Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, believed that our subconscious mind is like a
hidden treasure chest, full of valuable information and insights that can help
us understand ourselves better and become more whole. Inside, it holds our deepest thoughts,
fears, desires, and memories - many of which we might not even be aware of. By exploring this
hidden part of our mind, we can understand why we act the way we do and heal from past wounds.
Moreover, our subconscious mind can reveal talents and potential we never knew we had,
opening up new possibilities for personal and professional growth.
Jung divided the unconscious mind into two parts: the personal
unconscious and the collective unconscious. The personal unconscious is made up of all the
things specific to an individual that they are not aware of or deny, like hidden emotions, desires,
and memories. Jung called this the shadow. The collective unconscious, on the other hand,
is a deeper layer that includes feelings, thoughts, and instincts shared by all humans. Jung
believed that we all inherit certain traits and tendencies, which he called "archetypes." These
archetypes are universal symbols and themes that have been part of human history and can be seen in
myths, fairy tales, and religious stories. Jung’s teachings highlight the importance
of exploring the subconscious to achieve individuation, which means becoming your true,
complete self by unlocking the hidden potential we all have within us. He wrote several influential
books, including Psychology of the Unconscious, Man and His Symbols, The Archetypes and The
Collective Unconscious, Modern Man in Search of a Soul, The Psychology of the Transference,
Memories, Dreams, Reflections, and The Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious. In this
video, we'll talk about how to listen to your subconscious mind to become whole from the
philosophy of Carl Jung Listen to your shadow
Carl Jung says “Shadow work is the path of the heart warrior”.
Carl Jung's concept of the shadow is a pivotal aspect of his theories on the unconscious mind.
The shadow is essentially the dark side of our personality that we keep hidden.
This includes our repressed weaknesses, desires, and instincts—the things we might
be ashamed of or uncomfortable with. The shadow forms as we grow up and learn what
behaviors are acceptable and those that aren’t. For example, imagine a child who gets scolded
for being too aggressive. To avoid trouble and gain approval, the child might suppress their
assertiveness. This trait doesn't disappear; it just goes underground into the shadow. Later in
life, this hidden assertiveness could come out in passive-aggressive ways or sudden outbursts.
Everyone has a shadow, we all have traits like anger, jealousy, greed, laziness,
and selfishness—things we deny because they're seen as bad. But our shadow doesn’t stay quiet;
it keeps trying to communicate with us, demanding our attention. We need to listen to
it and the process of uncovering these hidden aspects of ourselves is called shadow work.
To begin shadow work, the first step is to identify your shadow. Pay close attention
to what annoys or irritates you in others. These reactions often point to parts of yourself that
you haven't acknowledged. For instance, imagine you're at work and feel a surge of annoyance every
time a coworker brags about their accomplishments. "They're so arrogant!" you think to yourself. But
then you pause and reflect: Is there a part of you that also craves recognition for your achievements
but perhaps isn't expressing it? Maybe you downplay your successes to appear humble,
yet deep down, you desire acknowledgment and validation. This unexpressed desire might be the
very thing you're projecting onto your coworker. By recognizing this, you can understand that your
irritation is less about their behavior and more about an aspect of yourself that you haven't fully
acknowledged. To explore this further, make a list of traits you dislike in others and consider
how they might relate to you. This exercise helps in uncovering hidden parts of yourself.
Now let's move towards the next step of acknowledging and accepting these traits.
This means seeing them without judgment. Think about how these traits show up in your life.
For example, you can accept your need for recognition and see it without judgment.
Acknowledge that wanting validation is natural and doesn't make you arrogant.
Observe your thoughts and feelings without trying to change them. Notice when you downplay your
successes or crave acknowledgment. Approach yourself with kindness and understanding,
remembering that everyone has a shadow. Once you've acknowledged your shadow traits,
delve deeper into their origins and impacts. Understand how they appear in your life,
like feeling unappreciated at work or frustrated when others don't recognize
your efforts. Journaling is a powerful tool for this exploration—write about your shadow traits,
describe situations where these traits have appeared, and explore the feelings associated with
them. Seeking therapy or counseling can provide additional guidance and support, helping you
uncover deeper layers of your unconscious mind. Integration is the next step. This means accepting
these traits and balancing them with your conscious self. Embrace the fact that you're
a mix of good and bad traits. Notice how your shadow traits influence your behavior and try to
change unhelpful patterns. For example, instead of downplaying your successes or feeling resentful,
practice expressing your achievements in a healthy, balanced way. Share your accomplishments
without boasting or seeking excessive validation. When you achieve something significant at work,
it’s okay to mention it during team meetings or casual conversations with
colleagues in a straightforward, humble manner. Creative expression through art, writing,
or other outlets can also help integrate these aspects into your conscious life,
allowing you to express your shadow in a healthy way. By doing this, you are embracing
the complexity of your nature and fostering a more honest relationship with yourself.
