Jung’s Archetypes in the Study of Mythology
My name is Justin Mitchell. In December 2021, I received an Associate in Arts degree from Oakton Community College (OCC). I plan on furthering my education at a small liberal arts college. In this way, I can experience a similar atmosphere that I have grown accustomed to at OCC. Throughout my time at OCC, the relationships that I have formed with professors and students have been a necessary catalyst to my academic growth. Since my deepest interests include psychology, philosophy, and literature, I look forward to in-depth discussions with students and professors, which I believe are essential to a higher understanding of any subject matter. I am excited to continue my education in psychology and philosophy, moving toward a better understanding of the human experience in a rapidly changing world.
Scholarships and Awards: Oakton Honors Student of the Year
Abstract
This paper elucidates the vital function of culture and tradition in preserving and transmitting knowledge of the psychic life of the human species. Utilizing the gnostic Gospel of Thomas and the hagiography of fifteenth century Swiss Monk Nicholas of Flüe as case studies, I apply Carl Jung’s theories of the “collective unconscious” and the “archetype” to instances whereby culture and tradition appear to directly influence the psychic life of the human being. I argue that culture and tradition provide human beings with a causal structuration of reality, composed of symbolic formulae, into which they assimilate abnormal experiences for the sake of psychological balance. Psychological balance can be represented as an equilibrium between the two incongruous halves of a person’s psyche, the conscious and the unconscious psyche. Culture and tradition prove to be key factors in facilitating an equilibrium between the conscious psyche and unconscious psyche of a human being.
Course: Honors Independent Study, “Psychological Approaches to Mythology and Religion.” This seminar followed earlier work completed in an Honors: World Religions course.
Instructor: Dr. Charles Townsend, Humanities and Philosophy
