Table Of Contenti
C. G. Jung’s Archetype Concept
The concept of archetypes is at the core of C. G. Jung’s ana-
lytical psychology. In this interesting and accessible volume,
Roesler summarises the classical theory of archetypes and
the archetypal stages of the individuation process as it was
developed by Jung and his students. Various applications of
archetypes, in cultural studies as well as in clinical practice, are
demonstrated with detailed case studies, dream series, myths,
fairy tales, and so on.
The book also explores how the concept has further developed
as a result of research and, for the first time, integrates findings
from anthropology, human genetics, and the neurosciences.
Based on these contemporary insights, Roesler also makes a
compelling argument for why some of Jung’s views on the con-
cept should be comprehensively revised.
Offering new insights on foundational Jungian topics like
the collective unconscious, persona, and shadow, C. G. Jung’s
Archetype Concept is of great interest to Jungian students,
analysts, psychotherapists, and scholars.
Christian Roesler is a professor of Clinical Psychology at the
Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Freiburg, Germany,
and Lecturer of Analytical Psychology at the University of
Basel, Switzerland. He is also a Jungian psychoanalyst in pri-
vate practice in Freiburg and a member of the faculty of the
C. G. Jung- Institutes in Stuttgart and Zurich.
ii
ii i
C. G. Jung’s Archetype
Concept
Theory, Research and
Applications
Christian Roesler
Translated by Alexander Ulyet
and Christian Roesler
iv v
First published in English 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2022 Christian Roesler
Translated by Alexander Ulyet and Christian Roesler
The right of Christian Roesler to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First published in German by W. Kohlhammer Verlag GmbH, 2016
British Library Cataloguing- in- Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 52805- 8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 51053- 4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978- 1- 003- 05845- 8 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/ 9781003058458
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Newgen Publishing UK
v
Contents
List of illustrations viii
1 Introduction 1
2 The classic definition and theory of Jung’s
concept of archetypes 6
2.1 Definition 6
2.2 Archetypes in the life of the individual 9
2.3 Manifestations of archetypes 14
2.4 The collective unconscious 18
2.5 The individuation process 20
2.5.1 The two halves of life and the midlife crisis 21
2.5.2 The Persona 22
2.5.3 The shadow 23
2.5.4 The image of the soul: Anima and Animus 26
2.5.5 Digression: criticism of the Anima–Animus concept
and contemporary conceptions 29
2.5.6 The old sage and the great mother (the mana
personalities) 30
2.5.7 The Self 33
2.5.8 The individuation process 36
2.6 Classical works on the core archetypes 37
2.7 Further classical investigations of archetypes from
Jung’s successors 40
vi vi i
vi Contents
2.8 On the history of the term 41
2.9 Parallel concepts in general psychoanalysis 45
2.10 Parallels to the collective unconscious in other schools
of psychotherapy 46
3 Criticism of the classic concept of the
archetype and expansions 52
3.1 Problems and contradictions in the Jungian
concept of archetypes 53
3.1.1 Biological definition 54
3.1.2 Empirical statistical definition 55
3.1.3 Transcendental definition 55
3.1.4 Cultural psychological behaviour 57
3.2 Expansions of the archetype concept from Jung’s direct
pupils 63
3.2.1 Michael Fordham’s theory of the process of
deintegration and reintegration as an extension of
Jung’s theory of the Self 63
3.2.2 Erich Neumann’s History and Origins of
Consciousness 64
3.2.3 The archetypal psychology of James Hillman 65
4 Research on the archetype concept and
resulting further developments of the theory 70
4.1 Scientifically verifiable elements of Jung’s term
‘archetype’ 73
4.2 Empirical evidence for archetypes 75
4.2.1 Association studies: corresponding interindividual
core complexes 75
4.2.2 Proof for inherent mental structures 76
4.2.3 Anthropological research 77
4.2.4 Research on altered states of consciousness 79
4.2.5 Experimental studies on archetypal memory 82
4.2.6 Research with the archetype concept 86
4.2.7 Discussion of the empirical evidence 88
4.3 Explanatory approaches for the emergence and the
transference of archetypes 92
4.3.1 State of the art in human genetics and epigenetics 92
4.3.2 Endophenotypes 99
vi i
Contents vii
4.3.3 Concepts and research results from Gestalt
psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience 100
4.3.4 Archetypes as emerging structures 102
4.3.5 Mirror neurons and the ‘intersubjective shared
space’ 105
4.3.6 A reformulation of the archetype concept 108
4.4 Research on the collective unconscious, in the sense
of an unconscious, interpersonal connection 115
5 Applications of the archetype theory 119
5.1 The amplification method 120
5.2 Clinical application 122
5.2.1 Character – identity – biography 122
5.2.2 The role of archetypes in the psychotherapeutic
process 131
5.2.3 Case study of therapeutic work with archetypal
dream elements 140
5.2.4 Archetypal transference 146
5.2.5 The archetype of the wounded healer as an
orientation for a psychotherapeutic approach 148
5.2.6 Using the archetype concept to explain the dynamic
in couple relationships and its use in couple
therapy 153
5.2.7 The use of the archetype concept in therapeutic
encounter groups: an example from the men’s
movement 161
5.3 Applications in cultural studies 162
5.3.1 Cultural psychology: analysis of mythological
narratives 163
5.3.2 Archetypes in political psychology 186
6 What is the state of archetype theory? – a
tentative conclusion 190
Appendix 194
References 197
Index 210
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Illustrations
Figures
5.1 Marriage quaternio – the conscious and
unconscious relationship between therapist and
client as well as unconscious/ archetypal factors
which influence it 152
5.2 ‘The Journey of the Hero’ 175
Table
5.1 Typology of the identified archetypal story patterns 125
1
1 I ntroduction
By way of an introduction to the theme of archetypes, I would
like to begin with the following case study, which occurred some
years ago in my practice. At the time I was giving psychotherapy
to a young man in his early 20s, who had contacted me pri-
marily because of a recurring depression. It emerged after some
time and a reluctant disclosure on his part, that along with this
depression came a misuse of cannabis. This abuse had gone so
far that my client would often spend long periods of the day
dozing. He exhibited signs of cognitive disturbances, such as
difficulty in concentrating and weakness of memory, which
in conjunction with his depression was causing his career to
suffer. At seven years old my client had experienced the death
of his mother, who had died from blood poisoning as a result
of hospital treatment. From then on, he lived together with his
father and his much older sister, who took over the maternal
role for him in the time that she lived at home. When my client
was 14 years old, his father was diagnosed with cancer and it
quickly became clear that he would also die of the illness. At
this time the client’s older sister had already left home and lived
with her partner and her own family, some distance from my
client’s residence. My client now had to cope, as a youth, with
the slow decline and eventual death of his father and eventu-
ally remain completely alone in the now empty home of his
parents. The relevant child protection services had decided that
he was in a position to manage his daily life alone. My client
lived alone in his parental home, cut short his schooling and
DOI: 10.4324/9781003058458-1
