A brief introduction to psyche
Jung (as cited in Geçtan, 2012) explained the structure we call mind today with the concept of psyche, which constitutes the whole of the personality. Psyche; Consciousness consists of personal unconscious and social unconscious systems. Although these systems are different from each other, they interact with each other (Geçtan, 2012). While the parts that the person is directly aware of and recognize are included in the consciousness, all experiences that have never reached consciousness or have been repressed are included in the personal unconscious (Boeree, 2006).
Collective unconscious – spiritual inheritance – genetic memory
Coming to the concept of social (collective) unconscious, Jung (as cited in Geçtan, 2012) draws from childhood experiences and environmental influences. He thought that there might be another phenomenon affecting the mind and introduced the concept of social unconscious. Just as heredity and evolution affect the body, they also affect the soul, and thus the mind can be said to have been shaped by evolution. The evolution of the brain, which is the organ of mental functions, is directly related to the formation of the collective unconscious (Geçtan, 2012). The collective unconscious can be called spiritual inheritance because it is where all the experiences of the human species are stored and everyone is born with this information but is not aware that they have this information (Boeree, 2006). From here we can understand that people are connected to their past and that the lives and behaviors of their ancestors are engraved in their minds. As for the universality of the collective unconscious, the mentioned issue is valid for all humanity as it includes human history and evolution. The fear of snakes, which is the most common example of this, is ingrained in the brain and is the result of our ancestors' experiences being passed down through generations. Since the collective unconscious is the product of a common and secret memory from the past that has not been experienced at a conscious level before, a person knows that a snake is dangerous even if he has never encountered a snake before. When we think of another example of this, we may think of a person's involuntary need to pick up a stick while walking in a forest or a secluded place, even though there is no danger. This situation is caused by the genetic memory that humans have. It can be clicked. Since our ancestors' fight with dangerous animals with sticks exists in our collective unconscious, our brain enables us to display self-defense behavior.
Sometimes people say and do things without knowing how they know it. In fact, not knowing how you know it means that that thought has not been experienced in consciousness before, but exists in the collective unconscious. An example of this is that when a new bride enters her house for the first time, rice is scattered over her head, which almost all of us think is meant to bring abundance. When you ask the people around you about this, you get the answer of abundance, but when you ask how they know, they say they don't know but they think it is. In this way, we see the existence of the collective unconscious.
Are archetypes collective?
Archetypes reflect the content of the collective unconscious and are as many as the number of real-life events and objects (Geçtan, 2012). Archetypes are tendencies that are not taught to a person but are known from birth and enable him to realize an experience by following a certain path (Boeree, 2006). When archetypes have their counterparts in real life, vague images turn into living or inanimate beings; an example of this is the mother archetype. Jung (as cited in Geçtan, 2012) stated that archetypes are universal. There are four basic archetypes that are of great importance in the development of personality, and they are listed as: persona, anima/animus, shadow and self.
Persona
The identities and masks that people acquire in order to adapt to society define the persona archetype (Geçtan, 2012). Persona reflects what a person thinks he is, not what he actually is (Jung, 2012). Although the existence of these masks is known to everyone, Jung (as cited in Geçtan, 2012) reveals that they are a reflection of innate archetypes. In other words, a person's effort to adapt to society pushes him to behave in different ways and even to appear to be someone he is not when necessary. Adapting to society means acting according to certain norms, laws and traditions, so we can say that the persona archetype is a collective archetype that is valid for all humanity and facilitates social living.
Anima and Animus
Women and men living together throughout history have included characteristics of each other, and this has affected them to know each other better. Anima and animus represent the feminine and masculine sides of men and women in their collective unconscious (Boeree, 2006). The woman in the man's psyche is called anima, and the man in the woman's psyche is called animus. The anima and animus archetype, which describes the introverted face of a person, is inherent in every man and woman and ensures the formation of some appropriate norms in the unconscious (Geçtan, 2012). Every man carries the image of a woman inside him, and this unconscious image consists of the traces left by femininity until today and all the experiences of our ancestors (Jung, 2012). The passion or hatred a man feels for a woman can be explained by his anima (Jung, 2012). Mothers and fathers are the first examples that settle into the child's anima and animus image, and while a man finds women who resemble his mother more attractive, he finds women who do not match his mother's image more repulsive, the same is true for women (Geçtan, 2012). The lack of development or extinction of a person's anima and animus can explain many behaviors of a person. A man who denies the woman inside him acts only with his masculine aspects in his consciousness. Men who generally display rude and masculine characteristics are examples of this.
