Exploring Jung's Theories

What is the Psychology Of Mythology?

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    Summary

    This video delves into the psychological understanding of mythology, largely influenced by Carl Jung's theories. Myths transcend time and culture because they're embedded in the collective unconscious, a shared mental reservoir of symbols and archetypes. Jung believed myths convey profound insights into the mind's workings through universal motifs. The video explores how myths remain relevant, serving as tools for personal development and self-understanding, illustrating Jung's insights into the psyche and the unconscious mind. Mythology offers guidance on navigating internal landscapes, playing a vital role in personal growth and societal culture.

      Highlights

      • Myths serve as windows into our collective psyche, as per Carl Jung's insight. 🌌
      • Despite scientific advances, mythology and its modern equivalents continue to captivate us. 🌟
      • Jung proposed archetypes such as the 'Wise Old Man' and 'Benevolent Mother' as universal figures. đŸ‘ŽđŸ‘”
      • Public myths and private dreams exist as two sides of the same coin, revealing varied cultural interpretations. 🌑
      • Through myth, individuals find guidance, helping them confront personal fears and aspirations. 😌

      Key Takeaways

      • Myths are embedded in our psyche, originating from a 'collective unconscious.' 🌌
      • Jung viewed myths as revelations of the unconscious mind, not mere allegories. 🧠
      • Archetypes, universal symbols, inhabit the collective unconscious. đŸ€”
      • Mythology guides personal development and offers psychological insights. 📚
      • Cultural myths reflect innate human fears and aspirations, bridging psychology and storytelling. 🌍

      Overview

      The Psychology of Mythology video takes a deep dive into how myths are more than just stories. According to Carl Jung, they are profound expressions of our unconscious mind. Jung refutes the notion that myths simply explain physical phenomena and proposes that they reveal deep-seated psychological truths via archetypes that reside in a collective unconscious shared by all humans.

        Central to Jung's theories are archetypes, which serve as universal symbols or characters found in the myths and dreams of all cultures. Whether it's the 'Wise Old Man' or the process of 'Death and Rebirth,' these archetypes reveal mankind's shared experiences and insights. Jung's groundbreaking ideas highlight how myths continue to offer valuable glimpses into our minds, despite our scientific advancements.

          Finally, myths are not passive stories but active tools for individual growth and societal cohesion. They guide us in our journey of self-discovery and help integrate various aspects of our personality. This video explains how myths fulfill psychological needs, aiding not just personal enlightenment but enriching cultural narratives across the ages.

            Chapters

            • 00:00 - 01:30: Introduction to Mythology and Psychology The chapter explores the relationship between mythology and psychology, suggesting that myths can be understood on a psychological level. It references various scholarly theories regarding the nature and meaning of myths. Myths and folklore, present across all cultures and time periods, are deemed significant and perhaps intrinsic to human experience. The text suggests that myths, particularly those featuring dying and reborn gods, helped ancient cultures comprehend physical processes, especially in agrarian societies.
            • 01:30 - 04:30: Carl Jung and the Collective Unconscious The chapter discusses Carl Jung's notion of the collective unconscious, highlighting how ancient myths, like those of Adonis and Persephone, serve as allegories for natural cycles like the seasons. These stories, while rooted in an ancient understanding devoid of modern science, continue to resonate and captivate people due to their archetypal elements that echo within the collective unconscious. Jung's perspective suggests that myths endure not only as historical narratives but as timeless expressions of human psychology and shared experience.
            • 04:30 - 08:30: Archetypes in the Collective Unconscious The chapter discusses the enduring popularity of myths, legends, and folklore, particularly focusing on modern superhero stories, which are seen as contemporary equivalents of ancient hero myths. It explores Carl Jung's perspective that psychology is crucial for understanding mythology. As a psychoanalyst, Jung delved deeply into comparative mythology and religion, driven by the dreams of his patients and his obsession with understanding fundamental questions about human nature through myths.
            • 08:30 - 13:30: Purpose and Function of Myths The chapter titled 'Purpose and Function of Myths' explores the nature and origin of myths, posing questions about their subject matter and function. It references a theory of myth that was rejected, particularly focusing on Carl Jung's perspective. Jung viewed myths as original revelations from the preconscious psyche, expressing involuntary statements about unconscious psychic happenings. Contrary to being allegorical of physical processes, myths, according to Jung, are centered on the internal world, specifically the mind.
            • 13:30 - 15:00: Final Thoughts and Conclusion The chapter discusses the language of myth as a symbolic representation of internal psychological processes, highlighting how external phenomena like the sun and weather were used metaphorically. To truly grasp Jung's psychological theory of myth, an understanding of his concept of the Collective Unconscious is necessary. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the division of thought into conscious and unconscious realms.

