Analytical Psychology Perspectives:
The Dictionary of Archetypes and Symbols in Psychology through the years!!!!
The Psychology Sessions: Modern trends in Psychology for the 21st Century
As a personality specialist, I've, always, been fascinated by Carl Jung's theory of personality types and his concept of Extroversion-Introversion, which helped me understand the positive qualities and the 'darker' areas of human personality. However, after I finished reading a book about the Psychology of Advertising and the Media, I, just, realised the power of Archetypesand Symbols (the most popular and applied form of Archetypes) in our everyday life. It was clear to me that they can 'act' as visual codes, which can help people understand the world, and make decisions.
Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), the eminent Swiss psychiatrist and 'Father' of Analytical Psychology, divided the human psyche into three parts: 1) the conscious ego, 2) the personal unconscious, and 3) the collective unconscious. As the third component of the psyche, the collective unconscious is the most controversial comprising a deeper level of unconsciousness. It is made up of powerful emotional symbols called archetypes, which are images common to all people and have been formed from the beginning of time. Therefore, their 'nature' is 'transpersonal' rather than individual or personal.These archetypes are derived from the emotional reactions of our ancestors to continually repeating events, such as the rising and setting of the sun, the changing of the seasons, and repeating interpersonal relationships such as mother-child (Howard S. Friedman, 1999). The presence of such archetypes, symbols or emotional patterns predisposes people to react in predictable ways to common, recurring stimuli.
Further, there are many archetypes, and though they can blend and mould into each other in different cultures, all people contain within them the model of each archetype. Consequently, since people use these symbolic forms to understand the world and their experiences , they appear in all human forms of expression such as literature, drama, art, media and advertising etc. It is interesting to say that the nature of an archetype is such that people can recognise it instantly and are able to attach to it a specific meaning. Therefore, archetypes can be associated with many kinds of behavioural and emotional patterns: a perfect modern example of such patterns are brandlogos, commercials and Social Media Emoticonsand Symbols.
Let's find out the magic of Archetypes and Symbols:
The basic archetypes in Analytical Psychology
- the Animus - the Anima (Catherine Collin, 2012): It exists as the masculine component of the female personality and as the feminine attributes of the male psyche ,respectively. This is the 'other half', the half that was taken from us as we grew into a boy or girl. Both archetypes help people understand the nature of the opposite sex, and because they contain 'deposits of all impressions ever made' by a man or woman, so they, necessarily, reflect the traditional ideas of masculine and feminine. As these archetypes exist in our unconscious, they can affect our moods and reactions by manifesting themselves as either prophetic statements (Anima) or unbending rationality (Animus).
- the True Self: According to Carl Gustav Jung, this is the most important of all archetypes. It is the central, organizing archetype which attempts to harmonize all other aspects into a unified, whole self. The real goal of human existence is to achieve an advanced, enlightened psychological state of being, which Jung refers to as 'self-realization'. The pathway to this lies in the TrueSelf, which can, then, be the source of wisdom and truth by connecting the self to the spiritual. Carl Jung, clearly, stated that self-realization does not happen automatically, but must be, consciously, sought.
- the Persona (Latin for 'Mask'): It represents the socially acceptable front that people present to others. The archetype itself is an idealized picture of what people should be. Therefore, it is modified by each individual's unique efforts to achieve this goal.
- the Shadow (Howard S. Friedman, 1999): It symbolizes the shameful desires and motives that people would rather not admit. These negative impulses lead to socially unacceptable thoughts and actions.
- the Hero and the Demon (Howard S. Friedman, 1999): The hero archetype describes a strong and positive force which battles with the enemy in order to rescue another person from harm.The opposite of the hero is the demon, which embodies cruelty and evil.
- the Wise Old Man or Woman: A, usually, dream archetype, which indicates guidance, direction and wisdom.
- the Great Mother: An archetype who might appear as the dreamer's own mother or grandmother; it symbolizes the nurturer.
- the Divine Child (Catherine Collin, 2012): It represents our True Self in its purest form, symbolizing innocence or vulnerability, would appear as a baby or child in dreams, suggesting openness or potential.
- the Trickster: It is a playful archetype which exposes the dreamer's vulnerabilities and plays jokes, preventing the individual from taking himself and his desires too seriously.