Shadow
The shadow archetype is something that the person cannot cope with in his consciousness. These are common psychological elements that are not allowed to express themselves because they create contradictions in the unconscious (Jung, 2012). The shadow tells the true and dark side of the human being, and since it is not welcomed in society, it has to be suppressed in the unconscious (Jung, 2012). Although the shadow seems like a negative figure, it also has positive aspects and meaningful content. The archetypal element that a person must first accept and integrate in his journey of self-knowledge is the shadow (Jung, 2012). The shadow archetype is the archetype that is related to a person's gender and affects their relationships with their own gender (Geçtan, 2012). Jung (2012) states that the shadow figure the person sees in his dream is of the same gender as himself. If a person accepts his shadow, his relations with his own gender will be positive; if the shadow is rejected, it will be negative (Geçtan, 2012). didn't like it in ourselves What we reject because of what we are is our shadow, and rejection of the shadow means that the person suppresses what he wants to do but cannot do, his desires, thoughts and animalistic impulses. The reason for rejecting the shadow is to adapt to society, so the persona that will suppress the shadow comes into play (Geçtan, 2012). The shadow archetype is a powerful archetype that has preserved its existence since the first humans, as it includes the animalistic impulses of humans, so that emotions such as wild desires, ambition, and jealousy existed in the first humans and continue to exist today. Rejection of the shadow archetype causes human life to become ordinary and lose its vitality (Geçtan, 2012). If a person simply lives by social rules and ignores the dark side of his or her own self, psychopathological consequences may occur. For example, a person may think that he or she is living a meaningless life and show depressive symptoms in later years. On the other hand, the creativity of a person who is aware of his shadow can improve. A person who accepts his shadow can use his creativity to find new ways of communication. After all, since the shadow reflects the person's true feelings, the person uses these communication methods to show this side of himself to other people. A person who accepts himself is more open to other people. Mental energy is directed towards creativity, not hiding or repressing. The person now manages to direct his energy towards himself rather than his relationships with people, and his mental function and creative thinking speed increase. A person who is aware of his shadow is also aware of his desires, it is necessary to keep the functioning of the shadow in balance, because the person who lives completely according to his wild desires and impulses only sees darkness. It is governed by its aspect and may not be accepted in society.
I (Self)
The ego archetype is the element that organizes and regulates personality and other archetypes (Jung, 2015). What I understand in the definition of the element that organizes the personality is that both the conscious and the unconscious are considered as a whole. In other words, the ego archetype ensures that the archetypes, which are the reflection of the social unconscious, and their appearance in consciousness form the personality as a whole. If the person feels in harmony, he/she can successfully perform the task of the ego archetype. It clarifies (Jung, 2015). In this case, if the person feels that there is no harmony within himself, it can be said that the ego archetype cannot fully perform its duty because the person's shadow, persona and anima/animus have not been fully integrated and remain dark.
The place of archetypes in the psychotherapy process
The most important goals of psychotherapy are to provide insight and to help the person use and develop his potential. Regarding the persona archetype, how often and for what purpose a person uses their mask, and whether there are areas where they can reflect their inner world and get rid of their masks can help us understand human behavior. If there are places where people get rid of their masks and feel comfortable, these are safe spaces for them, and it is important for the person to feel safe and be himself in order to protect his mental health. If people get too caught up in their roles, they move away from their inner world, become alienated from their environment and become lonely (Geçtan, 2012). During the psychotherapy process, the positive and negative aspects of the persona archetype are talked about, and when the client sees the negative aspects, he can realize how far he has moved from his inner world. This awareness can help the client develop insight. As the client gains insight, the effect of the persona may begin to decrease, and thus, in therapy, cooperation is made to reveal the underdeveloped aspects of the client, that is, his potential. The client's persona is actually the mask he uses to hide aspects of himself that he knows will not be accepted by society. Thus, during therapy, it is necessary to try to understand the unacceptable aspects of the client, that is, his shadow.
When people recognize and develop their anima and animus, men and women can get closer to each other on many issues. When men do not hide their feelings and show the compassionate side of themselves, and women show the courage and the side of them that is ready to fight, they will get closer to each other. In fact, when they see that both genders have similar feelings, they will understand each other better. Men who are described as rude and masculine
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