Collective Unconscious
Definition
The collective unconscious refers to structures of the unconscious mind shared among beings of the same species. It contains archetypes, which are latent universal pre-dispositions towards specific ways of perceiving and behaving in the world.
Analogy
If your mind was an iceberg, then collective unconscious would be like the part underwater that's common across all icebergs (people). It's not visible on surface level (consciousness), but it forms a significant part of our mental structure with universal themes like love, fear etc., just like all icebergs share similar underwater characteristics despite different shapes above water.
Related terms
Archetype: These are universally understood symbols or terms or patterns of behavior within one’s psyche based on common human experiences.
Anima/Animus: These are Jungian archetypes representing feminine and masculine principles within each person respectively.
Shadow Self: This represents unknown dark side of personality; negative aspects we choose not to identify with.
"Collective Unconscious" appears in:
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (9)
Who proposed the concept of 'Collective Unconscious' in the context of personality development?
How might you design a study to investigate Carl Jung’s theory that archetypes are universal symbols within our collective unconscious?
Who expanded on Freud's theories to develop the concept of the collective unconscious?
How would Carl Jung's concept of the collective unconscious explain a person's irrational fear of snakes even without previous traumatic experiences?
Who developed the concept of collective unconscious as part of his theory on personality?
How did Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious differ from Freud’s conception of the unconscious?
How does Carl Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious intersect with religious studies?
How can one validate Jung’s theory on collective unconscious influencing dreams?
Who developed the idea of 'archetypes' within a collective unconscious?
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.