The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

“That people should succumb to these eternal images is entirely normal, in fact it is what these images are for. They are meant to attract, to convince, to fascinate, and to overpower. They are created out of the primal stuff of revelation and reflect the ever-unique experience of divinity.”

In his opening chapter, Jung outlines his theory of the collective unconscious and its “eternal,” archetypal images, which he says are meant to “attract, to convince, to fascinate, and to overpower.” This emphasizes that they are active forces and that every individual is subject to their power, corroborating the theme of The Pervasive Nature of the Collective Unconscious. While archetypes are universal to all people, Jung also suggests that individuals develop personal connections to them.

“Our intellect has achieved the most tremendous things, but in the meantime our spiritual dwelling has fallen into disrepair.”

Jung warns against viewing empirical science as an antithesis to spiritual exploration. He suggests that the pervasiveness of archetypes across mythologies is concrete evidence of the existence of a collective unconscious, making it worthy of scientific examination. His focus on wholeness and integration extends to his understanding of spiritual and scientific realms. He seeks to unite the two to gain a more comprehensive understanding of human experience.

“The meeting with oneself is, at first, the meeting with one’s own shadow.”

The process of individuation and Confronting the Self requires embracing the Shadow, or the parts of the self that are hidden from conscious awareness. Jung believes that true psychological transformation and healing begins by bringing the hidden parts of the