B) Religious belief as a product of the human mind

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Collective unconscious

  • Jung identified our collective unconscious as elements of the unconscious that are shared with all other people
  • "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate"
  • For Jung, the psyche consisted of the ego (consciousness), the personal unconscious (forgotten/ repressed memories) and the collective unconscious
  • Jung said the collective unconscious consists of primordial images that are predispositions to act like our ancestors in response to the world (i.e. our survival instincts)
  • These themes have resemblance to mythical and religious ideas and Jung referred to them as archetypes

Archetypes

  • Archetypes are unlearned and function to organise how we experience certain things, often evoking deep emotions
  • Symbols and images are often very similar because they have emerged from archetypes shared by the whole human race
  • Religious stories, symbolism, rituals, dreams and daydreams are all ways to identify archetypes
  • A number of archetypes frequently occue which meant Jung was able to identify regular patterns of meanings
  • The 4 key archetypes are:
  • 1. The persona- the mask we wear to make a particular impression on others
  • 2. The shadow- the suppressed, unconscious part of our personality (often symbolised as original sin)
  • 3. The anima/ animus- inner attitudes that take on the characteristics…

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