Options
A phenomenological study of archetypal imagination : research dissertation
Author(s)
Date Issued
2018
Publisher
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Description
Hong Kong Shue Yan University. Dept. of Counselling and Psychology.
Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.) -- Hong Kong Shue Yan University, 2018.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-52).
344 p.
Type
Thesis
Programme
Master of Social Sciences in Counselling Psychology
Abstract
Archetypes have been believed to by Jung (Jung, 1968; Jung, 2004) and many post-Jungian
analytical psychologists (Schaverien, 2005) to be fundamental to the psychological make-up of every human individual who “partakes of a universal or collective unconscious that persists through generations”. Jung conceived an archetype as “essentially an unconscious content that is altered by becoming conscious and by being perceived, and it takes it colour from the individual consciousness in which it happens to appear” (Jung, 1968).
The researcher’s further thinking about possible representations of archetypal content suggest that it may be possible to, through some form of conscious means, identify such representations manifested within imaginations, which are considered by Jung (1971) to be “direct expression of psychic life or psychic energy which cannot appear in consciousness except in the form of images of contents”. Imaginations of such nature, to be collectively called “archetypal imaginations” in the present study, include dreams, “waking dreams”, visions and fantasies of individuals, in which archetypal representations in the form of images may appear (Mattoon, 1984; Schaverien, 2005; Watkins, 1984; Jacobi, 1959).
This research dissertation is the report on a study of the psychological phenomena of experiences associated with archetypal imagination. Based on literature reviews of previously conducted related research studies, there appears to be a gap in obtaining any qualitative understanding from across a relevant set of individuals regarding their attempts at making sense of their archetypal imaginations (that is, those containing archetypal images) as experienced by them. A qualitative investigation of such experiences and the resulting sense-making attempts would be significant in terms of seeking to fill an apparent research gap and therefore becomes the goal of the present research.
The results of this phenomenological study suggest that although the transcendental function might seek to bridge conscious and unconscious opposites by “the emergence of a symbol from the fantasy-producing activity of the psyche” (Miller, 2004) through archetypal imaginations, individuals concerned could find it difficult to properly reflect on such experiences given the nature of the transcendent function for being “irrational”, “spontaneous”, “natural”, “discursive”, “complex” and “difficult” (Jung on Transcendent Function, 2017). Whilst personal subjective association of the symbolic materials can be conducted as part of the individuals’ sense-making with or without appropriate third-party guidance or facilitation, a symbol amplification process with “its goal of connecting personal material to the cultural and archetypal foundations of human experience, often opens up a whole new world to an individual” (Singer, 2017) and “leads to significant clues which lie in one’s culture unconscious and in the collective unconscious”. On the other hand, despite the empowering effects of sense-making activities including personal subjective association and amplification of the archetypal contents, holding the tension of opposites sought to be revealed by the transcendent function is not something that is either pleasant or easy (Jung on Transcendent Function, 2017) and therefore an individual’s personal attitude towards facing such tension plays a key role in whether some form of “collaboration of conscious and unconscious data” (Miller, 2004) can be possibly achieved.
The researcher’s further thinking about possible representations of archetypal content suggest that it may be possible to, through some form of conscious means, identify such representations manifested within imaginations, which are considered by Jung (1971) to be “direct expression of psychic life or psychic energy which cannot appear in consciousness except in the form of images of contents”. Imaginations of such nature, to be collectively called “archetypal imaginations” in the present study, include dreams, “waking dreams”, visions and fantasies of individuals, in which archetypal representations in the form of images may appear (Mattoon, 1984; Schaverien, 2005; Watkins, 1984; Jacobi, 1959).
This research dissertation is the report on a study of the psychological phenomena of experiences associated with archetypal imagination. Based on literature reviews of previously conducted related research studies, there appears to be a gap in obtaining any qualitative understanding from across a relevant set of individuals regarding their attempts at making sense of their archetypal imaginations (that is, those containing archetypal images) as experienced by them. A qualitative investigation of such experiences and the resulting sense-making attempts would be significant in terms of seeking to fill an apparent research gap and therefore becomes the goal of the present research.
The results of this phenomenological study suggest that although the transcendental function might seek to bridge conscious and unconscious opposites by “the emergence of a symbol from the fantasy-producing activity of the psyche” (Miller, 2004) through archetypal imaginations, individuals concerned could find it difficult to properly reflect on such experiences given the nature of the transcendent function for being “irrational”, “spontaneous”, “natural”, “discursive”, “complex” and “difficult” (Jung on Transcendent Function, 2017). Whilst personal subjective association of the symbolic materials can be conducted as part of the individuals’ sense-making with or without appropriate third-party guidance or facilitation, a symbol amplification process with “its goal of connecting personal material to the cultural and archetypal foundations of human experience, often opens up a whole new world to an individual” (Singer, 2017) and “leads to significant clues which lie in one’s culture unconscious and in the collective unconscious”. On the other hand, despite the empowering effects of sense-making activities including personal subjective association and amplification of the archetypal contents, holding the tension of opposites sought to be revealed by the transcendent function is not something that is either pleasant or easy (Jung on Transcendent Function, 2017) and therefore an individual’s personal attitude towards facing such tension plays a key role in whether some form of “collaboration of conscious and unconscious data” (Miller, 2004) can be possibly achieved.
Availability at HKSYU Library