Jung believed that achieving wholeness, a process he termed "individuation," requires
integrating all parts of the psyche, including the shadow. This journey leads us toward becoming who
we truly are, beyond the masks and roles imposed by society. Through shadow work,
you uncover and integrate hidden parts of yourself and live a more whole and authentic life.
2. Get to know your archetypes
Jung once wrote “Archetypes are images in the soul that represent the course of one’s life”.
Archetypes, as defined by Carl Jung, are the universal symbols and themes
that exist in what he called the collective unconscious. This collective unconscious
is a part of the human mind that everyone shares, filled with memories, experiences,
and symbols that are common across cultures and throughout history. Think of it like a giant
library of human experiences that all people can access, regardless of where they come from.
Take the Hero archetype: This is often seen in stories where a character goes on an adventure,
faces tough challenges, and ultimately grows as a person. A great illustration of this is the story
of Perseus from Greek mythology. He is a young hero given the difficult task of slaying Medusa,
a monster whose gaze can turn people to stone. This story embodies the Hero archetype,
representing our inner desire to confront and overcome our fears. On his journey, Perseus
gets help from the other gods: Athena gives him a shiny shield to reflect Medusa's gaze, Hermes
provides him with winged sandals to fly, and Hades lends him a helmet that makes him invisible.
These godly figures are examples of the Wise Elder archetype,
symbolizing the guidance and support we look for when facing tough times in our lives.
Seeing these archetypes in myths helps us understand our own subconscious minds because they
reflect common human experiences and struggles. Stories like that of Perseus and Medusa capture
deep emotions, fears, and desires that people from all cultures can relate to.
Other examples of Hero archetypes include King Arthur, who searches for the Holy Grail,
and Thor, who fights giants to protect humanity with his magical hammer, Mjölnir. Each hero goes
through a journey filled with challenges that lead to personal growth. Likewise,
the Wise Elder archetype appears in characters like Merlin from Arthurian legend and Krishna from
Hindu mythology, offering wisdom and guidance. Jung identified twelve primary archetypes that
reside within each of us and are universally found across cultures and myths. They are Ruler,
Creator, Sage, Innocent, Explorer, Rebel, Hero, Wizard, Jester, Everyman,
Lover, and Caregiver. Usually, one of these archetypes stands out more in each person,
shaping who they are and what motivates them. By recognizing these archetypes, we can gain a
clearer understanding of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They help us make sense of our
experiences and how we connect with others. For example, if you resonate with the Hero archetype,
you might feel a strong desire to tackle obstacles in your life, whether it's going
after a new job or standing up for what you believe in. In dreams, archetypes can appear
as symbols that send important messages from our subconscious. Dreaming of a wise old person might
indicate that you have inner wisdom or guidance available to you during tough times and that you
need to look inside for answers. Understanding these archetypes is crucial because they provide
deeper insights into who we are and where we fit into the world. By exploring these archetypes,
we can identify patterns in our lives, heal emotional wounds, and grow as individuals.
3. Analyze your dreams
In the words of Jung “Dreams are the facts from which we must proceed”.
Jung believed that dreams are not just random or absurd occurrences;
instead, they are meaningful messages from the subconscious. Through symbols and images, we can
get to know about our unresolved inner conflicts, hidden desires, and universal themes that shape
our lives. And so, for Jung, dream analysis became a powerful tool for self-discovery.
He identified several types of dreams, each revealing different aspects of the subconscious:
First, we have compensatory Dreams: These dreams balance out our conscious thoughts
and behavior. If someone is overly logical in daily life, for example, they might dream of
a situation where they break down crying at a family gathering. This emotional outburst
could signal the need to explore feelings they've been avoiding or suppressing in their waking life.
Then there are Prospective Dreams: These dreams look ahead, offering guidance about our future or
showing what’s unfolding in our personal growth. For example, a dream of climbing a mountain may
symbolize an internal or external challenge the dreamer is about to face, such as a significant
life change, a personal goal, or a difficult decision. The act of climbing in the dream
represents the dreamer's subconscious preparing for the effort needed to overcome the challenge,
reflecting their drive, determination, or perhaps anxiety about the journey ahead.
Next we have Archetypal Dreams: These contain universal symbols like the Hero,
or Wise Elder. They tap into the collective unconscious, representing shared human
experiences. Dreaming of a wise old man offering advice for example, represents the archetype of
wisdom and guidance, symbolizing the dreamer’s search for deeper knowledge or direction.
