fei75766_ch04_107-148.indd 114  02/19/20 09:00 AM
Part II    Psychodynamic Theories114
Contents ofthepersonal unconscious arecalled complexes. Acomplex isan
emotionally toned conglomeration ofassociated ideas. Forexample, aperson’s experi -
ences withMother maybecome grouped around anemotional coresothattheper-
son’s mother, oreventheword “mother,” sparks anemotional response thatblocks the
smooth flowofthought. Complexes arelargely personal, buttheymayalsobepartly 
derived from humanity’s collective experience. Inourexample, themother complex 
comes notonlyfrom one’s personal relationship withmother butalsofrom theentire 
species’ experiences withmother. Inaddition, themother complex ispartly formed by
aperson’s conscious image ofmother. Thus, complexes maybepartly conscious and
maystemfrom boththepersonal andthecollective unconscious (Jung, 1928/1960).
Collective Unconscious
Incontrast tothepersonal unconscious, which results from individual experiences, 
thecollective unconscious hasroots intheancestral pastoftheentire species. Itrepre -
sents Jung’s most controversial, andperhaps hismost distinctive, concept. Thephysi -
calcontents ofthecollective unconscious areinherited andpassfrom onegeneration 
tothenextaspsychic potential. Distant ancestors’ experiences withuniversal con-
cepts suchasGod, mother, water, earth, andsoforth havebeen transmitted through 
thegenerations sothatpeople inevery clime andtimehavebeen influenced bytheir
primitive ancestors’ primordial experiences (Jung, 1937/1959). Therefore, thecon-
tents ofthecollective unconscious aremore orlessthesame forpeople inallcultures 
(Jung, 1934/1959).
Thecontents ofthecollective unconscious donotliedormant butareactive 
andinfluence aperson’s thoughts, emotions, andactions. Thecollective unconscious 
isresponsible forpeople’s many myths, legends, andreligious beliefs. Italsoproduces 
“bigdreams,” thatis,dreams withmeaning beyond theindividual dreamer andthat
arefilled withsignificance forpeople ofevery timeandplace (Jung, 1948/1960b).
Thecollective unconscious doesnotrefertoinherited ideas butrather to
humans’ innate tendency toreact inaparticular waywhenever theirexperiences 
stimulate abiologically inherited response tendency. Forexample, ayoung mother 
mayunexpectedly react withloveandtenderness tohernewborn infant, eventhough 
shepreviously hadnegative orneutral feelings toward thefetus. Thetendency to
respond waspartofthewoman’s innate potential orinherited blueprint, butsuch
innate potential requires anindividual experience before itwillbecome activated. 
Humans, likeother animals, come intotheworld withinherited predispositions to
actorreact incertain ways iftheirpresent experiences touch onthese biologically 
based predispositions. Forexample, amanwhofallsinloveatfirstsight maybe
greatly surprised andperplexed byhisownreactions. Hisbeloved maynotresemble 
hisconscious ideal ofawoman, yetsomething within himmoves himtobeattracted 
toher.Jungwould suggest thattheman’s collective unconscious contained biologi -
callybased impressions ofwoman andthatthese impressions wereactivated when 
themanfirstsawhisbeloved.
How many biologically based predispositions dohumans have? Jungsaidthat
people haveasmany ofthese inherited tendencies astheyhavetypical situations in
life.Countless repetitions ofthese typical situations havemade them partofthehuman 
biological constitution. Atfirst,theyare“forms without content, representing merely theFinal PDF to printer