Spirituality Studies 11-1 Spring 2025 53 Ivana Ryška Vajdová significance exceeds their concrete representation, pointing instead to the transcendent aspect of psychic reality. Symbols do not have a purely conscious or purely unconscious origin; rather, they emerge from the interaction between the two. Jung empirically observes that under specific constellations of visual elements, a symbol acquires psychological efficacy. This leads him to characterize symbols as “living things” or “entities pregnant with meaning”. The symbol is where the threads of Jung’s psychological reflections converge. On one hand, it is linked to the unconscious as a Kantian hypothetical, empty notion accessible only through abstract thought constructs. On the other hand, Jung explores its highly concrete manifestations in the behavior of hysterical and schizophrenic patients, the variability of artistic expression, and the richness of human culture. Symbols form a fundamental part of The Red Book, which Jung spent the rest of his life interpreting retrospectively. Through this work, he attempted to define individual psychic phenomena. It was through symbols that Jung arrived at his comparative studies of cultures, as he saw in their analysis not only a key to understanding the dynamics of the psyche but also the limits of expressibility when it comes to psychic content. A symbol can be understood as an expression of the world’s complexity, to which the psyche relates through far more faculties than those offered by reason alone. In Jung’s view, consciousness is not based solely on rational processes; it also includes intuition, feeling, and perceptual mechanisms which enable a deeper connection with the unconscious. Symbols do not emerge as random constructions, but instead as natural expressions of archetypal structures which organize psychic reality. A symbol can be seen as a sketch of the future – it is not merely a sign of the present state but rather offers a possibility. One might say that, according to Jung, a symbol is reality in its embryonic form – much like a chicken contained within an egg cannot become itself in any way other than through the egg, yet its future form is unpredictable when looking at the egg alone: “Every psychological manifestation is a symbol, provided we assume that it signifies or conveys something beyond itself – something that surpasses our current knowledge” (Jung CW6 1921, 655). Jung’s concept of the symbol is fundamentally different from the traditional semiotic understanding of sign as arbitrary and subject to conventional rules. In the Jungian sense, a symbol is a living reality, one that retains its multilayered nature and enables the transformation of psychic life. A symbol not only expresses unconscious contents but also functions as an integrative mechanism for the psyche. In the process of individuation, which Jung sees as central to psychological development, symbols serve as bridges between consciousness and the unconscious, facilitating the attainment of inner balance. As such, Jungian psychology understands the symbol not merely as a phenomenon but primarily as a catalyst for transformation in psychic life – allowing one to transcend the present state toward the future through synthesis. A symbol motivates this transformation by carrying “deeper meaning”, whether understood as a vastness beyond what consciousness can fully grasp, or a promise of a future state that cannot yet be conceived within the current structure of consciousness. In both cases, the symbol functions as a reference, not a description. The hidden meaning of the given symbol exerts pressure on the individual and stimulates psychological development. However, this pressure is not intended to be blindly followed – unlike biological needs, which drive behavior in a clear direction, a symbol’s meaning must be deciphered through active and conscious engagement. Jung demonstrates that building a stable and healthy psyche requires one to actively engage with ongoing inner processes, regulating autonomous tendencies even at the most profound levels. From Jung’s description of the ego, which stumbles between opposites as psychic energy accumulates – eventually forcing its way back into the unconscious – it becomes evident that this is by no means a comfortable process. The autonomy of the individual and their claim to meaning are among the aspects that make Jungian psychology difficult to digest for functionally oriented psychiatry and psychology. However, Jung presents compelling arguments for why we should not shy away from philosophizing in relation to the psychological life of the individual. The fruitfulness and relevance of this approach can be demonstrated directly through the way Jung incorporated Immanuel Kant into his psychological theories.
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