Psyche, Libidinal Energy, and
the Unconscious
Jung took the basic format of the
psyche from Freud and expanded on
what he believed was missing.
Range of Consciousness
• Awake & aware
• Automatic pilot
• Hypnotic trance
• Daydreaming
• Asleep
Dreaming
The Psyche
• All psychological processes, both conscious
& unconscious
• Freud first described the Unconscious,
which he likened to the iceberg- Levels of
Consciousness
• He also described Libidinal Energy- the
energy that drives expression of the
unconscious
Icebergs are
powerful
• Freud believed the
Unconscious was
primarily sexual
• Jung believed it
included any desire
unchecked by
moral authority
We operate from instinct to a level
driven by the Spirit
Pierre Janet investigated
unconscious states through trances
• The question was,
How much influence
does the unconscious
have on our behavior?
• Janet called these
unconscious states
“multiple
personalities”
• Jung even attended
séances to better
understand the nature
of the unconscious
Jung discovered aspects of
unconsciousness
• During trances, subjects give voice to the
unconscious- without editing
• Split-off aspects of the unconscious could
appear as distinct personalities
• Psychic energy has a teleological functiongoal direction, seeking wholeness, growth
• The unconscious could compensate for
conscious attitudes- a balancing effect
Manifestations of the unconscious
• Trance states due to repetitive experiences
• Intense emotional reactions unjustified by
present circumstances
• Behaving in such a way we feel we aren’t
ourselves
• Daydreaming
• Imagination
The Nature of the Psyche
• Self-regulating system- compensating
function
• Libido has intentionality- it knows where it
should go for the health of the entire psyche
• The challenge for modern man is listening
to this voice, which is often in conflict with
the loud voices of the world
• Lack of libido = depression
• Resistance to unconscious forces
The psyche moves from most
conscious & aware to unconscious
The unconscious holds the
instinctual forces of the psyche
• Instincts are impulses that carry out actions
from necessity- having a biological quality
• Instincts determine actions, even though
they act unconsciously
• Archetypes are inborn forms of intuitionmeans of perceiving the world
• How we apprehend the world determines
the direction of our instinct- fluid
Unconscious holds the psychoid functionsrelationship between matter and Spirit
• If the unconscious becomes overactive, it
can come out in symptoms that can
paralyze conscious action, especially if
unconscious factors are repressed. They
come out in 2 ways:
• The subject no longer knows what s/he really
wants & nothing interests him/her.
• He wants too much at once, has too many
interests in impossible things.
Compensation- maintaining psychic
equilibrium
• Dreams can give quiet
voice to things the
person cannot
consciously own,
allowing him/her to
continue functioning
• They also voice our
repressed personality
• Creativity
A compensating dream
Language of the psyche
• The unconscious requires the conscious
mind to interpret its language
• This allows for balance in the psyche
• Language of symbols
• Dream interpretation requires learning the
symbolic language of the unconscious
• Imagination, daydreaming, planning
• Mental illness
Jung took the concept farther
• He described the necessity of conscious and unconscious
remaining balanced
• Out of balance, neurosis develops
• The unconscious is source of all conscious thought, all
creativity, rationality, feeling
• The unconscious is the Original Mind of humankind,
from which our conscious developed
• Consciousness arises from primal material of the
unconscious- Nature
• The process is ongoing- more material will arise as we
grow
• Each person is a microcosm of the universal processes of
our species- There is a universality to the discoveries
across the world
Concepts of the Unconscious
• Iceberg- Freud
• Blueprint for our lives- invisible pattern
• Huge field of energy- the ocean
• Broader and more dangerous than the
conscious- also more potentially creative
Ego is a cork bobbing on top, driven by the
forces below
Ego- “I”
• The conscious mind
• All our conscious awareness of self
• We tend to see the unconscious as apart from our
self- recognized especially when we do things out
of character
• Ego thinks of itself as an island unto itself
• Other worlds exist that are worth exploring, but
they represent risk (and potential wisdom)
• The quest to know the unconscious (the other
worlds) is fraught with fear & excitement
How do we embark on the journey
of self-knowledge?
• Jung says we should open ourselves to our
inner life- and allow a flow of energy &
information between the 2 levels of psyche
• The problem for modern man is how we
have been cut off from access to the inner
world: rituals, religious experiences, visions
• We take pride in rationality & independence
from needing anything outside ourselves.
Focus on the things of the world
keeps us from doing inner work
• The world says: Money, Prestige, Partner
is the secret to happiness
• Jung: Most neurosis today is due to the
vacuum of meaning, a sense that we are
missing a part of ourselves.
• Jung: Only in our unconscious can we meet
our individual understanding of God and
fully experience a rich inner life of the spirit
If we don’t go to the Spirit, the Spirit
will come to us through neurosis
• How do we “Go to the Spirit?”
• Inner Work:
• Prayer
• Meditation
• Dream work
• Rituals and ceremonies
• Active imagination
• This produces Individuation- process of
becoming the complete person we were meant to
be- actualizing the blueprint.
What happens when
we individuate?
• We uncover our unique structure
• Recognize our special traits and
consciously incorporate them
• Face our darker side without judgment
• Find commonality with others and no
longer judge them either
• Let go of the fiction that we are better
(or worse) than others and we must hide
our true selves
Archetypes
• Ideas and images our unconscious displays
• “Instinctual images”- the forms that instincts
assume
• Instincts are physiological- symptoms
• Archetypes are psychological- perceptions
revealed in fantasies, dreams, imagery
• Archetypes manifest:
• Personally- complexes
• Collectively- characteristics of a culture (to be
healthy a culture must understand its archetypes
and adjust them as necessary to continue
developing)
Archetypes burst the bubble of ego
and separation
• They are universal, present in the
unconscious of each person
• They combine in a unique way in each
person, like our bodies
• Recognizing our connection to the greater
population, as well as our unique makeup
allows us to fully develop our best nature,
not imitate anyone else.
• Images from the collective unconscious are
seen in mythology, literature, metaphor,
legends.
The process of inner work
• Direct ways of approaching the inner world
of your unconscious
• It is done experientially, not through
cognition, to really access subtle meaning
• You gain insight into inner conflicts or
challenges that your particular life offers
• The process allows you to access your
special strengths
Inner Work
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Religious ceremonies
Interpretation of dreams
Spirit quests
Aboriginal walkabouts
Fasting and prayer
Active imagination
All these represent a dialogue between equal
parties- conscious and unconscious
Active Imagination as Jung used it
Dream Journal
• Begin keeping a journal by your bed to write your
dream images down as soon as you awaken.
• Also write down the experiences of the daycontext is everything to interpretation
• Write down your thoughts for the day, daydreams,
and feelings
• Realize this is a powerful emotional experience
and you will only be expected to share what you
are comfortable sharing. Respect the process.