Carl Jung’s
Collective Unconscious
August 27 -28, 2008
Carl Jung
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Carl Jung was a Swiss
Psychiatrist best
known for his work
with the collective
unconscious.
Collective Unconscious Continued

all human beings share
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a common physiology
a common way of perceiving the world
(through eyes, ears, nose, etc.)
a common nervous system
And, possess common basic needs for food,
warmth, and touch
it makes sense that humans also have
common longings and perceptions.
Collective Ideas
In the simplest form, without using words, how would you tell about…
Hell?
Heaven?
No matter what language people speak, in almost all cultures people will point
up for heaven and point down for hell. Why?
If you were asked to draw a picture of a
monster or terrifying creature…
Collective Unconscious

noun (in Jungian psychology) inborn
unconscious psychic material common to
humankind, accumulated by the
experience of all preceding generations.
Basic Definition of Collective
Unconscious
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The collective unconscious is the
thoughts, perceptions and longings
that all humans are born and share.
For example: the fear of monsters
Archetypes
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According to Jung the collective unconscious
contains archetypes (images and memories of
important human experiences), that are passed
down from generation to generation.
Archetypes
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Basically,
archetypes are
different models of
stereotyped
characteristics that
every single
person can identify
with
Sources
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http://www.nndb.com/people/910/00003
1817/
http://www.psychsational.com/2008/03/c
arl-jung-collective-unconscious.html
"collective unconscious." Dictionary.com
Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc.
26 Aug. 2008. <Dictionary.com
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/c
ollective unconscious>.