Psychology. Explore the human mind.

Explore Jung’s conception of the collective unconscious, the archetypes which comprise it and their relationship to dreams and myths. Specific attention will be paid to the archetypes of the Self, Shadow, Anima/Animus, Great Mother, Father, puer aeternus, Divine Child, Hero, Wise Old Woman/Man and the coniunctio. Through awareness of these constellated figures, one is brought into contact with essential human experiences which can offer practical insights into the process of personal growth and development.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• discuss Jung’s archetypal psychology
• hold an appreciative attitude toward material from the collective unconscious
• describe the historical development of Jung’s psychology
• comprehend the introduction to a model for understanding symbols
• describe the way common human experiences can offer practical insights into the processes of personal growth and development.

Content

An overview of Jung’s theory of archetypes

• Jung’s ‘discovery’ of the collective unconscious and his evidence for it
• Jung’s model of the psyche

The persona, shadow and self archetypes

• The personal and collective Shadow and the difficulties in confronting them
• The protective function of the Persona
• The Self as a supraordinate organising principle in psychic life

The archetypal feminine

• The Anima archetype in men
• The Great Mother archetype, the mother complex and their relation to the individuation process
• The Hetaira, Amazon and Wise Old Woman archetypal configurations

The archetypal masculine

• The Animus in women
• The Father archetype and its procreative characteristics
• The puer aeternus and Divine Child archetypes and their relation to the ‘Peter Pan’ complex
• The Hero and Wise Old Man archetypes and the application of mythic content to everyday life

The coniunctio archetype

• The union of opposites as reflected in alchemical imagery

Intended audience

Suitable for anyone interested in psychology – not only to gain personal understanding or for self-help, but to understand others' behaviours and thought forms. It is also suitable for those who have completed a course on Jung’s psychology, for example the Jung and Dreams Course.

Prerequisites

None

Delivery style

Delivered as an interactive lecture with open and structured discussion, including DVD’s with summaries.