ABSTRACT

The racial complex functioning mostly as a psychological complex has accompanying attributes that are derived from elements closely related to it. Since each psychological complex has an archetypal core, the author proposes that the archetypal core of the racial complex is the shadow. The features of the shadow archetype include denial, hiding personality traits, protection of the ego and its weaknesses, ego defenses and an assortment of conscious and unconscious behaviors and considerations in support of ego protection. The racial complex with an archetypal core of shadow tends to appear within a negative aspect on the spectrum of the range of a complex. Most often exhibited are the racist actions or some form of racism that is a part of the racial complex. Acts of racism are reinforced via intergenerational cultural patterns and show themselves in individuals and the society. Institutional racism, micro-aggressions, hate crimes are all aspects of the workings of a negative racial cultural complex. The intersectionality between archetype, shadow and complex cannot be separated as they are formed and joined on an unconscious level from before and during childhood. We see the results of their interaction in the verbal and physical behaviors that are observable as Jung did in his first experiments with the Word Association Experiment.