Throughout his career, Carl Gustav Jung was driven by a deep desire to understand the relationship between the conscious mind and the vast realms of the unconscious. His numerous investigations and personal experiences helped him form the theories behind what he came to call the "individuation process." The goal of this process is the powerful sense of wholeness and autonomy that comes when an individual experiences the integration between the conscious and unconscious aspects of their psyche. It has been my own observation that Jung's individuation process shares many similarities with what I have experienced in my own life as the artistic process.

As an artist, I continuously experience the ups and downs, dry spells and flow of ideas, depression and elation that comes along with my attempt to remain in contact with the unconscious aspects of my psyche. My constant search for fresh ideas has led to numerous personal experiences that have convinced me of the vast creative resources of collective unconscious. Yet, the knowledge of its existence is not enough, one must seek out methods of communication and ways to integrate the information once it is discovered. Jung was a pioneer in this area and there is much that can be learned from his theories, as both an artist and an individual.

Before attending Pacifica Graduate Institute, I knew relatively little about Carl Jung. I had a very rudimentary understanding of psychology, and I had never even heard of "depth psychology." Yet, I knew it was an important aspect of the Mythological Studies Program, where I was applying. I also realized that I should do a bit of research before my first interview. My first introduction to Jung and his theories came in the form of a cartooned book called Jung for Beginners. While it did give a brief overview of his life and work, I remember it most for its portrayal of Jung as a somewhat crazy genius that was on a spiritual quest to understand his relationship with his father, the church, and the great unknown realms of our psyches. The book also made a special point of discussing Jung's intimate and supposedly sexual relationship with Freud and his questionable relationship with the Nazi party. After this rather crass introduction, further readings helped me understand the great importance of his many contributions to the field of psychology and our world, particularly those theories that together are called the individuation process.

Jung describes individuation as "the process by which a person becomes a psychological 'in-dividual,' that is, a separate indivisible unity or 'whole'" (212). This idea captured Jung's interest from the very beginning of his career, and became the foundation for many of his theories. Jung saw the individuation process, as "a natural process immanent in every living organism" (Jacobi 15). It is a process that can take place unconsciously, or in a variety of natural ways such as when the "personal experience of the collective unconscious is opened by dreams and, less commonly, by visions, hallucinations, synchronistic phenomena, etc." (Jaffé 76). There is still another way to approach the individuation process, which is through the "artificial" means of analysis where a deliberate attempt is made to open a dialog between the conscious mind and the collective unconscious. For Jung, this was the ideal method of individuation.

While many praise Jung and his theory of the individuation, they are not without their critics. Some complain that his theories are too limited, because they focus mostly on the issues that occur only in the second half of life; after a person has moved on from their parents and have set themselves up in their community with a vocation and family. Another thing to keep in mind in today's ever-merging cultural environment is that Jung's background and experience produced ideas that are based on a very Eurocentric point of view. In fact, Jung was "against Europeans' practicing yoga or indulging in other 'mysteries' designed for totally alien psychic structures." He believed "they do not correspond to the Europeans' state of consciousness and consequently lead him not to individuation but only into error" (Jacobi 18). While these concerns and biases are indeed valid, Jung can still be praised for his faithful attempt to provide a road map of the path to wholeness and happiness.

Unfortunately, the journey on the road to individuation is often begun with an unpleasant confrontation with our own shadow. As the transition is made from the first half of life into the second, may people encounter obstacles as the neglected aspects of our psyche attempt to be heard. According to Jacobi: "During the first half of life there is also formed, as a result of the necessarily one-sided development of the consciousness, the shadow, which is the sum qualities conforming to our sex that were neglected or rejected while the ego was being built up" (38). Jung adds that: "To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge, and it therefore, as a rule, meets with considerable resistance" (91).

The first encounter with the shadow is often experienced in the form of projections. Those who identify exclusively with their ego and are unaware of the other aspects of their being "are wont to project their unknown 'soul parts' into the surrounding world. These projections are seen in people who always believe themselves to be right and just, while others are  seen as "difficult, malicious, hateful, and the source of their troubles" (Jacobi 39). It is a time in life when every problem seems to be caused by someone else's shortcoming, such as a boss, a spouse, our parents, or society at large. Jung remarked that "it is often tragic to see how blatantly a man bungles his own life and the lives of others yet remains totally incapable of seeing how much the whole tragedy originates in himself, and how he continually feeds it and keep it going" (93).

