Archetypal perspective in the analytical psychology of Jung and its relevance for the practice of education

Abstract

The collective unconscious finds expression in our minds in several ways, but among these, archetypes are the most central to Jung’s theory. According to Jung, inherited images in the collective unconscious that shape our perceptions of the external world are Archetype. The teacher who understands the student-teacher archetype, and who is most in touch with the archetypal nature of not only his profession but his very psyche, is also bound to be an influential teacher. Their relationship is an archetypal event-just as “bride,” “groom,” and “marriage” are an archetypal situation; or just as “doctor,” “patient,” and “healing”; or “parent,” “child,” and “family” are. By taking the best of the conservative and liberal views of culture, teachers can help students grow into adults who, attaining the maximum degree of integration in them, can promote integration in their families, communities, and cultures.