ARCHETYPES
Archetypes are basic pictures that each of us hold deep within our unconscious and belong to what Jung called the Collective Unconscious. They are, in a sense, ‘psychic’ blueprints. These blueprints – while potentially perfect – can become distorted by childhood experiences, socialization and even parental experience. Throughout the book you will see various cross-references to certain archetypes and characters. They are the stuff of which dreams are made and closely approximate to the ‘lost’ parts of the personality that Fritz Perls decreed could be rescued. Because they are universal, archetypes can present in many guises, yet ultimately with thought are totally recognizable.
Three facets of our personality show themselves separately in dreams. Sometimes they appear as people we know, sometimes as fictitious or mythical characters or beings, and sometimes as other images. The most difficult side we all have has been called the Shadow and is the personification of our worst faults and weaknesses. It is the part of us that is the same sex as us, but has been suppressed because it is frightening and unmanageable. Then there is the Anima, or in a woman, the Animus – this represents the opposite sex within the dreamer. In a man it is all that is instinctive, feminine and sensitive. In a woman, it is her masculine attributes of logic and objectivity.
Finally, there is the ideal or True Self, which holds our highest possible creative potential and is most likely initially to communicate through dreams. Although the Self first appears as potential belonging to the future, as the other aspects become properly integrated the individual may then become the whole, real and many-sided Self.
If we are prepared to work with the archetypal images and to understand them, the dream figures can help to create a sustainable reality that exists beyond any of them. They will then have fulfilled their function, and so will be unlikely to reappear in dreams except in times of stress. Because the most important quality of our inner being is energy, which can then become power, each of these dream images represents a different aspect of those vital forces we have at our disposal, and each in its own way can stimulate this energy into action.
For an understanding of the archetypal figures and their functions, it is important to keep the aim of personal growth in focus. Personal growth takes place as we learn to understand and integrate each of these facets of our character. Each aspect of the personality must grow in its own sphere without disturbing the function of the others. As each aspect matures, we are able to understand more and more about ourselves. When conflict does arise between them, while the process may be painful it should not be destructive.
The interaction between them should both enhance and hone the character; those parts, having first been seen as separate entities and then understood, should become familiar and properly integrated into the whole personality. Then it really is a case of the ‘whole being greater than the sum of the parts’.
The Ego
When are dreaming and are observing what is going on, the part that observes is the Ego. Because it is our most conscious aspect, we tend to be more aware in dreams of the conflicts it has with our other aspects. When it has become split off or separate from other parts of the personality, we do not experience the world correctly. When this process goes too far, other aspects ‘kick back’ as it were, and try to redress the balance through dreams.
The Ego assesses our external reality but, if we are not careful, the need for an ‘inner rightness’ – an exaggerated need for fantasy – can overtake this reality. Developing objective self-criticism, observation of our fantasies and patience can create a balance.
The proper balance necessary between the inner and the outer, between logic and intuition or reason and imagination means that the Ego must be brought under control, although it can never be given up altogether.
The Shadow (a figure of the same sex as the dreamer)
This appears in a dream as the person whom we fail to recognize, a vague instinctual figure, sometimes standing behind the dreamer. Often this figure initially appears to be the opposite sex to the dreamer and can therefore be confused with the Animus and Anima. It is only later that it is recognized as the same sex. It is the part of our potential that we have never developed; it is our neglected side. It contains those aspects of our character that have already been thwarted and frustrated, but above all parts which have never been recognized.
Everyone has his or her individual Shadow, and it is nearly always the worst side of us that we have failed to recognize. Meeting the Shadow is painful: it is the shock of seeing ourselves as we really are at our worst. When we are able to face this dreadful entity with humility, we can accept ourselves, and from that acceptance learn to see the rest of reality honestly. We can then often resurrect those normal instincts, appropriate reactions and creative abilities that we have consciously suppressed and buried along with the malicious and destructive sides of the personality. When harnessed and understood, this vital energy becomes a force for forward movement rather than a dangerous enemy.
The Shadow will often appear in dreams as someone we heartily dislike, are afraid of or envy, but whom we cannot ignore. We begin to grow when we realize that some change in circumstance has given us an opportunity to bring it to the surface rather than ignore it in the hope that it will go away.
