JUNG ARCHETYPES: DEFINITION, CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES - PSYCHOLOGY - 2024

The archetypes, according to Jung, are universal patterns that are part of the collective unconscious and are the psychic counterpart instinct. They are about behavioral and personality images and trends. Examples of archetypes are the person (how we see ourselves), the parent (power figure), or the child (innocence, salvation).

In this sense, an archetype would be an element that allows to explain the generation of a series of mental images that are developed in a very similar way by different people from different cultures. The mother, the wise man, the hero or the maiden are some archetypes that Jung described.

Carl Jung

According to Carl Jung, archetypes are the form that is given to some experiences and memories of our ancestors; they are autonomous ancestral images that are part of the collective unconscious.

An important characteristic of archetypes is that they do not develop individually in each person, but are generated through the influence of the sociocultural context of each individual.

The transmission of thought patterns and the experimentation of typical events of each society are transmitted from generation to generation, thus creating a series of common archetypes for all people.

The establishment of archetypes was one of the bases of Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, which maintains that all people have a common substrate in their psychic structure.

The author theorized a large number of different archetypes; in fact, the total number of archetypes is undefined. However, according to the author, some are more prevalent and important than others.

What are archetypes?

Archetypes are the way in which a series of experiences and memories relating to ancestors are expressed. In other words, each person develops a series of archetypes based on the experiences of their ancestry.

In this way, the archetypes defend the main idea of ​​the collective unconscious and refer to common mental representations that all people present.

Cultural context

In the development of archetypes, the influence of the cultural context of each person plays a vital role. Individuals do not develop archetypes based on their personal experiences but rather based on the social experiences of their environment.

Regardless of their collective origin, if the archetypes are analyzed individually in each person, these result in emotional and behavioral patterns that determine the way to process sensations, images and perceptions.

According to Carl Jung, contextual, cultural and ancestor influences cause the generation of archetypes, which accumulate in the unconscious of individuals and determine a large part of their psychic development.

Symbols and myths

In order to exemplify the idea of ​​archetypes, Carl Jung used symbols and myths that seem to be in all cultures.

According to the Swiss author, the fact that all cultures have common elements shows that human societies think and act from a cognitive and emotional basis that does not develop based on the experiences of each person.

In contrast, the cognitive and emotional base of all people would be regulated by the theory of the collective unconscious, which generates the development of a series of common archetypes for all individuals that are transmitted from generation to generation.

Environment and genetics

However, Carl Jung particularly emphasized that archetypes are not inherited representations, but are inherited representational possibilities.

In this way, the archetypes are not developed genetically but environmentally. Through genetics the ability to develop archetypes is transmitted. Later, the person develops these archetypes through cultural influence.

How are archetypes expressed?

Carl Jung's archetypes are recurring patterns of images and symbols that appear in different forms in all cultures.

They are characterized by presenting a slope that is inherited from generation to generation, so that an archetype is a piece that shapes a part of the collective unconscious, which is partially inherited.

Archetypes are therefore universal images that can be detected in cultural manifestations of different societies.

Speech, behavior, emotional reactions, and dreams are elements through which archetypes are expressed. For this reason, archetypes can be detected and isolated in any type of people's behavior.

According to Jung, these archetypes are part of the unconscious of people, so they affect behavior in an unconscious way. The person is not able to detect that a certain part of her way of being is influenced by the archetypes developed in her psyche.

In this sense, for certain psychoanalysts, Jung's archetypes are elements that cause certain roles and functions to appear in very different situations in the same culture.

The 5 types of higher archetypes

According to Jung, a person can develop a large number of archetypes. The collective unconscious is a complex psychic structure that can accommodate a large number of representations.

However, the famous Swiss psychoanalyst determined five types of archetypes with higher development than the others.

Carl Jung's archetypes can be divided into two general categories: the main archetypes and the other archetypes.

The main archetypes are a series of unconscious representations that seem to play a major role in the development of the human psyche.

In this way, the main archetypes would be more relevant and would generate a greater influence than the others in determining the development of the behavioral traits of individuals.

In this sense, Carl Jung determined that the five main archetypes of the collective unconscious of people are: the anima, the animus, the shadow, the person and the self.

Anima

Anima means soul in Latin and, according to Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, defines the archetypal images of the eternal feminine in a man's unconscious.

