Chapter 4- The individual’s understanding
of himself
Humans are capable of understanding, inventing
and planning for the future but we lack these
things in regard to the knowledge of the self;
what Jung called the quantite negligeable.
We are a negligible quantity, in may ways
an enigma and contradiction.
We can easily judge physiological distinctions
between other organisms but despite being
a conscious being, we lack self-judging criteria.
Self-knowledge and judgement is the one thing
that makes us unique yet it is also a mystery
to ourselves.
Being the youngest science of the sciences,
psychology at first had to contend with mythological
symbolism, as well as against the materialist
idea that the psyche is an epiphenomenon;
that consciousness is just a by-product of
biochemical processes in the brain.
As opposed to psychology, parapsychology is
rejected since they are usually the product
of hasty explanations.
Jung questions reductionism in regards to
understanding the complexity of the psyche,
since it can’t be reduced to the structure
or physiology of the brain.
Consciousness is paramount since without consciousness
there is no outer reality; “Consciousness
is a precondition of being”.
Hence mental being or the psyche is just as
important as physical being.
The individual is the carrier of consciousness
who is a product of the psyche which gradually
awakens during childhood.
The emphasis on the individual is important
since firstly it counteracts the statistical
rule because by definition, individuals are
unique and secondly, it is permitted by religion
in so far as individuality is under the heel
of the collective.
Focusing too much on individuality is considered
by religion and statistical, scientific analysis;
as egotistic obstinacy, since it is devalued
as being spiritually prideful in the former
and subjective in the latter.
Jung believed fear of the unconscious was
the greatest obstacle to self-knowledge, and
that it was this fear that lead to the devaluing
of the subjective, and the rise of dogma.
There are problems in the scientific approach
as discussed in chapter 1, limitations in
the nomothetic approach in using experiments
and creating generalisations since it doesn’t
translate very well into the realm of medical
psychology.
Subjectivation occurs when the practitioner
and the patient engage in dialogue, which
delves deeper into the uniqueness of the patient’s
situation.
It is both important to know generally as
well as understand specifically the neurosis.
Discourse is a complicated process since the
doctor aims to understand and treat the condition,
having to monitor what they say as to not
trigger the neurosis.
The doctor provides a different angle, one
that the patient can’t see; and fosters
a relationship so that the treatment could
take place.
It would be unwise to compare the individual
to the norm or society, since that may lead
to deindividuation and an inability to express
the true self.
A compelling question to ask is why people
form groups in the first place?
Jung answers that groups lead to a sense of
security.
Similar to safety and wish-fulfilment in childhood,
groups and groupthink lead to a fulfilling
of all needs, absolute answers to questions
and irresponsibility; where one doesn’t
have to worry about anything.
This paves the road to tyranny which is always
‘ipso facto immoral’ since it leads to
the devaluing of the individual.
Man is a consequence of his environment which
Jung spoke of as the world-conditioning psyche,
as well as a product of biology; in the form
of instincts and archetypes.
This leads to continual conflict as to serve
our nature or serve what has been conditioned;
which brings about one-sidedness.
Conflict can lead to paradoxical dissociation
as one must give into one whilst forsaking
another.
The ultimate goal for the individual psyche
is to produce a synthesis to reduce contradiction;
whether between nature or nurture, or between
the ego and the unconscious.
The synthesis must culminate in an experience;
often expressed as a symbol.
This ties back into religious symbols that
have managed to stand the test of time even
though they are not fully comprehended.
It is difficult to get rid of spirituality
since it is instinctive and serves a function
for the human being.
When this natural function for faith is lost,
something else takes its place and this results
in disturbance; whether it be desire for money,
work, sex, power, etc.
Those who are unconscious of their shadow
or dark side; projects this into how they
see other people.
It is much easier to point out the problem
and project into greater systems such as the
evils of Communism as opposed to evaluating
the problems of the individual’s mentality.
This can culminate between the battle of the
individual rational conscious, and the infantile
fantasies of the unconscious.
Neurosis comes into fruition when strengthened
by abnormal circumstances and when coming
up against a problem that could not be consciously
solved.
The neurotic builds up in the unconscious
until it breaks through into the conscious.
As a result, this leads to dissociation and
splitting of the ego.
Jung borrows heavily from Freud (his mentor),
who saw mental processes as if they resulted
from hydraulic pressure, where an excess lead
to a increased pressure or in this case a
neurosis, it must be vented out.
Jung believes that this leads to impulses
and a blurring of the lines between imagination
and reality.
Being expressions of the Archetypes, Impulse
and instinct take over; which aren’t blind
processes since they were adapted in order
to cope with certain external situations.
These instincts however may surprise the modern
man who have adapted and developed their will,
consciousness and reason.