When we work with these frightening dream images, we can often stop projecting the negative aspects outwards and use the energy formerly spent protecting or suppressing them for growth and creativity. We can begin to mature and be real.
When we are not prepared to explore both sides of our personality, we lose a great deal because the way in which we have experienced life most comfortably becomes more difficult. The extrovert discovers that he is unable to cope with the outside world, and the introvert loses his sense of inner peace. Dreaming can enable us to integrate the Shadow into the personality in such a way that we are able to live more fully both on an inner level and on an outer level. Dreams can both alert us to the need for integration and also assist in the process.
Anima/Animus (a figure of the opposite sex to the dreamer)
No one can quite approximate to the ideal feminine within the man or the ideal masculine within the woman. This confusion of the inner ideal with the outer reality can cause a problem throughout life in any male/female relationship. These inner figures have been called the Anima and the Animus. If we can come to terms with them and accept them for what they are, they become the origin of our understanding of the opposite sex as well as helping us to open up to the inner realms. If this potential for androgyny (inner union) is neglected or abused, in later life the individual is likely to be cut off from contact with the important aspects of the opposite sex. It is possible that the suppressed inner function may come to the fore, making a man behave in an unstable fashion, whereas a woman may, for instance, become quarrelsome.
Anima
This is the emotional and intuitive side of the male’s nature. Principally his mother, but additionally all the women the individual has known, will help to form his image of the feminine and give focus to all the feminine forces within him. In dreams this female figure may show herself as a completely unknown woman, aspects of women the dreamer has known, or as feminine deities.
Dreams make an attempt to offset unbalanced conscious attitudes. The
Anima will often appear when a man is neglecting the feminine side of himself, for instance by forcing everything he is into the masculine which puts the qualities of tenderness, obedience and sensitivity beyond his grasp. If he fails to integrate these feminine attributes of warmth and genuine feeling properly, he will be perceived as rigid, world-weary or irresponsible. The suppressed feminine may also erupt into moodiness and temper tantrums rather than the more positive attributes.
When she is thwarted, the Anima turns into the completely negative feminine illusion that destroys all around her. The Anima becomes the guide to inner wisdom only when man confronts his destructive side and learns how to handle the energy he has available.
Animus
This part of the personality is the masculine part within a woman’s character. When a woman learns how to integrate this properly, she is able to develop her logical, deliberating side, along with the ability to enhance self awareness. This inner masculine is affected by a woman’s early contact with the masculine around her. Interestingly, if the men around her have not been particularly adept in their own understanding of themselves, a woman’s Animus can reflect that lack of understanding.
The Animus usually manifests itself in dreams to highlight the woman’s need to develop the masculine traits in her personality. Only when she is able to develop her own judgement can she then use the masculine within to good effect without over-developing the need to compete with men, or equally to be destructive to other women. If the negative side of the Animus dominates a woman’s ability to think and plan, she may become obstinate and self-seeking, feeling that life, and particularly men, owes her success. When in dreams the Animus surfaces over and over again in one form or another, she must develop that side of herself that can judge without being judgmental, create strategy without being rigid, and can deliberately rather than instinctively maintain a hold on her inner reality.
Dreams allow us access to the peculiar characteristics which make each of us unique. When we have accessed the Animus or Anima we can allow ourselves to manage them in waking life and to take advantage of the energy released. There may be conflict between the masculine attributes and the feminine ones, but once some kind of a balance is established the integration of the whole character can take place. This leads to a much greater awareness, and ease of life.
The Self
The Self is the archetype of potential. It has in fact always been present, but gets hidden behind the necessary development of the personality, and can occasionally become confused with the Shadow. While the Shadow and
Animus/Anima have almost deliberately been neglected, the Self holds the true secret of the properly integrated personality, which can only be revealed by working with it. Because the true potential beckons from the future, the first experience in dream form of the Self may be a figure encouraging us to move forward. Later, it becomes a symbol of wholeness, an ideal that we can work with in the here and now to create a sustainable future for ourselves.