The anima is an archetype that makes a link between the consciousness of the self and the collective unconscious, thus opening a path towards the self.

The eternal feminine has been represented throughout history through feminine deities such as Inanna. Source: British Museum

Thus, the anima is the archetype of the female figure, which is present in the unconscious of men. It is an archetypal image that is linked to the principle of Eros and reflects the nature of men's relationships, especially with women.

The anima is associated with a high emotionality and with the force of one's life. According to Carl Jung, men's relational problems often result from unconscious identification with the anima or from the projection of the anima onto the partner.

This fact, according to the Swiss psychoanalyst, generates a feeling of disappointment in the real person. Keep in mind that anima figures are not representations of specific women, but fantasies clothed with needs and experiences of an emotional nature.

The most representative figures of this archetype would be goddesses, famous women, maternal figures, maidens, sorceresses, and female creatures.

Animus

Ánimus means spirit in Latin and, according to the theory of the collective unconscious, refers to the archetypal images of the eternal masculine in the unconscious of a woman.

That is to say, it is the archetypal relative to the anima in women. As in its feminine parallelism, the animus forms a link between the consciousness of the self and the collective unconscious thus opening a path to the self.

The animus is an archetype that is linked to its logos principle and reflects the nature of the connection with the world of ideas and spirit. According to Carl Jung, the animus is the archetype of meaning.

As with the anima, the animus figures are not representations of concrete men, but of fantasies clothed with needs and experiences of an emotional nature.

The father figure is a representation of the animus archetype.

Thus, the most characteristic animus figures would be father figures, famous men, religious figures, idealized figures, and young people.

According to the theory of the collective unconscious, the unconscious identification with the animus or its projection in the couple usually generates a feeling of disappointment with the real person and generates vital and / or conjugal difficulties.

Shadow

The shadow is another of the main archetypes of the collective unconscious that presents two different meanings.

Photo by pawel szvmanski on Unsplash

On the one hand, the shadow is an archetype that represents the totality of the unconscious.

Second, the shadow refers to the unconscious aspect of people's personality, characterized by traits and attitudes that the conscious ego does not recognize as its own.

The shadow is a highly relevant archetype to conceptualize the theory of the collective unconscious, since it shows that all personal and collective psychic dispositions are not assumed by consciousness due to their incompatibility with personality.

Thus, the conscious personality rejects a large number of psychic elements that do not disappear, but instead develop an antagonistic agent of the self in the unconscious.

This antagonistic agent of the conscious self is represented through the archetype of the shadow and is expressed through all those personality traits and behaviors that oneself does not accept as their own and defining, and that they hide from others.

Person

The person is an archetype antagonistic to the shadows. That is, it refers to the unconscious side of oneself that one wants to share with others.

Social networks have maximized public exposure and the way to show other people how we are or what we want to show about ourselves.

The archetypal person includes all those unconscious elements that one adopts as part of his public image. The aspects referring to the person archetype are in line with the conscious part of the individual, so the individual uses it as a defining part of himself.

Itself

Mandalas are a representation of the individual unconscious.

Finally, the fifth main archetype of Carl Jung is the self, which is defined as the central archetype of the collective unconscious.

This archetype represents the last step in the individualization process of the person. In this sense, it is understood that the self is the archetypal image of the totality, experienced as a transpersonal power that it confers on life.

Other examples of archetypes

Although the anima, the animus, the shadow, the person and the self are the main archetypes, according to the theory of the collective unconscious there are multiple different archetypes.

According to Carl Jung, the rest of the archetypes are less relevant to the shaping of the collective unconscious than the main five. However, each of them seems to have a specific function.

In this sense, Carl Jung's archetypes can be classified through different modalities. There are archetypal events like birth or death, archetypal themes like creation or revenge, and archetypal figures like the sage or the father.

Some of the archetypes that are not mainstream in the theory of the collective unconscious are discussed below.

Mother

According to the theory of the collective unconscious, the mother constitutes an archetypal image that allows the person to detect behaviors related to motherhood, just as the ancestors have experienced it.

The father

For its part, the archetype of the father forms an authority figure that guides the individual's unconscious on how to live based on his example.

The hero

According to Carl Jung, the hero is another important archetypal figure. It refers to an image of power that is characterized by fighting the shadow, that is, by that part of the unconscious that consciousness rejects.

