Saturday, October 18, 2014

Carl Jung Symbols Are Still Applicable To Many Situations

By Dominique Martin


Some dream symbols are universal and apply to men as well as women. In Jungian theory, this is called the collective unconscious. Carl Jung is the famous psychoanalyst and author responsible for creating his theories of Jung symbols.

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.

Each person has a Persona which serves to represent you as the world perceives you. In a dream you are represented symbolically. When you wake, if you recall the dream, you automatically know that the famous singer or beggar at the airport is representing you.

The next archetype is The Shadow and he symbolizes your worst traits. These are the ones you try to hide from the world. In dreams, this Shadow appears in the role of some kind of monster. Seeing him in a dream makes you very angry.

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.

Dr. Jung passed away in 1961. Therefore his concepts of the male role and the female role were of that era. Now we always encounter aggressive females and men who are not ashamed to cry. The gender role has become less delineated.

The fourth symbol is The Divine Child. In your dreams this purest part of yourself appears as a baby or child. It embodies your innocence. It also represents the aspirations you hold and the full potential you can hope to reach.

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 appearing in your dreams may be your own mother or other caretaker. As a nurturing entity she will be reassuring. Jung believed that the mother grows jealous of a child who grows distant as he grows older. This may give off negativity expressed in the dream as dominance or death.

The Trickster is the seventh archetype. His name describes exactly what he does. His appearance might signify an error made foolishly during the day. He would embody your extreme embarrassment. This Trickster is a troubling influence and may leave you feeling vulnerable and weak.

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.

His writings can be found translated from German to English and other languages. He did some writing in English. His literary output was prolific.




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