Anima and animus

The anima and animus are psychological archetypes developed by psychiatrist Carl Jung in which men and women unconsciously perceive qualities of the opposite gender in themselves. The anima is the image of the female archetype found in the male mind, while the animus is the male archetype in the female mind. Jung believed that the anima represented a man’s true feminine side and the animus a woman’s true male side. These archetypes were based on representations of the ideal man or woman found in the unconscious mind. Jung believed that the images were formed by a person’s relationship with their father or mother, family, and culture. According to Jung, these opposite elements are common in all humans and stem from the collective unconscious, a type of ancestral memory passed down through the generations.

Background

Swiss-born psychiatrist Carl Jung was one of the most influential forces in establishing psychology as a science in the early twentieth century. To Jung, the psyche represented the entirety of the human mind—the conscious and unconscious elements that come together to make us who we are. Jung believed that the psyche was divided into three parts: ego, personal unconscious, and collective unconscious. The ego is the central pillar of the conscious mind, representing the awareness of the world around us, personal identity, thoughts, feelings, and conscious memories. The personal unconscious refers to the thoughts and memories that a person has experienced but does not recall or has repressed.

The collective unconscious is a type of genetic memory that developed from shared experiences and knowledge common to the human species. Jung believed that the collective unconscious was passed down to all humans as part of the evolutionary process. This part of the psyche contains the archetypes, universal images of people, behavior, or patterns that humans instinctually recognize. Examples of these archetypes—such as the mother figure, the wise old man, and the hero—can be found throughout history, from ancient myths to modern film and television.

Overview

Jung believed that the collective unconscious contained a multitude of archetypes, but four main ones stood out above the rest. The first of those is the persona, which is the public face or the “mask” we wear to present ourselves to the world. The persona is the view of ourselves as we want others to see us. Jung believed this archetype is the mind’s attempt to conform to socially acceptable standards and bottle up the primitive impulses and emotions. The shadow is the archetype that represents the darker, instinctual elements of our psyche that we may not be aware of or wish to repress. Jung believed the shadow is more chaotic and purely emotional and the opposite of the more outwardly stable persona. The self is the archetype that attempts to unify the conscious and unconscious minds as a way for a person to achieve their maximum potential.

The fourth of Jung’s major archetypes is the anima/animus—words derived from the Latin term for “rational soul.” According to Jung, the anima is the unconscious female part of the conscious male psyche; the animus is the unconscious male part of the conscious female psyche. In both cases, they represent the true aspects of ourselves rather than the persona we reveal to the world. Jung believed that the anima and animus were the parts of the collective unconscious most easily accessible to the conscious mind.

According to Jung, the anima/animus is shaped by cultural influences, family heritage, and our experiences with our mother or father. He also believed that it draws from the ancient archetypes of Eros and Logos. Eros, which is Greek for “love,” is a female archetype associated with creativity, healthy relationships, and wholeness. Logos, Greek for “reason,” is a male archetype linked to logic, power, and action.

Through Eros, the anima embodies both positive and negative female qualities in a man’s psyche. This can entail empathy, sensitivity, the ability to form loving relationships, and a capacity to nurture. Through Logos, the animus can bring out a sense of assertiveness, courage, strength of character, and the drive to achieve in a woman. Jung believed that the four major archetypes are present in all people, although to varying degrees. If a person represses their anima/animus, Jung believed it could lead to an unhealthy psychological state with the anima expressing itself in men through moodiness, possessiveness, and hysteria, while the animus could result in aggression, ruthlessness, and an argumentative attitude in women.

Jung theorized that the mind can project the anima/animus onto the outside world. For example, a man may project the “ideal” image of his female anima onto a woman. This projection can make a person feel like they have an immediate connection with someone, even though they have just met. In this way, the anima creates the feeling of love at first sight. In a similar sense, projecting the anima/animus onto someone else can give someone the feeling that their romantic partner “completes” them as a person. Jung described this notion as the syzygy or the divine couple.

Jung also believed that the relationship with the anima/animus can be influenced by sex and gender roles within society. In some societies, gender roles are strictly defined through culture and tradition. For example, women may be expected to be homemakers and raise children, while men may be expected to hunt or work in the fields. Jung felt that these societies discouraged men and women from exploring their anima/animus and could harm their psychological development.

Although Jung was a foundational figure in psychology, his theories of archetypes and the collective unconscious have been criticized by modern researchers. Many see his ideas as a sort of pseudoscience that was influenced by mysticism. Others view his ideas as outdated, culturally biased, and overly stereotypical.

Despite these criticisms of Jung’s, many of his other ideas have endured. An example is his thoughts on the nature of human personality, and their two primary orientations as introverted or extroverted. Within these personality types, Jung identified four basic functions of thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting. Jung’s ideas form the basis of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a psychological assessment that remains in widespread use.

Bibliography

Bobroff, Gary. Knowledge in a Nutshell: Carl Jung: The Complete Guide to the Great Psychoanalyst, Including The Unconscious, Archetypes and the Self. Arcturus, 2020.

“Carl Jung: Archetypes and Analytical Psychology.” Psychologist World, 2021, www.psychologistworld.com/cognitive/carl-jung-analytical-psychology. Accessed 27 Apr. 2021.

Cherry, Kendra. “What Are the Jungian Archetypes?” Verywellmind, 5 May 2024, www.verywellmind.com/what-are-jungs-4-major-archetypes-2795439. Accessed 21 May 2024.

Cleantis, Tracey. “Jung for Dummies: Animus Planet.” Psychology Today, 30 Mar. 2011, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freudian-sip/201103/jung-dummies-animus-planet-0. Accessed 27 Apr. 2021.

Farah, Stephen. “The Archetypes of the Anima and Animus.” Centre of Applied Jungian Studies, 4 Feb. 2016, appliedjung.com/the-archetypes-of-the-anima-and-animus/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2021.

Mcleod, Saul. “Carl Jung’s Theory of Personality: Archetypes & Collective Unconscious.” SimplyPsychology, 24 Jan 2024, www.simplypsychology.org/carl-jung.html. Accessed 21 May 2024.

“The Jungian Model of the Psyche.” Journal Psyche, 2018, journalpsyche.org/jungian-model-psyche/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2021.

Relke, Joan. “The Archetypal Female in Mythology and Religion: The Anima and the Mother.” Europe’s Journal of Psychology, ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/389/html. Accessed 27 Apr. 2021.

Stead, Harry J. “4 Carl Jung Theories Explained: Persona, Shadow, Anima/Animus, the Self.” Medium, 2 Oct. 2019, medium.com/personal-growth/4-carl-jung-theories-explained-persona-shadow-anima-animus-the-self-4ab6df8f7971. Accessed 27 Apr. 2021.