jung

Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. His work diverged from Sigmund Freud’s theories in emphasizing the structure of the psyche, the role of symbols, and the importance of the collective unconscious.

The collective unconscious is a key Jungian concept, describing a layer of the unconscious shared by all humans and containing archetypes—innate patterns such as the Self, the Persona, the Shadow, and the Anima/Animus. These archetypes shape dreams, myths, and cultural symbols. Jung also proposed psychological functions (thinking, feeling, sensation, intuition) and two attitudes, introversion and extraversion, which influence how people perceive and interact with the world. He believed successful psychological development, or individuation, involves integrating unconscious contents with conscious awareness to achieve a more complete self.

Dream analysis, active imagination, and the study of myths and religion were central to Jungian practice. He introduced the idea of synchronicity, the meaningful coincidence of events that are not causally related, as a principle linking inner psychological states with external events.

Life and influence: Jung studied medicine and psychiatry in Basel, collaborated with Freud in the early years, but parted professionally in 1913 due to theoretical differences. He authored numerous works, including The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious and Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Jung’s ideas have profoundly influenced psychotherapy, depth psychology, psychiatry, literature, religious studies, and popular culture. Critics note the theory’s emphasis on symbolism and its limited empirical testing.