The power of symbols: Their psychological meaning in Advertising, Art, Pop Culture, Cinema, Literature and our everyday life
The house: A symbol of the self, and the way we depict it can symbolize aspects of our personality or attitudes. It is, also, the source of warmth and light, and symbolizes safety, comfort and the sense of belonging.
The television: In modern times, it has replaced the hearth as a source of focus and symbolism for the family.
The key: It is a symbol of happiness.
The winding road: It symbolizes the twists and turns of the pathway through life.
The horse: It is an archetypal motif, which symbolizes life-giving but dangerous forces, as well as power and strength.
The red car: It symbolizes male sexual potency and drive. It,also, suggests the thrill of speed and power.
The crossroads: Traditionally, a crossroads marks an important point of decision, as it is a place of transition, a symbol of risk, opportunity, change, choice and transformation.
The V for victory sign (Body language gesture): Two fingers raised in a 'V' shape was, first, used by Winston Churchill, Britain's Prime Minister during the First World War (Mark O' Connor, 2007). Nowadays, it is used as a sign of triumph over adversity all over the world.
The handshake (Body language gesture): It is valuable both for guarding personal space and for breaking through spatial barriers.
The tattoo: It has become common in the youth culture of the West as an identity statement or to enhance beauty and sex appeal.
The number 1: The symbol of beginnings.
The number 9: Through its association with pregnancy, it is associated with gestation and the fulfilment of creation.
The number 12: It relates to the space-time continuum (e.g., the months of the year) and represents a completed cycle.
The horizontal and vertical lines or planes (e.g., in buildings): The horizontal planes of floors and ceilings provide grounding and enclosure or protection, while the vertical represent stature, growth and aspiration.
The ring: It can symbolize eternity, hence their use as love tokens.
The spiral: It symbolizes movement, energy, and connection with nature.
The red colour: It is the colour of sexual and romantic love, and symbolizes intense passion, fertility, aggressiveness, warmth, decisiveness, but, also, anger and danger. Not by accident, It is one of the most used colours for women's lipstick.
The yellow colour: It represents youth, playfulness, optimism, wisdom, extroversion, whereas, pale yellow can symbolize treachery and envy. School buses are, usually, yellow.
The orange colour: Midway between red and yellow represents a point of balance between the libido and spirit. Through its association with the fruit, it, also, symbolizes fertility and abundance.
The green colour: It can stand for awakenings, new beginnings, growth, renewal and spiritual refreshment. In some occasions, it can express envy, but, also, support and nurturing. Many hospitals are painted green, and many doctors are dressed in green, while performing a surgery.
The blue colour: It can evoke wide, open spaces and is linked with infinity and primordial emptiness.The blue of the sky has been associated with the male principle, while, the deep blue colour with the female principle. It is the symbol of peace, purity, dreamlike states, contemplation, introspection and yearning.
The purple colour: It is, symbolically, associated with royalty and rarity.
The black colour: It can symbolize mystery, authority and power, but, also, resurrection and eternal life, because new life was seen as emerging from the darkness.
The grey colour: It is associated with old age and wisdom.
The white colour: It is linked with purity and innocence, and in some cases, it is believed to have the power to drive death away and provide healing.
The forbidden fruit: It is, often, the apple that is portrayed as the forbidden fruit, which is eaten by Adam and Eve, the first Man and Woman. It represents human transition from the state of innocence and ignorance into the state of moral sense and responsibility.
The maze: It, often, represents modern cosmopolitan life and its various problems, which need to be resolved. There is, always, a way out of the maze!
The head: It is associated with humans' thinking capacity. It can, also, describe a person in charge.
The heart: It is not, only, the symbol of love, but, also, of truth.
The four humours ( Mark O'Connor, 2007): The Greek physician Hippocrates related bodily fluids to four 'humours', each governing a particular aspect of health and character. They were, also, associated with the 4 basic elements of the world and 4 particular colours. Blood was associated with the sanguine temperament (defined as optimistic, loving and generous), with the colour red and its element was air. Gall or yellow bile was associated with fire and a choleric temperament (defined as angry, hot-headed and vengeful). Black bile was melancholic (defined as depressive, lazy and gluttonous); its element was earth and its colour was blue. Phlegm was associated with water and the colour green; its temperament was phlegmatic (defined as dull, slow and cowardly).
