Jung: A Man and His Symbols

Carl Gustav Jung, born in 1875, had a complex upbringing with a mother who suffered a nervous breakdown when he was three. He developed a fascination with the unconscious and symbolism from a young age. Jung's divergence from Freud's theories led to a significant split between the two influential figures in psychology. Jung's concept of the collective unconscious and individuation set him apart from Freud's emphasis on sexuality. Despite personal struggles, including marital issues and a period verging on psychosis during World War I, Jung's experiences with the unconscious shaped his groundbreaking work. His encounters with symbolic figures like Philemon and Salome during this tumultuous time influenced his later theories. Jung's journey to understand the depths of the human psyche led to his development of analytical psychology and his exploration of archetypes and the process of individuation.