ABSTRACT
C.G. Jung (1875–1961) was a Swiss psychoanalyst and early follower of Freud. However, he felt that Freud overemphasized sexuality. Jung saw the unconscious in a more mystical sense, as containing universal energy forces which include religious and spiritual strivings. He called these archetypes and noted that appear in the artwork and mythologies of cultures around the world. He believed that if we pay attention to unconscious images, especially as they appear in dreams, they can direct us out of personal impasses.
Unlike Freud, Jung focused on the second half of life. His theory has been particularly useful in understanding the mid-life crisis. In their 40s and 50s, many people become inexplicably depressed, even those who are outwardly successful. They feel stagnant and empty. Jung suggested that is natural because they have typically developed only one side of their personalities-that which society expects of them. Men have become confident and assertive; women caring and loving. This one-sidedness is natural in the first half of life, but by middle age, the organism strives for the full and balanced development of its potential. Feelings of depression and emptiness signal that not all is well, that part of the personality needs fuller development.
