Carl Jung & Bibliotherapy
Voicenotes from Me, Your Resident Bibliotherapist. Podcast +Transcript
PODCAST
Listen to the podcast episode here.
TRANSCRIPT
Hi everyone! Welcome back to Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah
where we explore the transformative power of books and the profound ideas that shape our inner and outer worlds. I’m your host Bijal Shah, and I am excited to begin Season 2 with a very noteworthy subject! In today’s episode, we’re delving into the fascinating realm of Carl Jung, bibliotherapy, and some fiction inspired by Jungian thought. So, grab your tea, your favourite blanket, and let’s dive in!
So, Who Was Carl Jung?
Let’s start with Carl Gustav Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who lived from 1875 to 1961. Jung was a pioneer in the field of psychology, famous for his concepts like the collective unconscious, archetypes, synchronicity, and individuation. While he started as a close associate of Sigmund Freud, the two eventually parted ways due to their differing ideas, with Jung’s work leaning more toward the spiritual and symbolic aspects of the psyche.
Jung believed that our psyche consists of layers: the ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is especially intriguing—it’s a kind of inherited psychic blueprint shared by all humanity, populated with archetypes like the Hero, the Shadow, the Anima/Animus, and the Wise Old Man. These universal patterns appear not just in our dreams but also in myths, religions, and art across cultures.