead the client to the same associations that the analyst has.
Session frequency. Historically, analysis required as many regular meetings as possible. However, Jung deviated from this principle, deciding that at advanced stages, when the most difficult neurotic moments have already been worked out and the client is more focused directly on the tasks of individuation, the number of sessions can be reduced. This reduces the client's dependence on the therapist and gives him more independence. Jung and most of his early associates preferred one or two sessions per week. By making encounters more infrequent, we give them more symbolic weight. Holidays, rituals and ceremonies should not occur frequently. Significant events don't happen every day. Therefore, the issue of frequency of sessions goes beyond the dilemma: analysis or maintenance therapy. Rather, what is important is the place that analysis occupies in the client's emotional life. However, it is not easy for modern people to allocate a lot of time, and sometimes significant amounts of money, for their own psychological and spiritual development.
Interpretation. Any psychological analysis presupposes the ability to draw conclusions and interpret. It is always a verbal and conscious act aimed at bringing awareness to previously unconscious material. It can be assumed that the analyst needs to be very observant, have developed speech and sufficient intellectual abilities. However, interpretation is not a purely intellectual procedure. Even a brilliantly formulated and accurate interpretation, if expressed untimely and not accepted by the client, is completely useless. Therefore, Jungian analysts in general rarely resorted to interpretative methodology, emphasizing spontaneity and relying more on intuition.
Stages of analysis. Jung proposed a linear model of the psychotherapeutic process. He identified confession, recognition, or catharsis as the first stage. This procedure is more or less similar to known religious practices. Any mental movement begins with an attempt to get rid of the false and open to the true. He associated the second stage - clarification of the reasons - with Freudian psychoanalysis. At this stage, a person must free himself from “inadequate childhood claims,” “infantile self-indulgence,” and “retrogressive longing for paradise.” The third stage - training and education - is close to Adlerian therapy. It is aimed at better adaptation to everyday reality. Finally, Jung contrasted the fourth stage - mental transformation, the object of his main interest - with the three previous ones. However, it is obvious that it is absolutely impossible to imagine real therapy as a successive change of stages. Therefore, many analysts have proposed their own structural metaphors to better understand the dynamics of the analytic relationship.
Active imagination. The term “active imagination” was introduced by Jung to distinguish it from ordinary dreams and fantasies, which are examples of passive imagination, in which images are experienced by us without the participation of the ego and therefore are not remembered and do not change anything in a real life situation. Jung offered several specific reasons for introducing active imagination into therapy:
1) the unconscious is overflowing with fantasies, and there is a need to introduce some kind of order into them, to structure them;
2) there are a lot of dreams, and there is a danger of drowning in them;
3) too few dreams or they are not remembered;
4) a person feels an incomprehensible influence from the outside (something like the “evil eye” or fate);
5) a person “goes in cycles”, finds himself in the same situation over and over again;
6) adaptation to life is impaired, and imagination for him can become an auxiliary space for preparing for those difficulties that he cannot yet cope with.
Jung spoke of active imagination as an absorption carried out alone and requiring the concentration of all mental energy on the inner life. Therefore, he offered this method to patients as “homework.” Some Jungian analysts introduce elements of this technique into their work with children or groups. Their use in individual analysis is not so common. However, sometimes active imagination occurs as if by itself, when the patient spontaneously develops his fantasies. And if they carry an important semantic load for him and are not an expression of defenses or resistance, then there is every reason to support them and help him be in contact with the emerging unconscious material. But in any case, the analyst does not offer an initial image and does not direct the process at his own discretion. After all, active imagination is akin to artistic creativity, and true creativity is a very individual and valuable matter and cannot be carried out “to order” or under duress.
The most difficult thing in mastering this method is to get rid of critical thinking and prevent slipping into a rational selection of images. Only then can something come completely spontaneously from the unconscious. We must allow the images to live their own lives and develop according to their own logic. Regarding the second point, there is detailed advice from Jung himself:
1) contemplate and carefully observe how the picture changes, and do not rush;
2) do not try to interfere;
3) avoid jumping from topic to topic;
4) analyze your unconscious in this way, but also give the unconscious the opportunity to analyze itself and thereby create the unity of the conscious and unconscious.