Then there are Shadow Dreams: These dreams show us the darker parts of ourselves — the traits
we repress or deny. By confronting these aspects,
we can better understand and accept ourselves. Someone who avoids anger, for example, might
dream of violently confronting someone, revealing their suppressed aggression or fear of conflict.
We can also have Recurring Dreams: These repeat the same theme or situation,
often because we haven’t addressed an underlying issue in our lives. For example,
dreaming over and over about failing an exam may reflect
ongoing anxiety or self-doubt about one’s abilities or performance in life.
Finally, like it or not, we have Nightmares: Though often scary, nightmares signal unresolved
fears or conflicts in our subconscious, urging us to face them. For example,
a recurring dream of being chased by a monster could point to a deep-rooted fear or unresolved
trauma that needs attention in waking life. Each type of dream gives us valuable insight
into different areas of our subconscious mind. To uncover this insight and effectively
tap into your subconscious through dreams, Jung recommended a process of careful documentation,
interpretation, and amplification. Documentation can be done by keeping
a dream journal. This means writing down your dreams as soon as you wake up. It’s important
to do this quickly because dreams fade from memory fast. The more detail you can capture,
the better for later analysis. Focus on any symbols, emotions, or characters that stood
out in the dream. If you record your dreams consistently, patterns or recurring themes
may begin to emerge, offering deeper insights into your subconscious. By tracking your dreams,
you create a map of your unconscious mind, showing what it is trying to communicate.
The next step in working with your dreams is to interpret their symbols. According to Jung,
these symbols aren’t meant to be taken literally; they represent deeper psychological forces at play
within you. While some symbols, like a snake, may have universal meanings,
their significance can vary depending on your personal experiences. For one person,
a snake might evoke fear and danger, while for another, it could represent transformation and
renewal. Jung emphasized that it’s important to look beyond the surface and explore what
the symbol represents on a psychological level. Once you've identified the symbols, Jung suggested
amplifying them to gain deeper insight. This means expanding on the symbol by connecting it to myths,
stories, or personal memories. For example, if you dream of a snake, you might explore
how snakes appear in mythology, such as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, symbolizing
temptation and knowledge, or the ouroboros, a snake eating its own tail, representing
cycles and eternity. Making these connections helps you see your dream as part of a larger,
universal narrative that ties into your own life. Amplification also involves reflecting on your
personal memories related to the symbol. Maybe you had a childhood fear of snakes, an encounter that
left a lasting impression, or perhaps you simply saw a snake on TV in the last day or so and it’s
still in short-term memory. By examining these links, you can gain a richer understanding of how
the symbol reflects your inner state and how it influences your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
By journaling, interpreting, and amplifying your dreams in this way, you open a doorway into the
hidden parts of yourself, using your dreams as a tool for self-growth and greater self-awareness.
4. Practice Active imagination According to Jung “Active
imagination requires a state of reverie, half-way between sleep and waking”.
Active imagination is a technique created by Carl Jung to connect with your unconscious
mind. It involves getting into a calm, meditative state where images, thoughts,
or feelings naturally come up from deep inside you. Unlike dreaming, where things just happen,
in active imagination, you stay aware and guide the process without forcing anything.
As you relax, you might picture different scenes, have conversations with imagined people,
or explore places in your mind. These images come from your subconscious and can help you understand
hidden emotions or unresolved feelings. By engaging with them, you can learn more
about yourself and grow emotionally and mentally. Imagine you’ve had a recurring dream about a dark,
shadowy figure that frightens you, and the image stays with you even when you're awake.
Through active imagination, you would close your eyes, relax, and let the image of the shadowy
figure come back to your mind. But this time. instead of feeling afraid or trying to escape,
you mentally approach the figure and start a conversation. You might ask it; "Why do you keep
appearing in my dreams?" or "What do you want to tell me?" The figure might not respond right away,
but over time, you’ll notice it changing or giving clues about its meaning. Perhaps it represents
a part of you that feels ignored or an emotion, like anger or sadness, that you’ve been avoiding.
By speaking to it and allowing it to evolve in your mind, you can start to understand what the
figure symbolizes and how it relates to your life. In another example, if you often dream about being
in a dark forest, you could return to that forest during active imagination. You would
imagine yourself walking through it, noticing how it makes you feel. Maybe you come across obstacles
like a locked door, or meet animals that represent different parts of your emotions. Each element of
the dream could be a symbol that your subconscious mind is trying to communicate. As you explore,
you begin to understand more about your fears, unresolved issues, or desires.
