The Psychoanalytic School - Essay Example

"Socrates, Aristotle and Plato opened the floor for the study of human behavior and mental life in their philosophical dis s. The fundamental question involved what motivated man to do the thighs he does and how ideas come about. Two thousand years have passed and these questions remain the driving force behind the study of the human psyche of Psychology" (Atkinson, 1993, p. 9-10). The Psychoanalytic School Psychology became a scientific pursuit in the nineteenth century when it was recognized that the mind and behavior could focused on by scientific analysis (p. 29). The study of psychology has five major approaches or perspective: biological, behavioral, cognitive, phenomenological and psychoanalytic (p.11). Of these approaches, the psychoanalysis was captures the interest of many psychologists and ordinary people because of its startling applications and implications to human behavior (Jung, 1976). The psychoanalytic school of psychology was founded by Austrian physician Sigmund Freud. The central theory of the school that unconscious motivation and desires direct human behavior. The psychoanalytic model identified three key subsystems within an individual's personality: the ego, superego and id. The interaction of these three subsystems shapes observable behavior (Atkinson, 1993, p. 534). This school of thought assumes that a person's problems cannot be fully solved without understanding the unconscious influences in a person's early relationships may have contributed to the current problem of the person (p. 674). Psychoanalysis also gave birth to new outlooks on human behavior and installed Freud as one of the most recognizable names in the field of psychology. However Freud's apparent contracted and inflexible view of libido and other human behavioral motivations, which he basically viewed as sexual in context, left some of the dissatisfied and prompted them to diverge from the Freud (Booere, 2006). Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology. He used his background on Freudian theories to explore the "inner space" of the human psyche. He involved mythology, religion, and philosophy into his studies and became an expert in mystic symbolism. He concentrated on the study of dreams and their importation and devoted himself significantly to the study and correlation of Western and Eastern philosophical beliefs (Carl Jung, 2004). Carl Gustav Jung and Analytic Psychology According to Carl Jung, "As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being." (Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1989). Carl Jung tried to find the explanation to human behavior through exploring dreams, philosophy, religion and literature (Booere, 2006). His work provided archetypes of personality and behavioral theories that is still being used today by psychologist and has influenced other fields such as humanities, mythology and theology (Carl Jung, 2004). Jung's research created the idea of the complex, or cluster of emotionally charged associations. He disagrees with Freudian theory of the pervasiveness of a sexual basis for neuroses and the pessimism on human nature and motivation (Carl Jung, 2004). Jung established analytic psychology and brought forward the concepts of the introvert and extravert personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious. He also created new method for psychotherapeutic that allowed a person to know his unique "myth" or place in the collective unconscious. His work is dominated by his study of dreams, their meaning and imagination (Carl Jung, 2006). The Archetypes Jung theorized that humans have a "preconscious psychic disposition" explains why a person reacts in a specific human manner (Jung, 1966). Jung worked on the reconciliation of the individual with supra-personal archetypes and linked the archetypes to heredity and instinct. Archetype had no form of its own and functioned more as an "organizing principle" or a structural notion of psychological existence (Booere, 2006). Jung's archetypes were as follows (Jung, 1981): Shadow Archetype - this is the most basic for patterning of behavior or personality. The archetype represents the ability of going through the unconscious side of a person's unique personalities. Anima Animus or Soul Archetype - it is the second most prevalent patterning of behavior or personality. Jung makes a distinction between based on sex for this archetype, anima for males and animus for females1. The Syzygy or Divine Couple - Jung represented a kin and queen for this archetype. The archetype is to represent the pattern of completeness and assimilation The Child - this was to be the archetype pattern related to the hope and promise for new beginnings, renewal or the untouched. The Self - the self is to ultimate pattern. Jung used a God image to represent the archetype. The Collective Unconscious In order to understand the Collective Unconscious, an understanding of the archetypes must be first accomplished. The "collective unconscious" is shared by all human beings characterized by archetypes. In contrast, the personal unconscious is ordered by complexes. Similar to the concept a common gene pool, it implies that people share similar psychological predispositions (Booerse, 2006; Personality, 1952). Jung's created the methodology of acquainting one's self to the collective conscious using primarily the imagination and dreams. He suggests that the collective conscious is like a synergy of human souls and experience (Personality, 1952). The Complex Jung's concept of the "the complex" had its roots from his work University Psychiatric Clinic in Zrich with Eugen Bleuler at the Burgholzli Clinic from word association and galvanic skin response testing. It was here that Jung created the term to refer to a cluster of emotionally charged unconscious associations (Jung, 