As a rule, a dramatic development of the plot occurs. The images become brighter and we experience them almost like real life (of course, while maintaining control and awareness). A new experience of positive, enriching cooperation between the ego and the unconscious arises. Active imagery sessions can be sketched, recorded and, if desired, discussed later with the analyst. But you need to remember that this is done exclusively for yourself, and not for the analyst. This is not the same as having to expose a work of art to the public in order to gain recognition. Some images require to be kept secret as the most intimate. And if they are shared, it is rather as a sign of deep trust. Therefore, there is no particular need to interpret these images, unless the interpretation is a logical continuation and completion of the plot. And in no case should they be treated as psychodiagnostic projective techniques. The direct experience of collaboration with images is important for the client, because images are the psyche, they are the true life of the soul.
Amplification. Amplification means to expand, increase or multiply. Sometimes conventional methods are not enough to clarify unconscious contents. Such cases occur, for example, when the images seem clearly strange or unusual and the patient can make very few personal associations to them. Images can be very meaningful, hinting at something that cannot be described in simple terms.
Often such images have a rich range of symbolic meanings; to see them, it is useful to turn to the material of myths, legends, fairy tales and historical parallels. Restoring this holistic picture of the connections that exist in the world of imagination, in a sense, leaves the image in the unconscious, without attaching it to a specific interpretation in terms of the client's current problems. Thanks to this, it remains a true symbol for us, allowing us to get in touch with the creative power of the unconscious.
Speaking of amplification, Jung argued that it is necessary to give such fantastic images, which appear before the eyes of the consciousness in such a strange and threatening form, some context so that they become more understandable. Experience has shown that the best way to do this is to use comparative mythological material. Once these parallels begin to be developed, they take up a lot of space, making presenting the case a time-consuming task. This is where rich comparative material is needed. Knowledge of the subjective content of consciousness gives very little, but it still communicates something about the real hidden life of the soul. In psychology, as in any science, fairly extensive knowledge in other subjects is necessary material for research work. Amplification leads to where the personal comes into contact with the collective, and makes it possible to see the treasury of archetypal forms and feel the energies of the archetypal world. It blurs our rigid identification with the usual worldview, allowing us to feel like we are part of something larger and more essential. The amplification paradox is associated with roundabout ways of self-knowledge. Just as when we want to see ourselves entirely in the mirror, we do not approach it, but, on the contrary, move away, so this dissolution in myths and in something at first glance not directly related to us actually allows us to get closer to your real self. In the mental world, everything is organized according to the principle of analogies, and its knowledge requires metaphorical thinking. Therefore, amplification provides the experience of learning such thinking. Of course, in analysis the task is not to teach clients anything specifically.
And there is no point in overloading them with knowledge that they do not need at all in everyday life or is even dangerous due to the threat of mental inflation. The principle of analysis is closely related to the understanding of the prospective nature of unconscious processes. Strengthening them with the help of amplification contributes to the emergence of something new and valuable, the realization of the goal for which they are aimed. In fact, this is the experience of trusting the unconscious when we simply follow it, allowing it to do work useful for development. But one should not think that amplification involves the active intervention of the therapist, filling up the session time with his analogies. Jung himself, when working with interesting dreams, indeed often launched into long discussions. His encyclopedic knowledge and amazing intuition allowed him, starting from afar, slowly circling around the archetypal elements of a dream, to unexpectedly offer such an interpretation, which, according to eyewitnesses, gave rise to a feeling of a miracle, some kind of magical, magical event. Of course, Jung's unique talent gave him the right to work very spontaneously, not according to the rules of analysis as they are understood today. For example, he could give direct advice, send clients for a while to his students, shout at them when he considered it necessary to stir them up and bring them out of a state of stupor (he compared this technique with electric shock and with the techniques of Zen masters). However, in modern everyday practice, the task is not to invent and perform some kind of tricks for the client. Even such a basic Jungian method as amplification, most analysts prefer to use extremely carefully, taking into account the patient’s own interest in these parallels and monitoring feedback. Knowledge of mythological analogies is necessary, first of all, for the therapist himself, and it is enough if he amplify it to himself.
