The basic writings of C.G. Jung

 

Not an easy reading. Reading for 50 min can just seriously tire my brain. 

Edited by Violet Staub De Laszlo. 1993 Modern Library Edition. ISBN 067960071X.

 

Here is a summary of 2nd chapter "On the Nature of the Psyche".

 

3 levels of psyche

---------------------------------------------------------

archetype, whose nature is spirit.  also psychoid

--------------------------------------------------------

conscious: the interaction/conflict of will with instinct

unconscious:
  two categories:
  1. was conscious or would become conscious later, but now unconscious because forgotten or repressed

  2. something that has never been comprehensible by conscious, therefore would never become conscious. i.e. archtetypes themselves

  include:

  -- personal unconscious

  -- collected unconcious (from instinct and archetype respectively)

  -- have characteristics of instinct (e.g. autonomy, compulsion), and conscious (e.g. choice), and spirit
-------------------------------------------------------------------

instinct: psychoid.
-> physiology of the organism

-> merged with chemical and physical conditions

-> matters

-------------------------------------------------------------------

P105, top:
"Psychologically, however, the archetype as an image of instinct is a spiritual goal toward which the whole nature of man strives"

P105 bottom:

"The archetypal representations (images and ideas) mediated to us by the unconscious should not be confused with the archetype as such. They are very varied structures which all point back to one essentially "representable" basic form. The latter is characterized by certain formal elements and by certain fundamental meanings, although these can be grasped only approximately".