Carl Jung Symbols Apply To Dreams And Life


By Dominique Martin


There are universal symptoms that apply to both the male and female Persona. The famous psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, Carl Jung, is credited for what he called the collective unconscious. He applied the theory of Jung symbols to figures that appeared in dreams.

He placed great emphasis on dreams and the meanings that could be gleaned from their content. He identified his major archetypal characters and defined their symbolic meaning. There are seven noted in this article.

The Persona of an individual is the part of his personality that he shows to the public. In the sleep state this covert side of his personality is represented symbolically by another figure, possibly someone famous for a positive reason. If a dream is memorable, he may realize the famous figure that represents some part of himself.

Next there is The Shadow, a symbol of your own worst side. You attempt to suppress this while awake. This figure may show up in your dreams as a a thief or murderer. In the morning if you recall the dream you know that The Shadow made you feel angry in some way.

According to these theories each person has a male and a female side. These are called Anima-Animus. These traits are not acknowledged while awake. While asleep a woman may be seen acting in a masculine way, growing a beard for example. A man may dream of wearing womens clothes.

Dr. Jung passed away in 1961. Therefore his concepts of the male role and the female role were of that era. Now we always encounter aggressive females and men who are not ashamed to cry. The gender role has become less delineated.

The Divine Child is archetype number four. It is expressed as a baby or young child. This dream figure represents the sweet, uncomplicated part of yourself. The innocence is representative of your hopes for a happy life and what you hope to achieve in that life.

You may dream of an authority figure such as a priest, teacher or therapist. Jung called this archetype The Wise Old Man or Woman. This is a representation of someone in your life who offers help or guidance during your waking hours.

The Great Mother appearing in your dreams may be your own mother or other caretaker. As a nurturing entity she will be reassuring. Jung believed that the mother grows jealous of a child who grows distant as he grows older. This may give off negativity expressed in the dream as dominance or death.

Finally, the seventh symbol is The Trickster. His name describes his function in your dreams. His appearance might be due to your misjudgment that led to you undergoing some embarrassment during your waking hours before bedtime. He may mock you and make you feel vulnerable and weak.

Among the many books he wrote, Jung penned three works of fiction. One was on the subject of murder. His professional theories have validity in the field of psychoanalysis and psychiatry to this day.

His books, written in German, have been translated into English and other languages. A few of his works were written in English. He left behind a large body of work detailing the theories he created.




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