The wheel: It is an enduring symbol of human endeavour and advancement.
The stork: It is said to bring babies to their mothers, while, it can, also, be the bearer of good news.
The ocean waves: They symbolize the movement of life from its most gentle to its most stormy aspects.
The whirlpool: It can represent the change from one state to another, e.g., life to death.
The rainbow: It is linked to healing and good fortune, dreams, and imaginary worlds, fertility and childbirth.
The psychological effect of archetypes and symbols through the years
According to Carl Jung, the archetypes exist in our minds before conscious thought, and can therefore have an immensely powerful impact on our perception of experience. Whatever people may consciously think is happening, what they choose to perceive, and, therefore, experience, is governed by these preformed ideas within the unconscious (Catherine Collin, 2012). Based on these ideas, archetypes and symbols have been used extensively in order to unveil the secrets of the human soul in many areas such as:
Literature: The Persona and the Shadowarchetypes
were descriptively presented in the horror novel, 'The Strange Case of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson. Dr. Jekyll
symbolizes the Persona, the self that we show
to the world, whereas, Mr. Hyde symbolizes the idea of the 'darker self'
and the 'bad' or 'unacceptable side' of human personality. In the
novel, Dr. Jekyll, often, transforms into the evil Mr. Hyde.
Fairy tales: Jung attributed the universal popularity of fairy tales and myths to their use of archetypal characters. One of the most widely known fairy tales is 'Snow White' (1812) by the Brothers Grimm, which was based on the eternal struggle between two of the most important archetypes: the Good and the Evil. Snow White represents the positive human qualities such as kindness, fairness and gratitude, whereas, the Queen the negative and harmful qualities such as jealousy, bitterness, vengeance and, finally, intention to kill in order for the Evil to win. The tale of Snow White can be found all over the world with slight variations (Catherine Collin, 2012).
Popular Psychology: John Gray's best-seller 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' (1992) reflected upon the opposite qualities of the Animus and Anima archetypes in the form of gender differences in communication. Male qualities vs female qualitites has, always, been one of the 'hottest' issues to wrestle with.
Art: One of the most fascinating examples of the effect of archetypes and symbols in modern painting is 'Summer and Winter' (2007) by fantasy and magic realism artist, Michael Parkes. The painting plays upon the concept of the opposite qualities of Summer and Winter and the Animus-the Anima Archetypes: Winter (Animus) is represented by the melancholic middle-aged man dressed in formal black clothes, whereas, Summer (Anima) by the seductive young woman in white stockings, seating half-naked on top of the middle-aged man. Concepts such as optimism vs pessimism, rationality vs emotion, confidence vs insecurity, black vs white and extroversion vs introversion are, also, depicted in the painting.
Cinema: Maybe, the most representative example of the power of symbols and archetypes in cinema is 'Spellbound' (1945) by Alfred Hitchcock. The two leading stars, Gregory Peck ('the patient') and Ingrid Bergman (the psychoanalyst), successfully, symbolize the opposite qualities of the Animusand the Anima archetypes, respectively, in an attempt to 'dive' into the secrets of the human soul. The dream sequence, which was designed by famous surrealist painter, Salvador Dali includes various psychoanalytic symbols such as the eyes, the curtains, the scissors and a man with no face. It was the first time that Analytical Psychology, Symbols and Archetypes had such an influence on cinema.
References
Mark O' Connor and Raje Airey (2007), Symbols, signs and visual codes. Southwater, Anness Publishing Ltd: London, UK.
Catherine Collin, Voula Grand, Nigel Benson, Merrin
Lazyan, Joannah Ginsburg and Marcus Weeks (2012), The Psychology Book:
Big Ideas Simply explained, London: Dorling Kindersley Limited.
Philip G. Zimbardo and Ann L. Weber (1997). Psychology, 2nd edition. New York: Longman.
Howard S. Friedman and Miriam W. Schustack (1999),
Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research. Boston, MA, USA:
Allyn & Bacon.
Charles Rycroft (1995), A critical dictionary of Psychoanalysis, 2nd edition. London: Penguin Books.
Picture Source Links
https://designschool.canva.com/blog/social-media-icons/.
Tim Voridis
Organisational Psychologist/Consultant - Communication and Personality Specialist
'Innovation for a brighter future'.