            What is the Psychology Of Mythology? Transcription

            • 00:00 - 00:30 Can myths be understood on a psychological level? Many scholars have proposed various theories as to the nature and meaning of myths. Myths and folklore appear across all cultures and time periods, so clearly they are very important to us, perhaps even intrinsic to the human experience itself. Some scholars propose that myth served as a way for ancient cultures to understand physical processes. Stories of gods that die only to be born again were important to early agrarian societies,
            • 00:30 - 01:00 as they were an allegory of how vegetation succumbed to the cold of winter, but returned again in spring. The stories of both Adonis and Persephone fit this theory well. This theory might ring true for the ancients, but it can’t explain why stories of gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters continue to captivate us. After all, we have a much more scientific understanding of the world, we don’t need Zeus or Demeter to explain the weather and other natural processes.
            • 01:00 - 01:30 Stories of superheroes–which are the modern equivalent of ancient hero myths–are more popular than ever. So why does myth, legend, and folklore endure today? For Carl Jung, psychology was the key to understanding mythology. A psychoanalyst by profession, the dreams his patients relayed to him eventually led him down the rabbit hole of comparative mythology and religion. He became obsessed with three questions:
            • 01:30 - 02:00 What is the subject matter of myth? What is the origin of myth? What is its function? He outright rejected the leading theory of myth when he said: Myths are original revelations of the preconscious psyche, involuntary statements about unconscious psychic happenings, and anything but allegories of physical processes. To Jung, myths were about the internal world, the world of the mind.
            • 02:00 - 02:30 The language of myth only used external phenomena as symbolic explanations. The rising and setting of the sun, thunderstorms, and floods were all coded explanations of processes that occurred within the mind. To fully understand Jung’s psychological theory of myth, we need to start at his theory of the Collective Unconscious. All thought can be divided into the conscious and unconscious.
            • 02:30 - 03:00 At any given moment, we can focus on only a few conscious thoughts, such as what we want to eat for dinner, or how to crush the next big presentation at work. But beneath this upper level of thought lies the iceberg of the unconscious, which contains our underlying aspirations, fears, desires, childhood memories, and much more. Every so often, the hidden thoughts of the unconscious bubble up to the surface.
            • 03:00 - 03:30 Jung found that it was his patients’ dreams that most often revealed the hidden wishes of the unconscious. By interpreting dreams, Jung was able to unlock childhood trauma and harmful beliefs that patients harbored towards themselves, often without their conscious awareness that they held those beliefs. But what intrigued Jung most of all were not the memories of the personal unconscious. Eventually, he would uncover memories from what he called the collective unconscious.
            • 03:30 - 04:00 Patients relayed dreams that were not, and could not, be accounted for by their personal experiences. Even more interesting was that multiple patients would describe similar events, characters, and symbols from these strange, “larger than life” dreams. A famous example comes from one patient, who Jung lovingly calls the “Solar Phallus Man.” In this man’s dream, he saw a phallic tube emanating from the sun, and the movement of
            • 04:00 - 04:30 this tube is what caused the wind. A strange dream to say the least. But most interestingly, there are records of this exact vision that were experienced by mystics in an ancient Hellenistic religion known as the Cult of Mithras, more than fifteen centuries prior to the dreams of the Solar Phallus Man. The prevalence of common dreams and visions, not derived from personal, everyday experiences
            • 04:30 - 05:00 led to the formation of the Collective Unconscious theory. Jung believed that all human beings inherited a shared library of images, motifs and symbols. Through dreams and meditation, everyone has access to the collective unconscious regardless of culture, gender, age, or any other characteristic. I believe everyone’s had a dream like this at least once in their life.
            • 05:00 - 05:30 Something so strange and fascinating it’s impossible that it could be derived from your own memories. At the same time, the dream feels timeless and important, it sticks with you, like the world is trying to tell you something. To Jung, the myths of the world are produced by those who have had profound encounters with the Collective Unconscious, so much so that they have committed their experiences to these enduring stories.
            • 05:30 - 06:00 This explains why there are so many recurring themes, characters, and events even across cultures and time periods. As the mythologist Joseph Campbell said: Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths. So imagine, then, that the Collective Unconscious is a place, say a library within the mind, yet shared with all other human minds on earth. What ‘books’ does this library contain? The answer is archetypes.
            • 06:00 - 06:30 In Jung’s theory, archetypes inhabit the collective unconscious. These are powerful, fundamental motifs. They can be thought of as universal symbols. They do not depend on anything for their existence, they always were, they have always existed within the human psyche. Myth and storytelling serve only as a way to encounter these archetypes. It can be hard to grasp the concept of Jungian Archetypes, so let’s identify a few examples.
