Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
19 November 2010
The Collective Unconscious
Psychiatrist Carl Jung said there is a part
of the human mind that is shared by all people
Psychiatrist Carl Jung said there is a part
of the human mind that is shared by all people
Carl Jung (right) was a colleague of Sigmund Freud, often referred to as the father of modern psychoanalysis. Like Freud, Dr. Jung said the human mind was divided between the conscious and the unconscious.The conscious mind is made up from memories, thoughts, perceptions, and feelings. The unconscious mind holds forgotten memories and unpleasant experiences that the conscious mind suppresses.
Shared Experiences
Jung went a step further by dividing the unconscious mind into the personal and the collective. The personal unconscious being emotionally painful experiences that are buried and kept hidden by the conscious mind.
The collective unconscious, said Jung, is the vault in which we store all the religious, spiritual, and mythological symbols and experiences that are common to all humans. We are not aware that they exist but still they influence our beliefs and thinking processes in general.
He says that this collective unconscious is “inherited,” and that it has “existed since remotest times.” All humans, except those with birth abnormalities, inherit arms, eyes, hair, and such, so why not a common ancestral memory?
The collective unconscious can be seen as somewhat similar to instinct in animals. For example, baby chicks know the shapes of the shadows of predatory birds as they fly overhead, and start to panic without realizing why.
Carl Jung found that there are common elements in myths, fairy tales, and religious literature. These exist in different cultures, in different parts of the world, and in different eras. His explanation for these recurring themes is that all people share an inherited collective unconscious.
Also, he warned that modern humans rely too heavily on science and logic for explanations. He felt we would be healthier mentally if we found ways of weaving spirituality and an appreciation of the unconscious realm into our daily lives.
Image credit
Extranoise
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NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE
People who come close to dying and are then revived often report a similar experience. They feel peaceful and seem drawn to a bright light at the end of a tunnel.
They usually report seeing loved ones and see a replay of their lives’ events. Some
say these near-
Others believe they are part of our collective unconscious. Scientists say near-