The Concept of the Unconscious [445]
I. The Distinction between the Personal and Impersonal Unconscious.
Development of concepts—Removal of repression does not empty the unconscious—Repression is a special phenomenon—The unconscious contains not only repressed material, but subliminal sense-impressions which have never reached consciousness—It is constantly busied with new phantasy formation—Patients are urged to retain their hold on repressed materials that analysis has brought into consciousness—Prolonged analysis reveals contents other than those of a personal nature—Necessity to differentiate a layer called the "personal" unconscious whose materials originate in the personal past—Their omission from consciousness constitutes a defect or neglect—The moral reaction against this neglect shows they could become conscious if sufficient trouble were taken—The gradual transference of the personal unconscious contents into consciousness extends the periphery of consciousness.
II. The Consequences of Assimilation of the Unconscious [449]
First result is increased self-consciousness—May lead to a sense of God-Almightiness in one type, or to overwhelming self-depreciation in the other—A result of ascribing to oneself qualities or vices that do not belong individually but collectively—The collective pysche divided into collective mind and collective soul—The collective contains the "parties inférieures" of Janet; the conscious and personal unconscious contains the "parties supérieures"—Incorporation of the impersonal unconscious leads to a dissolution of the pairs of opposites—As seen in neurotic, who combines megalomania and sense of inferiority in extreme degree—Primitive man possesses the collective vices and virtues in an undifferentiated way—Mental conflict only begins with conscious personal development—Desire to be good brings about repression of the bad—Collective view-point, though necessary, is dangerous to individuality—Collective psyche is the result of psychological differentiation of the gregarious instincts—Dangers of identification with collective psyche—Recognition of the different psychology of the types a safeguard, promoting a proper respect for individuality of the opposite type—Individuation hampered by man's suggestibility and tendency to imitation.
III. The Individual as an Excerpt of the Collective Psyche [456]
The personal unconscious contains repressed materials capable of becoming conscious—By also incorporating the impersonal contents the state of God-Almightiness is brought about—The "persona" a mask for the collective psyche—Development of God-Almightiness, physical concomitants—Dissolution of the persona results in release of phantasy—Analogy with mental derangement—Difference consists in that the unconscious is at first deliberately brought into consciousness by consent, and later that it is recognised as having psychic validity only.
IV. Endeavours to free the Individuality from the Collective Psyche [459]
(i) The Regressive Restoration of the Persona—Three ways open, (a) Regressive application of a reductive theory; (b) application of God-Almightiness as a "virile protest;" (c) recognition of the primitive archaic collective psychology in man—Temptation to solve the difficulty by forgetting one has an unconscious—This does not work—The unconscious cannot be deprived of libido, nor its activity stilled for any length of time.
(ii) Identification with the Collective Psyche—God-Almightiness developed into a system—Identification increases feeling for life or sense of power, according to the type—This, mystically understood, is the "yearning for the mother" of the hero-myth, or the "incest-wish" of Freud—It is the collective psyche that has to be overcome—Identification with the collective psyche is a failure because being lost in it, a bearable or satisfactory life is impossible.