This entry provides a brief introduction to some of the main aspects of the work of C.G. Jung, followed by a description of how his work was developed by others during his lifetime and afterward. This entry provides an overview of the Jungian tradition in Depth Psychology. It begins with a discussion of how Jung’s ideas differed from those of Freud and opened a distinct tradition of analytic (Jungian) psychology. By identifying the other influential people who contributed to the amplification of Jung’s work, this article then details how these ideas expanded beyond the work of training analysts to become a more influential, impactful, and widespread phenomenon.
- C. G. Jung
- analytical psychology
- archetypal psychology
- Jungian arts-based research
Depth Psychology is distinguished from other forms of psychology because it foregrounds the importance of the Unconscious as a major influence on human reality. Other forms of psychology, such as behavioral psychology or social psychology, focus on what can be directly known or observed: these schools take self-assessments at face value. Depth Psychology presupposes that true knowledge requires a process of working with different kinds of psychic phenomena (including dreams and inexplicably physical symptoms) that suggest repressed or otherwise unknown psychological content. Jungian approaches to Depth Psychology are unique in emphasizing the role of archetypes as cross-cultural patterns in the collective Unconscious that provide a universal mirror for common human problems and possibilities in life.
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/encyclopedia5030120