Dealing with our shadow can be unpleasant for everyone involved, and the conflicts created often fail to expand our point of view. Many times it takes a confrontation of such a large scale that it is referred to as a "dark night of the soul." A person loses their job, their spouse, or possibly their health, and suddenly realizes that the problems they have been facing are not the fault of everyone they know. A pinnacle is reached. They can no longer deny the unpleasant aspects of their own personality that they have attempted to ignore, suppress or hide. For someone with an artistic persuasion, the breakdown can come in direct relationship to their work. It may feel as though their creative fount has dried up, their muse has left, or society-at-large has lost all interest in their work. This is the same time of life when many people seek the help of a professional psychologist to help them with such surface issues as a divorce, depression, or the inability to find a job. But, what they really have come for is to confront their own shadow, and to learn how to integrate this estranged aspect of their being back into their Self. This is the first phase of the individuation process.

After the integration of the shadow, the unconscious begins to manifest itself in the form of the man's anima or the woman's animus. These unrealized inner aspects of ourselves provide the key to the missing parts of our personality that our outward persona may conceal. Our first encounter with these missing parts often comes in the form of another person. "This person is the object of intense love or equally intense hate (or fear)" (Jung 103). However, the relationship is often unfulfilling, because we each are really looking for something inside ourselves. If the knowledge of the anima or animus is continued to be repressed, it is often expressed through the negative traits of our own personality. When men are unconscious of their feminine anima, it can be displayed in their "moodiness, irritability, subjective judgment, whininess, hypochondria (and) sentimentality" (Franz 364). When women have an unrealized masculine animus, it can make them appear "contentious, stubborn, and sometimes brutal; or else it makes them constantly talk at tangents to the matter at hand" (Franz 247). Yet, not all aspects of the anima or animus are negative.

Once a person comes to understand their relationship to their own anima or animus, there are many positive qualities that can be assimilated. Because of this, the anima/animus is actively sought out in analysis via dreams or through such methods such as "active imagination." By learning to cooperate with this inner aspect of ourselves, there are many possible rewards; men can gain a renewed sense of sensitivity and even discover their artistic nature, and women can achieve a new feeling of security, confidence and conviction. The realization of our own anima or animus can also help reduce "illusory projections," enhance relationships with the opposite sex, and make people less dependant on others. Yet, this is not the end goal of the individuation process, for a person must still discover their true Self.

Jung defines the Self as "the totality of man, the sum total of his conscious and unconscious contents" (242). In many Eastern religious philosophies such as Buddhism, the Self can be found within each human being, yet most Western religious teachings encourage people to seek these divine aspects in symbols outside themselves, such as God. Many people in this modern age have found it difficult to relate to a masculine God who is always portrayed as perfect, pure, and good. There is no room for the evil aspects of the world, no explanation, but sin, for the shadow side of someone's own personality. Jung recognized this conflict in his own life, and spent most of his career helping people find the archetypal Self inside themselves.

The Self manifests itself at various times throughout our life in the form of symbols. These symbols may suddenly burst into someone's consciousness in the form of an ecstatic experience that expands their understanding of the world, or it may happen gradually as they come to understand the symbolism behind their dreams, creative ideas and fantasies. This is the task of "active imagination," which "in its various forms—writing, painting, sculpting, modeling, dancing, etc.—help to activate the psychic depths, to maintain the vital contact between the conscious and unconscious contents, and to express the emerging symbols in plastic form" (Jacobi 58). These symbols often emerge when they are needed most; at times of great conflict or when an individual feels stuck in a rut without the answers to their problems. The first encounter with such a symbol may come by chance, but with practice, patience and perseverance, it is possible to gain confidence in the process and alleviate some of the anxiety that is felt during the period of isolation that often proceeds contact with the unconscious.

As Aniela Jaffé points out "Artists were among the first in our century to risk an encounter with the unconscious and its indefinable background" (62). The abstract and symbolist painters of the twentieth century attempted to "penetrate to the hidden spirit of nature and of things, to disclose the background of life, to portray an inner reality to express the irrational, so as to gain access to a new, vital centre" (63). But the compulsion to create and explore the unconscious is not without its consequences.

The inner voice that inspires individuation and creativity is impossible for anyone to hear over the din of the masses. The high demands of living in today's society lead most people to "follow the line of least resistance and confine themselves to the fulfillment of biological and materials needs" (Jacobi 17). The drive to "have it all" and to "fit in" with social norms leads many people away from any hope of individual development. "But even in this unconscious social condition there are not a few who are called awake by the summons of the voice, whereupon they are at once set apart from the others, feeling themselves confronted with a problem about which others know nothing." (Jung 200). Artists are notorious for living on the margins, which also gives them a special insight into the troubles that plague our society, troubles that most people would rather hide or ignore. As artist Alex Grey explains: "In a society that tries to standardize thinking, individuality is not highly prized. Yet, it is typical of artists to creatively individuate and stand out. [...] True creativity depends on fostering independent thought, and the ability to peek beyond the current cultural horizons" (27). While individuation demands a certain degree of independence, that same independence can bring about loneliness, isolation and frustration.

