You might also find yourself identifying with wise characters in films, TV, and books and these might take on forms such as a good boss or mentor or literally a wise woman or magician. If you dream of a wise figure, it is an indication that you are well on the way to achieving this integration. The Self is often represented by the wise man/wise woman archetype. It is by understanding the above Jungian archetypes and integrating them that we come to achieve a well-developed Self. Someone who is fixed into one Persona, for example, a workaholic, might need to learn to identify less with that Persona and develop other areas of their personality. We must be careful not to identify too closely with our Personas as this can inhibit our spiritual growth. We need to understand that our Personas are not who we are in order to allow for the development of the Self. The Persona often contains an element of ‘ people pleasing’. In contrast, we create our Personas’ by over-developing traits others encouraged. We develop our Shadow by repressing traits others did not approve of. We may have a work Persona, a family Persona or even a party Persona. The word ‘Persona’ is Latin for ‘mask.’ We all have certain ‘masks’ we put on in order to interact socially in a variety of situations.

The Persona is how we present ourselves to the world. Having addressed the Shadow and the Anima/Animus, the next step in our spiritual evolution is to address the archetype of the Persona. We can help to balance our feminine and masculine energies by consciously developing attributes traditionally associated with the opposite gender, such as assertiveness or nurturing. Dreaming of a person of the opposite sex can be a sign that we need more balance. To be whole, we need to aim for a balance of ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ elements in our psyche. To be clear, these are really just labels we have given these attributes and not necessarily inherent characteristics of either men or women. Similarly, a woman may become too passive without the masculine competitive element. For example, a man might be too competitive without the complementary feminine nurturing aspect. When unbalanced, we may behave in stereotypical ways. In order to become whole, we must integrate both the masculine and feminine into our psyche.įeminine and masculine archetypes contain a mixture of positive and negative traits. However, society and our upbringing may have caused us to repress traits viewed as belonging to the opposite gender. Integrated human beings are made up of a balance of ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ energies. The Anima is the feminine aspect of a man’s unconscious while the Animus is the male aspect of the female unconscious. Once we have integrated the Shadow, we may find elements of the Anima/Animus arise in our consciousness. For example, a man who has repressed his nurturing nature because he was taught to be brave and strong might wish to resurrect this side of his personality when he becomes a father.Īccording to Jung, integrating the Shadow aspects of our psyche is the first step in our spiritual growth. We can choose to resurrect the qualities that have been repressed and put them to use. When we experience the Shadow archetype, it is often a sign that we are ready to begin a new cycle in life. We might also be drawn to shadow figures, such as villains in films and literature. It might appear as a snake, a monster, a demon, a dragon, or some other dark or wild figure. When we later need these repressed qualities, the Shadow may begin to show up in our dreams.

For example, a child may learn to repress strong emotions such as rage or grief because they are afraid these emotions may severely distress another family member. We may repress our desires or qualities because they were frowned upon by others or to protect ourselves from emotional or even physical harm. This archetype is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos, and the unknown. Here they become personified as the Shadow. Jung felt that the personal qualities we deny, repress or ignore do not go away but are relegated to the unconscious. Let’s see the Jungian archetypes in more detail: The Shadow Jung argued that by working through the archetypes in the following order, we can achieve spiritual development and become whole.

He suggested that by working through these archetypes, we can begin to choose our actions rather than responding automatically from patterns in our personalities that no longer serve us. Jung believed these archetypes contain elements of our personality that we need to address in order to develop a healthy rounded personality. How understanding the Jungian archetypes can help us fulfill our potential

The monster within me carl jung