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James A. Van Slyke

+ Carl Jung (1875-1961)
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Swiss Psychiatrist
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Father – Protestant Minister
Mother – Interested in Spirituality
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Part of Freud’s original analytic group
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Later parted ways with Freud over differences
Freud did not like Jung’s preoccupation with Religion
Caused a psychotic breakdown for Jung

+ Carl Jung (1875-1961)
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Analysis of dreams, practicing psychoanalytic psychologist
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Also studied the unconscious, but suggested a different personality structure
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Strongly influenced by Christianity, but also Eastern religions
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Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism
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Interested in integrating opposing forces
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Yin and Yang

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Jung’s Psychology
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Ego – Conscious aspect of the person
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Unconscious
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Similar to Freud’s
Unconscious is primary force in thought and behavior
Libido – psychic instinctual energy
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Not necessarily sexual or aggressive
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Principle of the opposites
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Structures of the psyche are antithetical pairs
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Light vs. Dark
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Principle of entropy - Psyche seeks out balance

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Jung’s Psychology
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Personal Unconscious
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Each person has an individualized unconscious
Suppressed, forgotten memories, traumas, etc.
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Collective Unconscious
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Predates individual unconscious
Repository of religious, spiritual, and mythological symbols and experiences
Universal structure across different cultures
Cultural and Religious stories and narratives return to common themes

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Jung’s Psychology
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Archetypes
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Primary structures of the collective unconscious
Similar to platonic forms
Jung’s description
“conceptual matrixes or patterns behind all our religious and mythological concepts, and indeed, our thinking processes in general.”

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Jung’s Psychology
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Archetypes
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“Patterns of instinctual behavior” that are manifested according to the current cultural context, yet “a priori”
Can only be partially known and grasped
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“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Cor 13:11-13

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Jung’s psychology
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Archetypes
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Paired opposites that must be integrated into the personality
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Anima – feminine part of the self
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Animus – masculine part of the self
Light vs. Dark
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Shadow – Dark side of the personality
Negative aspects of the self must be integrated into the whole
Religious symbols and rituals allow us to deal with the unconscious

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Jung and Religion
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Concerned about secularization and scientism
(reductionism)
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Religion is an important aspect of being human (Religious Self)
Helps to harmonize conscious and unconscious states
Secularization leads to a “rootless” existence
Religion is the best avenue to the unconscious
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Individuation
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Primary means for spiritual growth
Reuniting unconscious material with consciousness to achieve wholeness

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Jung and Religion
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Religious Symbols
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Allow us to look at the unconscious
Shield us from direct contact
Offer new knowledge
Compensate for what is missing
Empower the transformation
Bridge conscious and unconscious to lead toward wholeness
Must be experienced rather than understood

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Jung and Religion
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Mandala
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Art piece
Draws one toward the center
Spirituality should draw one toward the center
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Self and God archetype
Religion and psychology cannot be separated; intrinsic to each other
Transcendent function of personality
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Acceptance of shadow and other unconscious material
Leads to inner healing

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Archetypes & Star Wars
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Characters, Situations and Symbols in stories
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Hero – Luke Skywalker
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Reflects youthfulness
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Usually called to a quest or mission
Represents the ego
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Tries to overcome tensions in the unconscious
Wise Old man (Mentor) – Obi Wan and Yoda
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Teaches the hero the nature of the psyche
Helps them toward maturity

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Joseph Campbell
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The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)
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The Masks of God (1969)
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Myths and stories continually return to common themes
Myths (religious or otherwise) ways in which cultures transmit values and mores
Religions are the “masks” that reflect the same fundamental transcendent truths

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Joseph Campbell
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Monomyth
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Departure
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Call to Adventure
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Refusal
Supernatural Aid
Initiation
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The Road of many Trials
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Temptation
Confront the evil inside (Shadow or Father)
Reach the goal
Return to share what you have learned

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Archetypes & Star Wars
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Symbols
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The Force
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Dark Side – The Shadow
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Luke must overcome and learn to control the shadow
Integrate into his own conscious
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Movement from Denial to Acceptance
Religions often have similar structure
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Struggle with dark side
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Sin
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Evil
Religious heroes overcome evil with the help of God

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Jung & Christianity
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How do we understand the relationship between, religion, mythology and Christ?
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Exclusivist – there is no truth outside of the Christian faith
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Inclusivist
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C.S. Lewis – Christianity is the only true myth
Different religions mirror the transcendent in different ways, but
Christ is the closest to God
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Universalism
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All religions approximate the transcendent to a different degree