Dream analysis. In the tradition of healing the soul, dreams have always been given great attention. A classic example is the temples of Asclepius, in which the sick could see healing dreams. Jung's psychotherapy is based on his belief in the healing capabilities of the psyche, so in dreams we can see hidden movements of the soul, following which we can help the client both in resolving his current problems and in individuation. When starting to work with dreams, Jung proposed to forget all our theories in order to avoid reductionism, not only Freudian, but any other. He believed that even if someone has extensive experience in a given field, he still needs - always and invariably - before each dream to admit to himself his complete ignorance and tune in to something completely unexpected, rejecting all preconceived opinions. Every dream, every image of it is an independent symbol that needs deep reflection. This is in contrast to Freud's approach. Jung believed that Freud uses dream symbols as signs of what is already known, that is, encrypted signs of desires repressed into the unconscious. (E. Samuels, noting that modern psychoanalysis has moved far away from Freud's ideas about the deceptive nature of dreams, refers to Rycroft, who in his book The Innocence of Dreams argues that symbolization is a natural general faculty of consciousness, and not a method of hiding unacceptable desires. ) In the complex symbolism of a dream or a series of dreams, Jung offered to see one’s own healing line of the psyche.
Jung identifies two types of compensation. The first is observed in individual dreams and compensates for the current one-sided attitudes of the Ego, directing it towards a comprehensive understanding. The second type can only be seen in a large dream series in which one-time compensations are organized into a purposeful process of individuation. To understand compensation, it is necessary to have an understanding of the dreamer's conscious attitude and the personal context of each dream image. To understand the process of individuation that underlies compensation, according to Jung, it is also necessary to have knowledge of mythology and folklore, knowledge of the psychology of primitive peoples and the comparative history of religions. This leads to two main methods: circular association and amplification, discussed in detail in the previous sections. Obviously, in the dream under discussion we cannot limit ourselves to associations only. The antiquity of the bones and the ocean outside the window addresses us to the two-million-year-old man of whom Jung spoke: “We, together with the patient, turn to the two-million-year-old man who is in each of us. In modern analysis, much of our difficulty arises from a loss of contact with our instincts, with the ancient, unforgotten wisdom stored within us. And when do we establish contact with this old person in us? In our dreams." An example of a classic amplification of the image of a perfume in a bottle would be an appeal to the plot of a perfume in a bottle. According to the alchemical version of the story that Jung refers to, the spirit Mercury is contained in the vessel. Having driven the spirit back into the bottle with cunning, the hero negotiates with the spirit, and for his release he gives a magic scarf that turns everything into silver. Having turned his ax into silver, the young man sells it and uses the proceeds to complete his education, later becoming a famous doctor-pharmacist. In its untamed guise, Mercury appears as a spirit of bloodthirsty passion, poison. But put back into the bottle, in its enlightened form, ennobled by reflection, it is able to transform simple iron into a precious metal, it becomes a medicine.
Amplification allows the dreamer to change a purely personal and individualistic attitude towards dream images. It attaches special importance to the metaphorical rather than literal interpretation of the dream contents and prepares the dreamer for the act of choice.
Conclusion
Decades after Jung's death, his figure continues to influence the minds and hearts of countless people around the world who call themselves Jungian psychologists. Jung's genius is unique for the twentieth century, the scale of his personality is close to the titans of the Renaissance, and the influence of his ideas on all the humanities, on the very spirit of modern postmodern thinking, is undeniable. Jung's psychology is his personal psychology, the history of his searches, misconceptions and discoveries. Her spirit is deeply individual and alien to any attempt to turn her into a fetish or a role model. His multi-volume legacy contains a very large body of ideas that are not easy to understand and are not intended for any utilitarian use. Jung's texts invite the researcher to look into another reality, in which words such as essence, truth, meaning are clothed in the flesh of experiences.
