Carl Gustav Jung

Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) was the Swiss psychiatrist who founded analytical psychology. Initially Sigmund Freud’s chosen heir, Jung eventually broke away due to theoretical differences, seeking a deeper understanding of the soul beyond sexuality. During a subsequent period of psychological crisis, he recorded his visions in the famous *Red Book*, a process that shaped his mature theories. Jung proposed that beneath the personal unconscious lies a 'collective unconscious' shared by all humanity, structured by universal archetypes, primordial patterns like the Shadow, the Anima/Animus, and the Self. He introduced the concept of 'individuation,' the lifelong process of integrating these unconscious elements into a whole, balanced personality. His work on psychological types, including introversion and extraversion, provided the foundation for modern personality theory. Jung’s legacy persists in psychology, art, and comparative mythology, offering a framework for exploring the symbolic meaning behind human experience.