Depth Psychology

Depth psychology is the analysis of the unconscious. Though many of us today would like to ignore the fact that we have an unconscious, it is undoubtedly true that we do and that it can communicate its desires with us. In terms of dreams, the relationship between the unconscious and us understanding what the unconscious is conveying to us is of the utmost importance. In better understand the systems that the unconscious communicates with us (symbolic messages), we can understand not only our dreams but also work towards building a better relationship with “ourselves.”

Lucid dreaming is generally hyper-focused on controlling the dream experience which in terms of depth psychology is impossible. Lucid dreaming in the perspective of control, is rather the illusion of the control of the dream as the ego or the sense of self is produced by the unconscious. Understanding the hierarchies of human consciousness allows for an individual to get past the desires of “control” and rather allows them to take the position of listening and understanding which furthers their personal growth. This relationship is geared towards the process of individuation. 

The term “depth psychology” was coined at the turn of the twentieth century by Eugen Bleuler, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Zürich and director (1898-1927) of the Burghölzli Asylum in Zürich, where C. G. Jung began his career as a psychiatrist. It has become used by Freudians and Jungians to indicate those psychologies that orient themselves around the idea of the “unconscious.” – Pacifica Graduate Institut

Understanding the foundations of who we are and what it means to be a complete person has been a long time journey for many of us. As we have read more about Carl Jung’s work many of us have become fascinated with his ability to connect many aspects of our ancient past to a psychology that works for the “modern man.” Though we have explored many of philosophies that have originated from all over the world, and though we can understand many concepts or ideas from those philosophies and psychologies, it is important for us to have our own culture and symbols that relate to the experience of what we are experiencing right now. Jung and his work in depth psychology may provided that option as well as a way to use lucid dreaming in a new light.