Risk is part of the price of individuation. Jung admits, "the right way to wholeness is made up, unfortunately, of fateful detours and wrong turnings" (256). Struggle and suffering are part of the painful growing process of expanding our unconscious, which is why many people would rather avoid the effort. But, for most artists this is not an option. "The passion and delight of making art seduces a young artist into unknowing alliance with the primal forces of creativity" (Grey 18).

The creative forces that exist within the unconscious are willing partners if they are not inhibited by our own actions. Both the individuation process and the artistic process can easily be blocked by fear, suppressed with alcohol or drugs, or avoided altogether, which can eventually lead to a psychotic breakdown. Nevertheless, even breakdowns have the potential to lead to breakthroughs. As psychologist and amateur artist Rollo May explains: "I think it would be very important if we would value our breakdowns more, take interest in our so-called neurotic symbols. Our breakdowns are often the place where we discover our vocations as artists or other professionals" (162). Each time a difficult experience is overcome, a conflict is resolved, or a creative idea emerges from the painful process, some confidence is gained.

Through the ongoing individuation process, an individual can develop a relationship with the chaos of everyday life and the darker aspects of themselves. "The capacity to create—which we all have, though in varying degrees—is essentially the ability to find form in chaos, to create from where there is only formlessness" (May 137). True artists are not afraid to look into the depths of their soul and draw upon both the good and the bad for their creative inspiration. "The artist becomes a prophetic witness of the truth of the time and a messenger of the timeless. By touching our deepest center, a great art transmits the condition of the soul and awakens the healing power of the spirit" (Grey 19).

Like the artist, anyone with a consistent connection with collective unconscious possesses enormous healing potential for their community. Along with writing, music, and other forms of creative expression: "Art provides a mirror for its culture. [...] Any work of art or body of work that successfully runs the art cycle gauntlet has the potential to influence the worldview of many individuals, thereby subtly transforming the entire culture" (Grey 26). Rollo May even believes that: "Good art wounds as well as delights. It must, because our defenses against the truth are wound so tightly around us. But as art chips away at our defenses, it also opens us to the healing potentialities that transcend intellectual games and ego-preserving strategies" (172). Yet, why should someone without an artistic inclination or a desire to heal society be interested in using the individuation process?

Jung understood the enormous importance of helping people to connect to the unconscious, both for individuals and for society. Towards the end of his career in 1957, Jung wrote an essay entitled "The Undiscovered Self" that dealt with issues such as this. He stated that "For more than fifty years we have known, or could have known, that there is an unconscious counterbalance to consciousness. Medical psychology has furnished all the necessary empirical and experimental proofs of this" (389). Still, most of us chose to live life just as we did before we knew of its existence. But, the world has changed and we are all more than ever dependant on the psychic health if its inhabitants. "It should be worthy of all the attention we can give it, especially today, when everyone admits that the weal or woe of the future will be decided neither by the threat of wild animals, nor by natural catastrophes, nor by the danger of world-wide epidemics, but simply and solely by the psychic changes in man" (390). We, as a human race, now possess the ability to bring about our own destruction. We also have the expertise and technology to end such world problems as pollution, war, and famine.

Through the individuation process, Jung hoped that each of us who heeds the call might one day reach our full potential. He realized that if the individuals in our society could face up to their shadows and reconnect with their inner opposites, that we could all hopefully transcend our egotistic and destructive nature. This could open the way for a direct connection with the vast and humbling resources of the collective unconscious, a resource that has long been used by poets, painters, and performers, and is there for anyone who makes the commitment to becoming a true individual.

Works Cited

Franz, Marie-Louise von. Archetypal Dimensions of the Psyche. Boston: Shambhala, 1999.

Grey, Alex. The Mission of Art. Boston: Shambhala, 1998.

Jacobi, Jolande. The Way of Individuation. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. New York: Meridian, 1983.

Jaffé, Aniela. The Myth of Meaning: Jung and the Expansion of Consciousness. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. New York: Penguin, 1971.

Jung, C.G. The Essential Jung. Ed. A. Storr. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1983.

May, Rollo. My Quest for Beauty. Dallas: Saybrook, 1985.

Neumann, Eric. Art and the Creative Unconscious: Four Essays. Trans. Ralph Manheim. New York: Harper, 1959.