Jung's works frustrate our rational and logical thinking, plunging it into the abyss of chaos, a tangle of infinitely complex constructions, into a universe of diverging meanings. They continuously feminize our consciousness, making it more flexible, complete, multifaceted, and help us go beyond ourselves. Their strength lies in the spirit of freedom, which allows one to get rid of dogma and literalist interpretation, to maintain a critical, balanced position, from which it is possible to deepen and at the same time relativize everything with which one comes into contact. This is swimming in the night darkness of the psyche, in the shadow of God, without a compass or rudder, relying on instinct, on the smell of reflected stars and echoes of genetic memory. Jungian psychology is the only psychology that, in essence, does not affirm anything, but only “questions”, maintaining an active interest in life, which does not guarantee any saving straws for those who agree to walk along the razor’s edge without fear and hope. Perhaps modesty and humility are our staff on this path, and ever-increasing doubt is the only vague guide. This path has no beginning and no end, but at every moment we feel that if we take the right step, then the whole universe rejoices for us and is liberated with us. Despite the abundance of followers, analytical psychology is not a sect, not a scientific academic school, or an abstract philosophy of life. Jung’s entire life, which he called “the history of self-realization of the unconscious” (not his personal self-realization), all his work on himself and spiritual quests were done for the sake of other people, for the sake of providing them with concrete help. There is no psychology outside the practice of psychotherapy and psychological assistance. All our knowledge, talents and abilities, all the best that humanity has accumulated over its long history, serve to really help another person. Our moral duty is to be able to synthesize all this in our practice, constantly improving and creatively modifying for each specific case and in accordance with the requirements of the time.
Jung did not make petrified dogmas out of his ideas and did not propose to follow them blindly. Above all, Jung gave us an example of courageous exploration of the depths of one's own soul and selfless service to others. He recognized that the psychology he created was essentially his own psychology, a description of his personal spiritual quest, and did not want it to be spread, much less turned into a fetish. However, he had a huge impact on so many people. His personality, undoubtedly a genius, is comparable only to the titans of the Renaissance. His ideas gave a powerful impetus not only to the development of psychology and psychotherapy, but also to almost all the humanities in the 20th century, and interest in them does not wane. It can be said that modern religious studies, ethnography, folklore and mythology studies would not exist without Jung. Some people from the mystical-occult environment even considered him a Western guru, attributed supernatural abilities to him and perceived his psychology as a kind of new Gospel.
In the years since his death, several educational institutes of analytical psychology have been created in different countries of the world, magazines have been founded, and a huge number of books have been written. The study of Jungian psychology has long been mandatory for anyone pursuing an education in psychology or psychotherapy. But the most important thing is that the third generation of his followers has grown up - Jungian analysts, who continue to successfully help people by integrating his ideas into practice and creatively developing them. They are united in the International Association of Analytical Psychology, as well as in numerous local clubs, societies and national associations. Congresses and conferences are held periodically. In addition, the mutually enriching influence of analytical psychology and other movements in psychoanalysis is noticeable, so there are many examples of the synthesis of Jungian ideas with the theories of such famous psychoanalysts as Melanie Klein, Winnicott, Kohut. So we can speak with complete confidence about the process of gradual blurring of boundaries between psychotherapeutic schools and about one single field of ideas in depth psychology. In some countries, Yungan analysis has received state recognition and is included in the health insurance system. There are even examples of involving Jungian psychologists in political consulting.
Bibliography
1. Materials from the site http://www.maap.ru/About_analysis/ Moscow Association of Analytical Psychology
2. K.G. Jung. Archetype and symbol. Moscow, 1996.
3. Greenson R. Technique and practice of psychoanalysis. Moscow, 2003.
4. K.G. Jung. Psychological theory of types. S-P., 1995.
5. Brown J. Freudian psychology and neo-Freudians. Moscow, 1997.
6. A.N.Romanin. Fundamentals of psychotherapy. Rostov-on-Don, 2004
Analytical psychology is a direction of psychodynamic psychotherapy developed by K.G. Jung.
Carl Jung developed a complex and interesting theory of psychology that covers an unusually wide range of human thoughts and behavior. Jung's analysis of human nature includes studies of Eastern religions, alchemy, parapsychology and mythology. One of Jung's central concepts is individuation; he calls this the process of human development, including the establishment of connections between the Ego - the center of consciousness, and the self - the center of the soul as a whole, encompassing the conscious and unconscious.