To practice active imagination, find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed and sit
in a comfortable position. Close your eyes, relax, and let your mind wander freely. The
goal is to enter a meditative, semi-conscious state where you are open to whatever images,
thoughts, or feelings arise from your unconscious mind. Start by focusing on a particular image,
feeling, or dream that has been on your mind, and allow it to unfold naturally in your imagination.
For example, if you’ve had a recurring dream or troubling image, bring it to life in your
mind’s eye without trying to control it. As the image or scenario develops,
engage with it consciously. You might ask a figure in the scene questions or
explore the environment as if you are part of the experience. The key is to remain curious and open,
allowing the unconscious content to reveal itself without forcing it. Journaling afterward
can help you process what you experienced, connecting the unconscious material to your
conscious life. By repeating this practice regularly, you create a dialogue between
your conscious and unconscious minds, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.
5. Observe Synchronicities In our final quote from Jung
for this video, he says “Synchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have eyes to see”.
Have you ever gone to call someone only for your phone to ring as soon as you pick it up,
and they’re calling you? Or maybe you've dreamed about something special and then
got it a few days later? Carl Jung called these moments "synchronicity," which means
meaningful coincidences that don't have a direct cause but feel significant to us.
According to Jung, these events show us what's happening deep inside our minds.
For example, if you bump into a childhood friend you haven’t seen in years and suddenly remember
an old argument, it might be your unconscious mind's way of pushing you to deal with those
unresolved feelings. Maybe it's time to reach out to that friend and find some closure.
Meeting an old friend can also highlight a need for connection. If you've been feeling lonely,
this encounter might be a sign from your unconscious mind that you crave closer
relationships. Think about a time when you felt isolated at work and then ran into an
old buddy. That meeting might remind you of your need for friendship, encouraging you to
make new friends or reconnect with old ones. Such encounters can also bring up feelings of
nostalgia and reunion, reflecting on what's happening in your life now. For instance,
reconnecting with a college roommate might remind you of hobbies or passions you used to
love but have since neglected. This could inspire you to revisit those activities,
adding more joy and continuity to your life. Sometimes, seeing an old friend can symbolize
personal growth or change. Your unconscious mind might be acknowledging how far you've
come since you last saw this person, showing that you're ready to take on new challenges.
Synchronicities often remind us to accept and integrate all parts of ourselves. For example,
if you unexpectedly run into a high school teacher who once mentored you,
it could trigger memories of the values and lessons you learned from them. Reflecting on
these experiences can help you recognize how they have shaped your identity and personal growth.
By acknowledging these influences and understanding their impact,
you can better integrate them into your current life. This process helps you move forward with
a more complete and self-aware perspective, as you appreciate the different parts of your past
that contribute to who you are today. Here are some common types of
Jungian synchronicities: 1. Inner-Outer Synchronicity:
This type occurs when an inner experience, a thought, a feeling, or a dream coincides
with an outer event. For example, thinking about a specific person and then bumping
into them later that day. 2. Symbolic Synchronicity:
These synchronicities involve symbols or archetypes that appear in both inner and
outer experiences. For instance, repeatedly seeing images of butterflies during a time of
personal transformation. 3. Event Synchronicity:
This type happens when unrelated events occur simultaneously or in a close sequence,
creating a meaningful connection. For example, meeting someone who provides crucial information
just when you need it. 4. Person Synchronicity:
This occurs when meeting someone who plays a significant role in your life at a crucial moment,
such as a mentor appearing just when you're seeking guidance. And finally
5. Temporal Synchronicity These are significant events or changes
that happen at critical times in your life. For example receiving an important job offer on your
birthday or during a major life transition. To better observe these synchronicities,
it's essential to enhance your awareness and understanding. Start by staying present and
being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. This heightened awareness makes
it easier to notice synchronicities as they occur. Additionally, keep a detailed journal
of your dreams, thoughts, emotions, and daily events. Reviewing your journal can reveal patterns
and connections that indicate synchronicities. Next, spend time reflecting on significant events
and relationships in your life. Consider how these might be connected. Trust your
intuition about certain events or people, as synchronicities are often accompanied by a
sense of meaningfulness or "knowing." Finally, share your experiences with trusted friends,
mentors, or therapists. Others can provide additional perspectives and help you recognise
synchronicities you might have missed. By integrating these practices into your daily life,
you can become more attuned to the meaningful coincidences that reflect your unconscious mind.
If you enjoyed this video, please make sure to check out our full philosophies
for life playlist and for more videos to help you find success and happiness using
beautiful philosophical wisdom, don’t forget to subscribe. Thanks so much for watching.