            • 06:30 - 07:00 The “Wise Old Man” is one archetype. We see the Wise Old Man in the Biblical Moses or King Solomon, or, in more modern times, as Professor Dumbledore, Gandalf the Grey, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The “Benevolent Mother” is another archetype, and can be seen in the Virgin Mary or the Hindu Goddess Parvati to name a few. Archetypes are not only confined to human characters.
            • 07:00 - 07:30 Jung subcategorized these “Archetypal Figures,” but there are also Archetypal Events and Archetypal Motifs. Archetypal Events generally refer to life-changing, human-centric events. “Death and Rebirth,” “The Coronation of a King,” and “Separation from Parents” are all examples of Archetypal Events. Archetypal Motifs generally refer to symbols in the natural world that mean something on a psychological level.
            • 07:30 - 08:00 “The World Tree,” “The Creation,” “The Flood,” “The End of Days” are all archetypal motifs. As mentioned, archetypes live within the Collective Unconscious, independent of any particular personal or cultural interpretation. However, we can never view the archetypes directly. We can only ever see them through a filter. Privately, we see archetypes through dreams and visions, at which point they are subjected
            • 08:00 - 08:30 to our own interpretations and expectations. Publicly, we see archetypes in myth and folklore, at which point they embody certain cultural values or fears. That is why although the archetypes are shared, the myths that draw from them can vary wildly. It is like the parable of the elephant and the blind men. One man touches the elephant’s tusk and says the creature is hard and sharp like a
            • 08:30 - 09:00 spear. Another touches its trunk and says it’s long and smooth like a snake. The elephant is the archetype and we are the blind men, its imperfect interpreters. We may be able to grasp aspects of the archetype, but never comprehend it in its entirety. We can see this in two of the most famous instances of “The Savior” archetype, Jesus Christ, and the Buddha. They share many similarities.
            • 09:00 - 09:30 They both renounced the distracting pleasures of the world to deliver a saving message to humankind. But the nature of each savior’s message is different. Christ calls his followers to renounce sin, repent, and love and serve God and neighbor. On the other hand, the Buddha preaches that suffering is caused by desire, and that the cessation of desire can be reached through the eightfold path. So, according to Jung’s theory, we now understand that the archetypes of the collective unconscious
            • 09:30 - 10:00 are the origin of myth. But what is the purpose of myth? Why do we as humans tell each other stories using recurring motifs from a shared library of symbols? Is it useful to us in any way? The answer is a resounding “Yes”. To Jung, the unconscious is always trying to impart information and wisdom. But its attempts at communication are not always recognized or appreciated by the conscious
            • 10:00 - 10:30 mind. Far too often, we ignore our dreams or innermost thoughts, dismissing them as irrelevant gibberish. The message of the unconscious falls on deaf ears, because we cannot understand its peculiar language of symbols and motifs. On the other hand, myth makes the revelations of the collective unconscious available to most everyone. Because myth is codified into writing and shared throughout the community, we take it
            • 10:30 - 11:00 more seriously than we do the thoughts confined to our own minds. Within myth, we find guidance to deeply personal, psychological questions. In the heroes we identify with, we see examples of compassion and forgiveness, but also of assertiveness and strength. In flood myths, we see how to survive and recover after calamity. Jung believed that frequent encounters with the world of myth was integral in the process
            • 11:00 - 11:30 of individuation, or the process by which one cultivates a stable personality where passions, fears, and aspirations are all well-regulated within the mind. Through myth, one can confront their own shortcomings, and attach themselves to a hero or god that exemplifies the qualities they wish to develop. In this way, the myth maker, that is, the creator of myths, performs a vital role in their community.
            • 11:30 - 12:00 They provide a gateway to the world of myth, which individuals enter to become highly inspired and fulfilled. On a psychological level, a religion is meant to serve its followers by providing the opportunity for encounter with myth. As an example, the Catholic Church seeks to bring its adherents into a profound union with the mythic life of Christ: His birth, education, ministry, betrayal, crucifixion,
            • 12:00 - 12:30 and resurrection. The many facets of His life provide models for one’s own personal development. The mass and the rosary are the physical tools meant to promote this encounter. But the cultivation of self is not limited to only those who follow a specific religion. In the modern age, we have unparalleled access to all the enduring myths from across the world.
            • 12:30 - 13:00 For the seeker who derives inspiration from Celtic, Germanic, Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, or Chinese mythology, there are seemingly infinite portals into the world of the unconscious. That’s all I have for today. If you enjoyed this video, please be sure to leave a like, as it really helps promote our videos. Also, consider subscribing and ringing the notification bell so you don’t miss any of our future videos. Feel free to reach out to me on Youtube or Instagram to say hi or request a video.
            • 13:00 - 13:30 Thank you so much for watching, hope to see you next time!