The concept of introversion and extroversion. Jung believed that each individual, the circle of his interests, can be turned to his inner self or, conversely, to the outside world. He called the first type of people introverts, the second - extroverts. No one is a pure extrovert or introvert. However, each individual is more inclined to one orientation and acts predominantly within its framework. At times introversion is more appropriate, at times it is the opposite. It is impossible to hold both orientations at the same time.
Introverts are primarily interested in their own thoughts and feelings. The danger for them is not to lose touch with the outside world by plunging too deeply into their inner world.
Extroverts are busy with the external world of people and things; they strive to be more social and more aware of what is happening around them. The danger for them lies in the loss of the ability to analyze their internal mental processes.
Mental functions. Jung identifies four main mental functions: thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. Each function can be performed in an extroverted or introverted manner.
Thinking preoccupied with truth, his judgments are based on impersonal, logical and objective criteria. Thinking types are great planners, but often get caught up in their plans, even when those plans conflict with a particular situation.
Feeling- making decisions in accordance with value judgments, for example bad-good, right-wrong. Feeling types are focused on the emotional aspects of experience. They prefer strong intense emotions to neutral experiences.
Jung calls sensation and intuition methods of obtaining information, as opposed to methods of making decisions.
The sensation is based on direct experience, the perception of details, specific facts - on everything that can be touched, seen, heard, etc. Sensing types tend to react to the immediate situation and cope effectively with all kinds of difficulties and surprises.
Intuition- a way of processing information in terms of past experiences, future goals and unconscious processes. An intuitive person processes information very quickly, trusts his own experience, and his actions often seem inconsistent.
The combination of the four functions in the individual constitutes a holistic and balanced approach to the world. Jung writes: “To find our way, we must have a function that confirms that something is there (sensing); a second function that determines what it is (thinking); a third that decides whether it is appropriate or not, whether we want to accept it (feeling); the fourth indicates where it came from and where it leads (intuition).”
In humans, these functions are developed unevenly, one necessarily dominates, the other, relatively developed, is additional. The remaining two functions are unconscious and operate with much less efficiency.
Collective unconscious. Jung writes that we are born not only with a biological, but also with a psychological inheritance. In addition to the personal unconscious, there is also a collective unconscious, which contains the experience of the development of all humanity and is passed on from generation to generation.
Archetypes. The basis of the collective unconscious is archetypes. These are forms without their own content that organize and direct psychological material. They can be compared to a dry river bed, the shape of which will determine the characteristics of the river when water flows through it.
Archetypes manifest themselves in the form of symbols: in the images of heroes, myths, folklore, rituals, traditions, etc. There are many archetypes, since this is the generalized experience of our ancestors. The main ones are: the I archetype, the mother archetype, the father archetype.
The mother archetype determines not only the real image of the mother, but also the collective image of a woman, real or mythical (Mother, Virgin Mary, Baba Yaga, etc.). The archetype of the father determines the general attitude towards men (Father, Ilya Muromets, God, Law, Despot, etc.).
Each of the basic personality structures is also an archetype; among them we can name Ego, persona, shadow, Anima (for men), Animus (for women), self.
Symbols. According to Jung, the unconscious expresses itself primarily in symbols. Although no specific symbol can represent an archetype, the more closely a symbol corresponds to the unconscious material organized around the archetype, the more it evokes a strong response. Symbolic terms and images often represent concepts that we cannot clearly define or fully understand. The symbol represents the mental situation of the individual.
Dreams. Dreams are an important connecting link between conscious and unconscious processes. According to Jung, “the main function of dreams is to try to restore our psychic balance by creating dream material, which thus re-establishes the general psychic balance.”
Since a dream contains symbols that have more than one meaning, there cannot be a simple mechanical system for interpreting dreams. Any analysis of a dream must take into account the position, experience and environment of the dreamer. The analyst's interpretations can only be tentative until they are accepted by the analysand and feel meaningful to him. More important is the fact of not just understanding the dream, but the act of experiencing the material itself and taking it seriously.
