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Chapter 4    Jung: Analytical Psychology115
possibility ofacertain typeofperception andaction” (Jung, 1937/1959, p.48).With 
more repetition these forms begin todevelop some content andtoemerge asrelatively 
autonomous archetypes.
Archetypes
Archetypes areancient orarchaic images thatderive from thecollective unconscious. 
They aresimilar tocomplexes inthattheyareemotionally toned collections ofassoci -
atedimages. Butwhereas complexes areindividualized components ofthepersonal 
unconscious, archetypes aregeneralized andderive from thecontents ofthecollec -
tiveunconscious.
Archetypes should alsobedistinguished from instincts. Jung(1948/1960a) 
defined aninstinct asanunconscious physical impulse toward action andsawthe
archetype asthepsychic counterpart toaninstinct. Incomparing archetypes to
instincts, Jung(1975) wrote:
Asanimals ofthesame kindshow thesame instinctual phenomena alloverthe
world, manalsoshows thesame archetypal forms nomatter where helives. As
animals havenoneed tobetaught theirinstinctive activities, somanalsopossesses 
hisprimordial psychic patterns andrepeats them spontaneously, independently of
anykindofteaching. Inasmuch asmanisconscious andcapable ofintrospection, 
itisquite possible thathecanperceive hisinstinctual patterns intheform of
archetypal representations. (p.152)
Insummary, botharchetypes andinstincts areunconsciously determined, andboth
canhelpshape personality.
Archetypes haveabiological basis butoriginate through therepeated experi -
ences ofhumans’ early ancestors. Thepotential forcountless numbers ofarchetypes 
exists within eachperson, andwhen apersonal experience corresponds tothelatent 
primordial image, thearchetype becomes activated.
Thearchetype itselfcannot bedirectly represented, butwhen activated, it
expresses itselfthrough several modes, primarily dreams, fantasies, anddelusions. 
During hismidlife encounter withhisunconscious, Junghadmany archetypal dreams 
andfantasies. Hefrequently initiated fantasies byimagining thathewasdescending into
adeepcosmic abyss. Hecould make littlesense ofhisvisions anddreams atthattime, 
butlater, when hebegan tounderstand thatdream images andfantasy figures were
actually archetypes, these experiences tookonacompletely newmeaning (Jung, 1961).
Dreams arethemain source ofarchetypal material, andcertain dreams offer 
what Jungconsidered proof fortheexistence ofthearchetype. These dreams produce 
motifs thatcould nothavebeen known tothedreamer through personal experience. 
Themotifs often coincide withthose known toancient people ortonatives ofcon-
temporary aboriginal tribes.
Jungbelieved thathallucinations ofpsychotic patients alsooffered evidence 
foruniversal archetypes (Bair, 2003). While working asapsychiatric assistant at
Burghöltzli, Jungobserved aparanoid schizophrenic patient looking through awin-
dowatthesun.Thepatient begged theyoung psychiatrist toalsoobserve.
HesaidImust lookatthesunwitheyeshalfshut, andthenIcould seethesun’s 
phallus. IfImoved myhead from sidetosidethesun-phallus would move too,and
thatwastheorigin ofthewind. (Jung, 1931/1960b, p.150)Final PDF to printer