1989). Jung considered the complexes as relatively independent elements psychologically similar to the concept of multiple personalities (Carl Jung, 2004). Distinguishing it from an archetype, complex is a blueprint of unconscious thoughts and feelings that gravitate on the theme supplied by one of the archetypes. Synchronicity Synchronicity refers to the incidence of two separate events that are not directly correlated to each other but can be meaningfully related. Jung's study and concept of synchronicity is a rare that complements parapsychology (Atkinson, 2004, pp 245-247). The meaning created by these non-correlated events is mainly based in reference to the collective unconscious the people share (Jung, 1966). The Lifework of Carl Gustav Jung Carl Gustav Jung was born on July 26, 1875 Jung was born in Kesswil, Switzerland. Jung was introverted and wanted to take up archeology but was unable to do pursue his dream because of his family's financial circumstances. Jung married Emma Rauschenbach in 1903 but heir marriage was strained by infidelities (Barrows, 2006). He was an admirer of Freudian theories but became disenchanted by the Freudian emphasis on sexual trauma as the origin for all neurosis, and the literal interpretation of the Oedipus complex (Carl Jung, 2006; Personality, 1955). The publication of Symbols of Transformation in 1912 marked Jung's divergence form Freud. After World War I, Jung traveled extensively and visited Northern Africa, Kenya and New Mexico and Kenya by the middle of the 1920's and conducted the Terry Lectures, Psychology and Religion, at Yale University in 1938 (Carl Jung, 2004). It was when Jung visited India that he began to have dreams about King Arthur which prompted him to give spirituality whish is reflected in later works showing his interest in flying saucers, mysticism and alchemy. Jung died in 1961 in Zrich (Carl Jung, 2004). Jung's work has shown that he is not afraid to stand for his beliefs. His travels have allowed him to learn about the philosophies of the world and prompted him to recognize the common truths of these Philosophies (Personality, 1955). His stand against Aryanism was not just a political or ideological stand he defended but one that he gave substance to through his work that highlighted universality and appreciation of individuals. His work regarding the relationship of the individual to the rest of existence, his insights to personalities and his ability to extend his field to unexpected avenues reflected his dynamic mind and his fascination with people and their possibilities. Carl Gustav Jung Today Carl Gustav Jung today stands as one of the most popular and influential psychologists whose perspectives have extended its influence well beyond the traditional confines of psychiatry. Jung's work has been criticized as being imprecise and numinous (Atkinson, 1993, p.545). The consequences of Jung's work have influenced significantly our way of thinking. Freudians have called Jung's as mysticism or religious in nature but Jung and is remembered more fondly versus Freudian theories. Jung theories have influenced motivational programs like the Alcoholics Anonymous as well as paved the way for a positivist approach in personality testing such as the popular Myer's-Briggs Test. Jung was not afraid to study together scientific psychology and mysticism, religion and parapsychology, a traditional taboo of his field. However, because of his initiatives in this field, we are realizing more about ourselves and extending our realities. If one is to admire another for one determination and open mindedness, then Jun certainly is a person to be admired. Reference Atkinson, Rita L., Atkinson, Richard C., Smith, Edward E., Bem, Daryl J. (1993). Introduction to Psychology, 11th edition. Orlado, FA: Harcourt and Brace Publishers Bandura, A. (1975). Social Learning & Personality Development. Holt, Rinehart & Winston, INC: NJ. Boeree, C. George (2006). Personality Theories - Carl Jung. Retrieved on September 15, 2006 from http://www.ship.edu/cgboeree/jung.html Carl Jung (2004). Free Encyclopedia from Free Teacher Resources. Retrieved on September 15, 2006 from http://www.teachersparadise.com/ency/en/wikipedia/c/ca/carl_ jung.html Carl Jung (2006). Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved on September 15, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung Barrows, Andrew (2006). Carl Jung. MSU Article Archives. Retrieved on September 15, 2006 from Archives1875-1961http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography /fghij/jung_carl.html Jung, Carl Gustav (1966). The Practice of Psychotherapy: Essays on the Psychology of the Transference and other Subjects. Collected Works Vol. 16. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Jung, Carl Gustav (1967). Symbols of Transformation. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Jung, Carl Gustav (1981). The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Jung, Carl Gustav (1989). "Memories, Dreams, Reflections". Edited by Amelia Jaffe and translated by Richard and Clara Winston. Chicago: Vintage Books Time Covers Archive: 1923 to Present (2006). Cover for 14 February 1955 Issue, Exploring the Soul: A Challenge to Freud. Retrieved on September 15, 2006 from http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19550214,00.html Personality (1952). People Section Time Magazine 17 July 1952. Retrieved on September 15, 2006 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,888726-2,00.html Jung, Carl Gustav (1970). Psychiatric Studies. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Jung, Carl Gustav (1976). Analytical Psychology: Its Theory and Practice: The Tavistock Lectures. New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul Jung, Carl Gustav (2000). Collected Works of C. G. Jung. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Read More