Jung and the search for meaning

It was Jung who came up with ideas like the collective unconscious (a kind of invisible connected consciousness, a bit like the digital cloud), archetypes (recurring symbols in the human experience), anima and animus (the inner male and female aspects), synchronicity (meaningful co-incidences) and much more. I think I like him so much because he understood the power of symbols and stories. He was also very interested in mysticism, religion, alchemy, the paranormal and even UFOs – all as psychological phenomena.

Jung also saw the importance of our search for meaning as a fundamental human driver. This is one of the things I’ve found to be absolutely true in my own life. It has shaped a lot of my thinking – even my doctoral (PhD) research. His autobiography – Memories, Dreams and Reflections – is maybe the best place to start (at least it was for me).

Another psychologist who has inspired me is Abraham Maslow, famous for his hierarchy of human needs. His work on self-actualisation (e.g. in The Farther Reaches of Human Nature) is especially interesting. This line of study has been continued more recently by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (e.g. in his book, Flow). I highly recommend Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl. This autobiographical book provides deep insights into the resilience of the human spirit, even through extreme suffering (surviving the holocaust, in his case).

Beyond just enjoying stories, what Jung taught me is that our lives – and our society more generally – are shaped by meta-narratives, or what are sometimes called myths. Mythology is something far more than silly fables and legends. When Jung studied myths – and others subsequently, like Joseph Campbell (e.g. in The Hero with a Thousand Faces) – he found that they contain recurring symbols and themes, which he called archetypes. Probably the most common myth that unconsciously influences us is the hero myth (think Harry Potter).

In my own life – especially since I chose to make my work all about “saving the planet” – the hero myth is strong. What it took me years to realise, however, is that the hero’s path comes with many sacrifices (in some ways, my divorce was an example of this). It also took me time to see that there are other archetypal paths that can inspire just as well. A great clue to these is a Tarot card deck, with its figures like the Hermit, Fool, Wise Man, Trickster and so on. For myself, maybe pursuing the path of the “teacher” or “philosopher” or “storyteller” are better than the “hero”.