Carl Jung AO1

Q: Who was Carl Jung and how did his view of religion differ from Freud’s?

A: Jung was a Swiss psychologist who believed religion was psychologically necessary and beneficial, aiding mental health and personal growth, whereas Freud saw religion as an illusion and neurosis rooted in repression and wish-fulfilment.

Q: What are the three parts of the psyche according to Jung?

A:

• Conscious mind: thoughts and perceptions we are aware of

• Personal unconscious: forgotten or repressed memories unique to the individual

• Collective unconscious: an inherited, universal layer shared by all humans

Q: What is the collective unconscious?

A: A universal, inherited part of the psyche containing shared psychological structures that shape human experience, independent of culture or upbringing.

Q: What evidence does Jung use for the collective unconscious?

A: Similar religious symbols, myths, and images across cultures (e.g. light as divine, hero myths), and recurring imagery in dreams of patients with no cultural exposure to those symbols.

Q: What are archetypes?

A: Archetypes are innate psychological structures within the collective unconscious that generate universal symbols and patterns, especially in religion, myth, and dreams.

Q: Are archetypes inherited memories?

A: No. Jung argued they are inherited tendencies or structures, not specific memories — they shape how humans generate similar symbols independently.

Q: What is the Shadow archetype?

A: The Shadow represents the rejected, repressed, or unacknowledged aspects of the personality, often experienced as morally negative or socially unacceptable traits.

Q: Is the Shadow inherently evil?

A: No. Jung viewed the Shadow as morally neutral; it becomes dangerous only when denied or projected rather than integrated.

Q: How does religion express the Shadow archetype?

A: Through symbols of evil such as Satan, demons, darkness, and hell — external representations of humanity’s inner psychological darkness.

Q: Why does religion externalise evil (e.g. Satan)?

A: To make unconscious conflict psychologically manageable; confronting the Shadow symbolically is safer than direct self-recognition.

Q: What are the anima and animus?

A:

• Anima: unconscious feminine aspect in men

• Animus: unconscious masculine aspect in women
  They influence relationships, creativity, and religious imagery.

Q: How does the anima/animus usually appear?

Symbolically in dreams, fantasies, and art, often as heroines, seductresses, or nurturing female figures (anima). As heroes, warriors, kings, or wise old men (animus)

Q: Why did Jung think anima and animus exist?

A: Jung believed everyone contains both masculine and feminine traits, but society encourages identification with one, pushing the other into the unconscious.

Q: What happens if the anima or animus is ignored or repressed?

A: The individual may project it onto others, leading to unrealistic expectations and unhealthy relationships.

Q: What did Jung believe men and women should do about their anima or animus?

A: They should acknowledge and integrate it into consciousness to achieve psychological balance.

Q: How do anima and animus support Jung’s idea of archetypes?

A: They are universal symbolic patterns found across cultures, supporting the idea of a collective unconscious.

Q: What is the Self archetype?

A: The central archetype representing wholeness and unity of the psyche; the goal of psychological development.

Q: What is individuation?

A: The lifelong process of integrating conscious and unconscious aspects of the psyche to achieve psychological balance and wholeness.

Q: Why is individuation necessary for mental health?

A: Failure to integrate archetypes (especially the Shadow) leads to imbalance, neurosis, and psychological conflict.

Q: How does religion assist individuation?

A: By providing myths, symbols, rituals, and moral narratives that guide individuals toward confronting and integrating unconscious material.

Q: What does Jung mean by “the God within”?

A: God is an archetypal image within the psyche that symbolises wholeness and meaning; God exists as a psychic reality, regardless of objective existence.

Q: Does Jung believe God exists objectively?

A: Jung remains agnostic; he claims psychology cannot prove or disprove God’s objective existence, only describe the effects of belief.

Q: Why does Jung think people without religion are more prone to mental illness?

A: Because denying religious symbols suppresses archetypal material, preventing individuation and causing inner conflict.

Q: What happens if religion is rejected entirely?

A: Archetypes do not disappear but re-emerge unconsciously as obsessions with power, sex, ideology, or reason.