The hero is an archetype that allows to keep at bay everything that should not invade the social sphere in order not to harm oneself.

The jester

Laughing and with a positive attitude towards life. He seeks to constantly make his close friends laugh and make this world a more pleasant and fun place. However, they are usually people with many deep shadows who use humor to mask their fear or pain.

He knows how to accept criticism, but he can be very frivolous with others because he never filters himself.

The wise

The wise man is an archetypal figure whose main objective is to reveal the hero. The hero is an archetype who fights with determination against the shadow but acts in an unreflective way.

In this sense, the sage brings reflection and rationality to the hero's performance in order to develop more adapted and effective behaviors.

The trickser

The trickser, also known as a trickster, is the archetype that is responsible for introducing jokes and violating established rules.

It sets traps and paradoxes to the functioning of the hero and serves to review to what extent the laws are convenient and / or vulnerable.

The innocent

This archetype is labeled naive, dreamy, unreal. Trust everyone and show a positive attitude in the face of any adversity. He lives carefree and his goal is to be happy.

The caretaker

The caregiver is a profile that bases its existence on protecting and helping others. He feels stronger than the rest and acts in an almost maternal way, seeking to avoid any harm to his protégé.

Its weakness is that it is an archetype very prone to being exploited by other people who are aware of its good nature. He is very generous and compassionate, but if he gets fed up he will blame all the sacrifices he makes for others.

Friend

This profile has as its greatest desire the feeling of belonging. He does not give up in the search for human relationships and it is common to see him integrating himself in different communities to find that place where he can fit in.

They are honest and value the collective over the individual, but they can also show a negative and quite cynical attitude.

The rebel

Also known as "the outlaw", this archetype stands out for his efforts to bring down what they believe is not working. They do not believe in impositions and feel satisfied thinking differently from the rest.

Independent, charismatic, provocative or inspiring, but also aggressive, obsessive or self-destructive.

The lover

The most passionate archetype. He is sensitive and what he most adores is love, affection and all harmonious sentimental ties. His greatest fear is not feeling wanted and, therefore, he is capable of losing his own identity in order to please his loved one.

Believe in all forms of love, not only in the emotional or sexual relationship. From the maternal to the loving relationship that can be created in their work environment.

The governor

Leader archetype. Individual with a desire to take center stage and carry out tasks according to their criteria. They are always in control of the situation and it is difficult for them to delegate, since they think that only they achieve excellence, which is their obsession.

Although his way of accepting responsibility is key in many aspects, his despotic and authoritarian style can cause discomfort among those close to him. He hates chaos.

The magician

A person of ideals and charismatic at the same time. He is in a constant process of transformation due to his curiosity to know everything that happens in the universe. He loves to contribute novel ideas and philosophical conceptions.

The problem is that it can distort the everyday and turn the positive into negative. That is to say, he fulfills the profile of a manipulator, where his ideas prevail over others.

The creator

The creator is not satisfied with what is available to him. He seeks to create something new, that bears his stamp and that transforms his environment or the world. They value freedom and are very dreamy, so much so that that is their greatest weakness. They spend more time thinking than creating than doing it.

They admire talent and imagination, but also suffer from creative blocks that turn into frustration. Artists are the perfect example of this archetype.

The Explorer

Restless person with a desire to discover. Traveling is his passion and he is not afraid to move from one place to another to nourish himself with new cultural concepts, ideas or even philosophical insights.

He is loyal to his principles, but his adventurous style does not allow him to cling to any job or romantic relationship that binds him to conformity.

References

1. Baker, D. (ed) (2012). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Psychology: Global perspectives. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.
2. Carl Gustav Jung (2005). Complete works. Volume 12. Psychology and Alchemy. I. Introduction to the religious psychological problems of alchemy. II. 3. D. On the symbolism of the self. Madrid: Editorial Trotta. pp. 20, § 22.
3. G. Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (London 1996) p. 183 and p. 187.
4. Gentile, B. and Millar, B. (2009). Foundations of psychology thought: A history of psychology. Thousand Oak, USA: Sage.
5. Pickren, W. and Dewsbury, D. (2002). Envolving perspectives on the history of psychology. Washington, USA: APA
6. G. Jung, "Psychology of the Transference", Collected Works Vol. 16 (London 1954) p. 311-328.