As man begins to reach out further and further to understand the world he inhabits, a whole area of material becomes available to him which, if he dares, he is able to access and make use of. This is the unknown, unknowable higher spiritual quality held within us all. Each experience of it is unique, but its knowledge is truly universal. It is the inner guidance which we need to understand and trust. By learning to access this information, we learn once again that we are part of a greater whole with all its attendant glories. We are often initially aware of it as a holy figure or some aspect of the particular god we have worshipped – Christ, Buddha, Krishna and so on. We exist through time and space as an entity, but are also involved in all things. It is often perceived as a knowledge we have already had without being fully conscious of it. We interact not just with other people but also with everything – we are ultimately all part of one greater whole. It is, as it were, a two-way traffic between the uniqueness and the glory of our being.
When images of this archetype – such as a guru, a god, a saintly animal, a cross, a mandala or other geometric shape – begin to appear in dreams, we are ready to face the process of becoming whole. This non-egocentric greater reality becomes so much part of our personal experience that we stand in danger of confusion. We belong to the human race and must live within our created world. We also belong to the spiritual world and have a personal responsibility within that realm. Only by achieving a balance between the two, and a full interaction, can we hope to be whole.
When negative or destructive images occur connected with this part, we are aware that we are neglecting the power of the Self. It is often at this point that we make a decision to advance and to change for the better. If we do not, often change will be forced upon us.
The Great Mother/Mother Earth
This archetype is the embodiment of all the aspects of femininity, both positive and negative. It suggests total wholeness in a woman, and is the ability to make use of all areas of her personality. In reaching for this perfection, woman must use and clarify all the separate functions of her being. She must learn to use sensation, feeling, thinking and intuition as her tools rather than as weapons. This archetype is not the exclusively mothering side of woman, but is a much more spiritual inner sense of Self. All life, and the instinctual awareness of its processes, is her domain, and can be cultivated in many different ways.
A Woman’s Self
Every woman is the embodiment of feminine energy, ultimately seeking full expression in the Great Mother. Her focus is on the intangible side of life, on instinct and on feeling. Her abilities express themselves through the functions of sensation, feeling, intellect and intuition. She knows and understands the processes of life and death and of rebirth. Her images tend to be of fullness and nurturing, but also of the erotic and earthly.
She seeks to procreate, but at the same time knows she holds within the ability to destroy. She can be ruthless when it comes to destruction, seeing no point in maintaining that which she considers imperfect. In each individual woman there is a striving to express each function as fully and completely as possible, and she will tend to compensate for what she feels to be her own inadequacies by seeking balance through her man. Thus, the mothering type of woman seeking union with a man who needs mothering is often perceived, as is the virago with the hen-pecked husband. The interesting thing is that these relationships work until such times as either partner recognizes that they can develop other sides of their personality.
The Wise Old Man
This is the prime archetype for the man’s whole Self, in all its aspects. Like the Great Mother for the feminine, he is the composite figure of all the masculine attributes, properly understood and integrated. When a person recognizes that the only appropriate guidance is that which comes from within, the Wise Old Man often appears in dreams.
It is as though his appearance is triggered by desperation on the part of the dreamer. By pulling on the deep reserves of the unconscious, a guardian and friend appears to be a source of inspiration and understanding, to give advice and to support necessary decisions. Within the Wise Old Man are combined the functions of sensation, feeling, thinking and intuition.
A Man’s Self
A man’s Self will express itself much more through intellect, logic and conscious spirit. The civilized world and a technological society can mean that men are forced into the position of having to make decisions and judgements, which completely deny the intuitive function. Primitive tribes had a much greater affinity with the earth and therefore less need to use intellect, but there is a tendency now to have the pendulum swing totally the other way.
Each individual again grows into maturity by developing the functions of thinking or intellect, sensation, emotion and intuition. In this day and age as man understands more of the process of separation from the mother as a process of individuation and growth, so also he appreciates his need to be separate from, and yet connected with, his unconscious self.
Provided he does not try to overcompensate by developing the macho side of himself at the expense of everything else, he will eventually reach a state of balance which allows him to relate to the rest of the world on his own terms. He will achieve an integration which allows him to function properly as a human being. If he loses himself too much on an intellectual level, his dreams will begin to depict the danger he is in.