Personality structure. Jung identifies the following elements of personality structure: Ego, persona, shadow, Anima (for men), Animus (for women), self.
Ego- the center of consciousness and one of the main archetypes of personality. The ego creates a sense of consistency and direction in our conscious lives. It, being on the verge of the unconscious, is responsible for the connection between the conscious and unconscious. When the harmony of this connection is disturbed, neurosis occurs.
A person(personality) is how we present ourselves to the world. This is the character we assume; Through persona we relate to others. It includes our social roles, the kind of clothing we choose to wear, our individual style of expression.
There are positive and negative qualities of a person. In the first case, it emphasizes individuality, promotes communication, and serves as protection from harmful environmental influences. Alternatively, if the social role is given too much importance, the persona may stifle individuality.
Shadow- the center of the personal, unconscious, which includes tendencies, desires, memories and experiences that are denied by the individual as incompatible with his person or contrary to social standards and ideals. The shadow is most dangerous if it is not acknowledged. Then the individual projects all the undesirable qualities onto others or finds himself in the power of the shadow without realizing it. The more the shadow material is realized, the less it can dominate.
The shadow is not only a reverse reflection of the Ego, but also a repository of vital energy, instincts, and a source of creativity. The shadow is rooted in the collective unconscious and can provide the individual with access to significant unconscious material that is rejected by the ego and persona.
Anima and Animus- according to Jung, these are ideas about oneself as a man and a woman, repressed into the unconscious as undesirable for a given individual. Thus, because a woman defines herself feministically, her animus embraces all the disparate tendencies and experiences that she considers masculinist. According to Jung, every man, deep down in his soul, in his unconscious, is a woman. “Since this image is unconscious, it is always unconsciously projected onto the beloved woman, it is one of the main reasons for attraction and repulsion.”
Anima and Animus are the most ancient archetypes. They are oriented with their tip to the deep unconscious and have a great influence on the behavior of the individual.
Self. Jung called the self the central archetype, the archetype of order and integrity of the personality. According to Jung, “consciousness and the unconscious are not necessarily opposed to each other, they complement each other to the point of wholeness, which is the self.” The Self is an internal guiding factor, completely different from, even separate from, the Ego and consciousness.
Individualization and analytical psychotherapy. Jung called individuation a person’s ability to self-knowledge and self-development, the merging of his conscious and unconscious. “Individuation,” says Jung, “means becoming a single, homogeneous being, and since “individuality” is our most internal, permanent, incomparable uniqueness, then individuation also implies becoming oneself.”
The first stage of individuation is the analysis of the person. Although the persona has important protective functions, it is also a mask that hides the self and the unconscious.
The second stage is awareness of the shadow. If we acknowledge its reality, we can free ourselves from its influence.
The third stage is a meeting with Anima or Animus. This archetype should be treated as a real person, a being with whom you can communicate and learn from. Jung "questioned" his Anima about the interpretation of dreams, as the analysand consults the analyser.
The last stage of the individuation process is the development of the self. The Self becomes the new center of the soul. It brings unity and integrates conscious and unconscious material. This continues to be the center of consciousness, but no longer seems to be the core of the entire personality. Jung writes that “a person must be himself, must find his own individuality, that center of personality that is equally distant from consciousness and the unconscious; we must strive for this ideal center to which nature directs us.”
All of these stages intersect, and a person constantly returns to old problems. Individuation can be thought of as a spiral in which the individual continues to face the same fundamental issues, each time in a more subtle form.
The main task of the psychotherapist, Jung believes, is to establish contacts between the conscious individual and his personal and collective unconscious. Jung believed that psychotherapy is primarily the interaction of the analyst's unconscious with the patient's unconscious.
Jung divided the entire treatment process into two stages: recognition and interpretation. Treatment begins with the collection of material. Already in the process of recognition, partial awareness of one’s unconscious occurs. The next stage is the interpretation of the collected material. Jung attached particular importance to dreams and symbols, and also used other forms of expression of the unconscious: drawings, dances, sculpture.
Carl Jung created his own direction in psychology and psychotherapy. Analytical psychotherapy is aimed mainly at balancing the conscious and unconscious, at optimizing the dynamic interaction between them.
