The Life of Jung

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2. + 2 The Life of Jung • Carl Gustav Jung was born on July 26th 1875 in Kesswil, a small Swiss village. Jung was the fourth and only surviving child. Jung was pushed to the ground at age twelve and lost consciousness, anytime Carl was suppose to go to school or do homework he fainted. After hearing his father’s concern for Carl’s future he began a renewed focus for academics. Jung never fainted again but recalls this as his first experiences with neurosis. Jung later began to study medicine but showed interest in spirituality, leading him to psychiatry. Jung graduated from the University of Basel with a medical degree in 1902. Carl Jung died in his home on June 6th, 1961 due to a brief illness.

3. + 3 Freud and Jung • Jung completed his book Studies in Word Association in 1902 and sent a copy to Sigmund Freud, this initiated the relationship between the two. The men's first personal encounter was in 1907, in which it’s reported they spent more than 12 hours talking. Freud accepted and viewed Jung as his protégé as Jung had the desire to further understand art, myth, dreams and philosophy. As Jung began formulating his own diverging ideas their relationship slowly dissolved. Jung began to reject Freud’s emphasis on sex as behaviour motivation. During this period Jung became intensely fixated on dreams and symbols, this period served as a basis for his own psychological theories.

4. + 4 Outline of Works • Jung’s theory centered around the unconscious converged the psyche into three separate parts. The first being the ego, this is associated with the conscious mind. The second being the personal unconscious, this includes anything that has the possibility to be conscious yet presently isn’t. Memories are an example of the personal unconscious, thus being that they are supressed but have the potential to be conscious. The last sector being the collective unconscious, this being the knowledge we are all born with effecting our behaviours and emotions indirectly. Extraversion\Introversion were both aspects first popularized by Jung. As oppose to many current perspectives Jung believed that all people contain both aspects. Jung defined an introvert to be focus inner psychic activity and an extrovert to be the outside world. Analytical psychology is another originating from the ideas of Carl Jung. The aim of this is “wholeness through the integration of unconscious forces and motivations underlying human behaviour. This is a theory using the model that the unconscious mind is a source of healing and development.

5. + 5 Key Concept • Most of Jung’s psychological career was devoted towards the unconscious. Carl began to formulate a theory that would end as being very similar to Freud’s although the works were accomplished concurrently. Jung brought the idea of psychological archetypes fitting to the collective unconscious. This is where Jung’s work differed, as most Freud’s accusations with the unconscious involved sexuality to an excessive extent. He introduced many archetypes he believed were being exhibited through our unconscious mind. The most famous being The Shadow, Anima and Animus. Jung and Freud celebrating Jung’s birthday at his home in Zurich, 1906.

6. + 6 Key Concept • The Anima and Animus were often thought of as a duo. The Anima being deemed as the unconscious feminine component in men and the Animus the masculine component of women. Jung believed that these acted as a guide to the unconscious self. Jung stressed that forming conscious awareness would be most rewarding but gruelingly difficult. Jung stated that often when ignoring this aspect of the unconscious it will project itself on others. Which he believed explained our attraction to strangers, we see our Anima or Animus in them. This is how Jung viewed “love at first sight” as being a projection of the Anima or Animus. Jung stated that a person who keeps to their gender role has never contacted their Anima or Animus. An example given by Jung was that a man that never cries and shows aggression has not yet connected with his Anima. Jung attributes male human nature to be rational, while female human nature to be irrational. This led Jung to the idea that irrationality would be shown through the Anima and the Animus would show rational behavior.

7. + 7 Key Concept • The Shadow was deemed as the repressed and suppressed parts of the conscious being. The Shadow then became separated in two different shadows the destructive and constructive. The destructive being the aspects of the unconscious that we do not want to acknowledge. On the constructive side the positive influences that may be hidden. Jung recognized The Shadow as being a vision of a dark figure fitting to the gender of the dreamer. Throughout his works Jung made aware the importance of attempting to be aware of the shadow in conscious life.

8. + 8 Contributions to Social Sciences • As many considered Freud’s work to be vulgar and wrong due to sexuality Jung’s adaptation of the unconscious became increasingly popular. Providing understanding of the human mind and the unconscious. Jung’s analysis of a patient led to the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Jungian archetypes and Jung’s study of the unconscious furthered humanity’s understanding of dream analysis. Jung’s popularization of introversion and extraversion have been used for the development of personality psychology as well as influencing psychotherapy.

9. + 9 Reflection and Importance • Analytical psychology is extremely present in modern day society, it employs many and helps many overcome issues. Unconscious analysis provides one of few true “windows” into the psyche. It allows for subconscious behaviours to be examined giving leeway to trauma, issues and events.

10. + 10 Video • Carl Jung – Death is not the end clip.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Ab3tlpvYA&feature=related