Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung was interested in philosophy, sociology and even astrology. He was the first to propose the concepts of extroverted and introverted personalities. He also developed the theory of the collective unconscious, introducing archetypes and symbols as universal keys for unlocking the mysteries of human personality. The most important archetypes Jung introduced are explained here.
Four major ones are The Shadow, The Self, The Anima or Animus and The Persona. Jung says that there are numerous other archetypes, and many of them overlap and can be easily linked to the main ones. There are, for example, animal archetypes such as the faithful dog, and this one represents unquestionable loyalty.
The Self unifies human and divine, consciousness and unconsciousness. It exists in your moment of birth, and it is the real, unspoiled harmony. After that, people start to split. They are the whole in this perfect moment, and then they begin to split into parts.
The Shadow represents deeper elements of the psyche, the ones people usually are aware of at some point, but rarely want to admit, even to themselves. It embodies dark, mysterious, wild and chaotic. You can also describe them as dark elements of someone's nature. These elements may appear in dreams, in hallucinations or in some specific life situations, when they can even take over.
The Animus and The Anima represent masculine and feminine or the soul, the true self. It is the way to be in contact with collective unconscious. All people have both feminine and masculine sides. They also have feminine and masculine figures in their lives, that determine them as persons. Jung says women are more complex when it comes to that.
The Syzygy represents the divine couple, or the perfect combination and unity between the Anima and The Animus. These elements should be perfectly balanced. The perfect combination stands for complete wholeness. This can be related to a search for a soul-mate. The word is also used to denote the alignment of planets.
The Persona represents the way people want to be seen by other people. Derived from a Latin word that means mask, this archetype acts as a shield from negative influences. Your mask is usually there to protect you. This is actually the way you want other people to see you in different situations, and that's why people wear different masks in different situations.
There are also very popular family archetypes, and it is quite easy to guess their meanings. Father, for example, is authoritative figure, and represents control and power. On the other side is Mother, standing for soothing and comforting elements. Another Family archetype, the Child, represents all sorts of beginnings, birth and innocence.
You will find numerous story archetypes used in literature, for example. The Wise Old Man is there to offer his wisdom. Life experience and knowledge. The Maiden is in trouble, fragile, innocent and pure, while The Hero comes to rescue, brave and strong. The Earth Mother is really the nature, and this particular archetype is also recognizable.
Four major ones are The Shadow, The Self, The Anima or Animus and The Persona. Jung says that there are numerous other archetypes, and many of them overlap and can be easily linked to the main ones. There are, for example, animal archetypes such as the faithful dog, and this one represents unquestionable loyalty.
The Self unifies human and divine, consciousness and unconsciousness. It exists in your moment of birth, and it is the real, unspoiled harmony. After that, people start to split. They are the whole in this perfect moment, and then they begin to split into parts.
The Shadow represents deeper elements of the psyche, the ones people usually are aware of at some point, but rarely want to admit, even to themselves. It embodies dark, mysterious, wild and chaotic. You can also describe them as dark elements of someone's nature. These elements may appear in dreams, in hallucinations or in some specific life situations, when they can even take over.
The Animus and The Anima represent masculine and feminine or the soul, the true self. It is the way to be in contact with collective unconscious. All people have both feminine and masculine sides. They also have feminine and masculine figures in their lives, that determine them as persons. Jung says women are more complex when it comes to that.
The Syzygy represents the divine couple, or the perfect combination and unity between the Anima and The Animus. These elements should be perfectly balanced. The perfect combination stands for complete wholeness. This can be related to a search for a soul-mate. The word is also used to denote the alignment of planets.
The Persona represents the way people want to be seen by other people. Derived from a Latin word that means mask, this archetype acts as a shield from negative influences. Your mask is usually there to protect you. This is actually the way you want other people to see you in different situations, and that's why people wear different masks in different situations.
There are also very popular family archetypes, and it is quite easy to guess their meanings. Father, for example, is authoritative figure, and represents control and power. On the other side is Mother, standing for soothing and comforting elements. Another Family archetype, the Child, represents all sorts of beginnings, birth and innocence.
You will find numerous story archetypes used in literature, for example. The Wise Old Man is there to offer his wisdom. Life experience and knowledge. The Maiden is in trouble, fragile, innocent and pure, while The Hero comes to rescue, brave and strong. The Earth Mother is really the nature, and this particular archetype is also recognizable.
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