CG Jung’s psychology is an expression of his inner development. Personal experiences, dreams, memories, and reflections serve as the basis for his scientific investigation of the human mind and the ways it works.
Jung gives the psyche a more complex meaning than the soul and uses it to describe all psychic processes that can be divided into conscious and unconscious. The human ego is operating on these two levels and consciousness makes up only a small part of the psyche. The unconscious dominates this model including all the elements of which we are not aware and those that were repressed, forgotten or sublimated. The ego, being a subject of consciousness, focuses on adaptation to the world.
The individual unconscious is called by Jung personal as opposed to the collective unconscious which is the function of the inherited brain structure. The unconscious is the primary factor on which the conscious is built. Jung understands consciousness as a dynamic force, synthesis of functions: thought, intuition, feeling and sensation. All of those functions remain the same regardless of the circumstances. Thought and feeling are classified as rational because of their judging and evaluating qualities. Since intuition and sensation operate on perceptions that are neither evaluated nor judged, they are classified as irrational.
All these functions are present in the individual and one becomes dominant over time. The type of dominant function is directly related to the type of personality attributes for a specific type of behavior and habits. The higher function tends to be in the conscious while its opposite called by Jung lower part is placed in the unconscious. The remaining two parts belong partly to the conscious and partly to the unconscious. In the case of a neurotic person, the correlation between attributes is distorted and changed by compulsion or training.
In total, four functions symbolize the whole and, in theory, all of them can be raised to the conscious level to constitute a complete individual. Since no one can fully grasp his unconscious, an individual can only progress toward this ideal without ever achieving it. The main objective of the analysis is to make this process as sufficient as possible so that the person can intellectually apprehend the unconscious content and discover its potentiality with the help of intuition.
Whatever the type of function based on the unconscious level, its main characteristic is unreliability. It represents the archaic and basic element of the psychological structure. The whole personality is not only expressed through a mixture of functions in which one dominates the rest, but also through the general attitude.
There are two main attitudes: extraversion and introversion that energize the entire psychic and determine the subject’s response to inner and outer reality. The extravertical personality is positively motivated by the external environment. This type is also characterized by conforming, influenced by collective norms, oriented towards the external world and motivated by the object. The introvert is described as ill-adjusted, motivated by an internal psychic process, and oriented toward a subject.
Although the type of attitude is determined by biology, it can be modified or changed by reconstructing the psyche. This can be achieved by activating a biological factor or by analysis.
When energy flow obstruction occurs, we are dealing with a symptom. The symptoms are expressed on a conscious level and indicate a certain inappropriateness in attitude. Other visible phenomena at the same level are complex. Complexes are psychic elements that separate from the conscious form and continue their existence beyond the control of the individual. The complex can be a very powerful factor, its intensity exceeds conscious intentions, but also the dynamic element that motivates a change.
When it comes to the collective unconscious, Jung introduces the idea of archetypes. Archetypes (mythological elements, visions and symbols) are the product of human history and influence the lives of individuals. The archetype can be expressed in the form of a primordial image (static form) or as a differentiation of function of consciousness (dynamic process). Archetypes are symbols of instinctual reaction to the outside world and, as such, they are psychologically necessary. They can be described as an inherited pattern of psychic behavior. There is more than a biological factor: the archetype can be the fundamental experience of the numinous.
Psychic energy is called by Jung libido. This term expresses dynamics and intensity of psychic processes such as: drives, desires and will. In general, psychic processes are expressed in accordance with the law of opposition that ensures balance, harmony and the totality of the psyche. One process is replaced by another, it flows into another: the low level of energy conservation is maintained throughout life. Psychic energy (libido) can cause neuroses and complexes. Energy also has a direction and can go forward and backward. Progressive movement expresses itself by adjusting properly to the world, while regressive movement is the result of lack of adaptation. Those two forms of movement are not only opposition, but also positive values necessary for healthy development. Energy can also be directed inward (introversion) or outward (extraversion) and may differ in intensity. Energy can be manifested in the form of an image with the use of imagination, which is a way of introducing order into the unconscious (dreams, fantasies and visions).
According to Jung, psychotherapy is not only a form of healing, it can also be a salvation and ultimately leads to the realization of the personality. This process can be fully experienced only on a personal level as a spiritual guide. Everyone strives for a goal (purpose) and has a sense of purpose that guides them into the future. The struggle for a purpose is expressed through confrontation with the environment and with others. This process is dialectical: every confrontation leads to an interaction that culminates in synthesis. Synthesis can be expressed in a dialogue between two minds (for example, during analysis) is a new value that transcends both confrontation and interaction.
The therapy is based on methods such as association, symptom analysis, anamnestic analysis, and analysis of the unconscious. The important part of this process is the analysis of dreams, fantasies and visions. Then the accent is placed on the interpretations of dreams, differentiating between types of dreams and their roots. Sleep can be a form of compensation and a key to childhood. There is always an individual and collective meaning of dreams, different interpretations of dreams and their projections.
The symbol (for example, mandala – universal religious symbol that reveals a common psychic structure) is significant in the interpretation of dreams. The symbol as a representation and transformer of energy can have two meanings: expressive (expressed in an image form) and impressive (to impress by influencing psychic processes). Symbols can express personal experiences but also archetypal contents of the psyche. It is a product of everything psychic and cannot be explained only rationally: intuition is necessary in a process of understanding and interpretation.
Analysis helps to achieve the integrity of the personality: integrity is never final, but always relative. It is a product of self-actualization, self-actualization, or individualization. Although individuation is a natural process of psychic development, it can help analysis. The individuation process requires experiencing a shadow. The shadow contains all the repressed elements or those that cannot be used and can be manifested as a symbolic figure.
Equally important in the individuation process is the “image of the soul” or anima (animus in women). It symbolizes the image of the opposite sex. The person may experience the internal form of anima (animus) in dreams and fantasies or by projecting the unconscious psyche onto another person (external form). The individual progresses by perceiving and accepting his contrasexual element. That ensures independence and helps manage emotions. Once the image of the soul is captured, it can be raised to a conscious level by perfecting the whole personality.
The union between conscious and unconscious is expressed through the image of the common self to both psychic elements. The self as an expression of individuality is an objective, the goal to be achieved and the realization of the self is both a way of life and an ethical challenge. Therefore, a great responsibility falls on each individual: the development of the person contributes to the development of the whole culture.