Jung’s Individuation: The
Pathway to the Whole Self
•
The Whole Self is the matured, developed psyche.
•
The In-dividual can only become one’s own self and
reach one’s unique potential when one stops looking to
the world for answers, which breeds conformity, and
chooses to become aware of and integrate all parts of
the Self.
• The parts of the Self include: the Persona, the Ego, the
Shadow, the Anima/Animus (the feminine and
masculine), and the Unconscious.
The Conscious and
Unconscious Aspects of the Self
The Persona
The
Anima/Animus
The
Self
The Shadow
The Ego
The Persona

It is the face or mask we
represent to the outside world.

It is not our full self but if we
identify with it, we think it can be
all we are. “I am a doctor” as
opposed to “I practice medicine.”

A developed persona allows us to
get along in the world but
awareness of our deeper selves
opens us up to our potentials.
The Ego

The Ego gives us an identity that
distinguishes itself from others.

It is the center of consciousness
making daily decisions.

It is a limited part of us; the “I.”

It is not the totality of the psyche.
The Shadow

The shadow is the disowned,
inferior parts of us that we hide,
suppress, or repress.

We suppress the dark impulses,
desires, fantasies, cowardliness,
greed, etc. because out the open,
we’d feel shame and outcasted.

We need to suppress these impulses
to some extent while allowing it to
be guided, loved, and expressed in
a healthy, creative way. An artistic
talent may hide out in the Shadow.
The Anima/Animus
Anima

It is the feminine (mother) psychological tendencies in
the psyche of a man e.g. feelings, moods, intuition,
love, and receptivity.

If he closes the Anima off, he becomes hostile or
disrespectful toward women by projecting his
resentments onto other women. He becomes cold,
harsh, domineering, overly rational and insensitive.

A non-healthy anima creates an effeminate, touchy
man who become prey for women.

It can be a valuable messenger between the
unconscious and the conscious opening the door to
major insight.
Animus

It is the masculine (father)
psychological tendencies in the psyche
of a woman e.g. logic, courage,
wisdom, and power.

A non-healthy animus is judgmental
(how things must be), aggressive,
dominating, and unreasonable.

The positive side allows the women to
obtain knowledge and wisdom when
the tendency is to obey authority.
The Unconscious

The Personal Unconscious is the hidden
collection of forgotten memories,
instincts, desires, perceptions, and
emotions that we are unaware of.

It appears in dreams and bigotry and
knowledge of it is knowledge of the self
and potential to create

The Collective Unconscious consists of
characteristics and archetypes that
many people have in common inherited
at birth e.g. fear, happiness, coward,
hero, victim, prostitute, servant, etc.
Archetypes
 Archetypes are ageless roles that act out different forms of
behavior. These mythic themes appear in legends, Shakespearean
dramas, and Bible stories.
 Every person who has ever lived on earth, fits into one of these 12
archetypes or mythic themes: The Destroyer, The Fool, The
Innocent, The Magician, The Martyr, The Patriarch/Matriarch,
The Ruler, The Seducer, The Seeker, The Servant, The Warrior,
and The Wise One.
 Each one has a positive and negative side and the goal is to
integrate all of them and be victimized by none of them.
The Path to Wholeness
 Persona: Be aware of your persona and strive to be authentic and
genuine so you can integrate your persona with your real self.
 The Ego: Allow it to learn from the Unconscious.
 The Shadow: Acknowledge, accept, and love the embarrasing,
negative parts of you.
 Anima/Animus: Empower them so you can benefit from both
sides of the feminine and masculine side of your nature.
 Archetypes: Identify yours eliminate its power over you.