The unconscious mind appears to sort information by comparing and contrasting. When we are aware of conflict within ourselves – whether this is between the inner and the outer selves, the masculine and feminine or whatever – we may dream in pairs of opposites (e.g. masculine/feminine, old/young, clever/stupid, rich/poor). It is as though there is some kind of internal pendulum which eventually sorts out the opposites into a totally unified whole.
The juggling that goes on in this way can take place over a period of time. A dream clarifying the masculine side of ourselves may be followed by a dream clarifying the feminine. Often in dream interpretation, looking at the opposite meaning to the obvious can give us greater insight into our mental processes.
Functions of the Archetypes
Jung began studying archetypes and dividing function into thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. Initially, he did not consider the feminine aspect of this work. Following various advances made by his pupils, it became possible to build up a type of ‘map’ of the interaction between all of these functions and to discover where distortions occur. Each function has a ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ quality which is perhaps better described as ‘greater’ and ‘lesser’. Each of the masculine and feminine sides of the personality has these four functions, thus there are 64 (8 x 8) interactions possible. Where a distortion has occurred, we tend to project on to those around us the archetype with which we have most difficulty (often the Shadow).
Consequently, there will be a tendency to repeat situations over and over (e.g. the woman who continually finds herself in close relationships with a father figure type, or the man who continually finds himself at odds with women executives) until we learn how to cope with – and understand – our distortion. The obverse of this is that, with awareness, one is able to accept other’s projections on to oneself without being affected by them.
Perfect balance would be achieved by using all aspects of the personality as shown below.
The feminine archetypes are:
Kindly Mother – this is the conventional picture of the caring mother figure, forgiving transgression and always understanding. Because much has been made of this side of femininity, until recently it was very easy to overdevelop this aspect at the expense of other sides of the personality.
Destructive Mother – this woman may be the ‘smother-mother’ type or the frankly destructive, prohibitive mother. Often, it is this aspect who either actively prevents or – because of her effect on the dreamer – causes difficulty in other relationships.
Princess – this is the fun-loving, innocent, childlike aspect of femininity. She is totally spontaneous, but at the same time has a subjective approach to other people.
Siren – this type is the seductress, the sexually and sensually aware woman who still has a sense of her own importance. In dreams, she often appears in historic, flowing garments as though to highlight her erotic power.
Amazon – the self-sufficient woman who feels she does not need the male; she often becomes the totally career-focused woman. She enjoys the cut and thrust of intellectual sparring.
Competitor – she is the woman who competes with all and sundry – both men and women – in an effort to prove she is able to control her own life.
Priestess – this is the highly intuitive woman who has learnt to control the flow of spiritual information and use it for the common good. She is totally at home within the inner world.
Witch – the intuitive woman using her energy to attain her own perceived ends. She is subjective in her judgement and therefore loses her discernment.
The masculine archetypes are:
Kindly Father – this side of the masculine is the conventional kindly father figure who is capable of looking after the child in us, but equally of being firm and fair.
Ogre – the angry, overbearing, aggressive and scary masculine figure, often arising from the dreamer’s relationship with their father or father figure.
Youth – the fun-loving, curious aspect of the masculine is both sensitive and creative. This is the ‘Peter Pan’ figure who has never grown up.
Tramp – this is the real freedom lover, the wanderer, the gypsy. He owes no allegiance to anyone and is interested only in what lies around the next corner.
Hero – the hero is the man who has elected to undertake his own journey of exploration. He is able to consider options and decide his next move. Often he appears as the Messianic figure in dreams. He will rescue the damsel in distress, but only as part of his growth process.
Villain – the villain is completely selfishly involved, not caring who he tramples on in his own search. He is often the aspect of masculinity that women first meet in everyday relationships, so can remain in dream images as a threatening figure if she has not come to terms with his selfishness.
Priest – the intuitive man is the one who recognizes and understands the power of his own intuition, but who usually uses it in the service of his god or gods. He may appear in dreams as the Shaman or Pagan priest.
Sorcerer – this is the man who uses discernment in a totally dispassionate
way for neither good nor evil, but simply because he enjoys the use of power. In his more negative aspect he is the Trickster or Master of Unexpected Change.
