Jung’s Definition of Individuation
C. G. Jung defined individuation, the therapeutic goal of analytical psychology belonging to the second half of life, as the process by which a person becomes a psychological individual, a separate indivisible unity or whole, recognizing his innermost uniqueness, and he identified this process with becoming one’s own self or self-realization, which he distinguished from “ego-centeredness” and individualism. The self, the totality of personality and archetype of order, is superordinate to the ego, embracing consciousness and the unconscious; as the center and circumference of the whole psyche, the self is our life’s goal, the most complete expression of individuality (Jung 1916/1928, 1939a, 1944, 1947/1954, 1963). The aim of individuation, equated with the extension of consciousness and the development of personality, is to divest the self of its false wrappings of the persona, the mask the personality uses to confront the world, and the suggestive...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Bibliography
Aziz, R. (1990). C. G. Jung’s psychology of religion and synchronicity. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Forman, R. K. C. (2004). Grassroots spirituality. Exeter: Imprint Academic.
Hanegraaff, W. J. (1998). New age religion and western culture: Esotericism in the mirror of secular thought. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Hauke, C. (2000). Jung and the postmodern: The interpretation of realities. Hove: Brunner-Routledge.
Heelas, P. (1996). The new age movement: The celebration of the self and the sacralization of modernity. Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers.
Jung, C. G. (1906–1950). C. G. Jung Letters 1: 1906–1950 (G. Adler Ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973.
Jung, C. G. (1916/1928). The relations between the ego and the unconscious. In Two essays in analytical psychology, CW 7 (pp. 123–241). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1966.
Jung, C. G. (1921). Psychological types, CW 6. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971.
Jung, C. G. (1930–1934). Visions: Notes of the seminar given in 1930–1934 (C. Douglas Ed.). London: Routledge, 1998.
Jung, C. G. (1931/1962). Commentary on “The secret of the golden flower”. In Alchemical studies, CW 13 (pp. 1–56). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968.
Jung, C. G. (1934/1950). A study in the process of individuation. In The archetypes and the collective unconscious, CW 9i (pp. 290–354). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1959.
Jung, C. G. (1939a). Conscious, unconscious, and individuation. In The archetypes and the collective unconscious, CW 9i (pp. 275–289). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1959.
Jung, C. G. (1939b). Forward to Suzuki’s introduction to Zen Buddhism. In Psychology and religion: West and east, CW 11, (pp. 538–557). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1958.
Jung, C. G. (1941/1954). Transformation symbolism in the mass. In Psychology and religion: West and east, CW 11, (pp. 201–296). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1958.
Jung, C. G. (1942). Paracelsus as a spiritual phenomenon. In Alchemical studies, CW 13, (pp. 109–189). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968.
Jung, C. G. (1944). Psychology and alchemy, CW 12, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968.
Jung, C. G. (1947/1954). On the nature of the psyche. In The structure and dynamics of the psyche, CW 8 (pp. 159–234). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1969.
Jung, C. G. (1950). Concerning mandala symbolism. In The archetypes and the collective unconscious, CW 9i (pp. 355–384). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1959.
Jung, C. G. (1951). Aion: Researches into the phenomenology of the self, CW 9ii, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968.
Jung, C. G. (1951–1961). C. G. Jung letters 2: 1951–1961 (G. Adler Ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976.
Jung, C. G. (1952). Synchronicity: An acausal connecting principle. In The structure and dynamics of the psyche, CW 8 (pp. 417–519). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1969.
Jung, C. G. (1952/1954). Answer to Job. In Psychology and religion: West and east, CW 11 (pp. 355–470). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1958.
Jung, C. G. (1955–1956). Mysterium coniunctionis: An enquiry into the separation and synthesis of psychic opposites in alchemy, CW 14. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1970.
Jung, C. G. (1956–1957). Jung and religious belief. In The symbolic life, CW 18 (pp. 702–744). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976.
Jung, C. G. (1958). Flying saucers: A modern myth of things seen in the skies. In Civilization in transition, CW 10 (pp. 307–433). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1970.
Jung, C. G. (1963). Memories, dreams, reflections (A. Jaffe Ed.). London: Fontana Press/Harper Collins, 1995.
Main, R. (2004). The rupture of time: Synchronicity and Jung’s critique of modern western culture. Hove: Brunner-Routledge.
Mansfield, V. (1995). Synchronicity, science, and soul-making: understanding Jungian synchronicity through physics, Buddhism, and philosophy. Chicago: Open Court.
Rowland, S. (2006). Jung and Derrida: The numinous, deconstruction and myth. In A. Casement & D. Tacey (Eds.), The idea of the numinous: Contemporary Jungian and psychoanalytic perspectives (pp. 98–116). Hove: Routledge.
Tacey, D. (2001). Jung and the new age. Hove: Brunner-Routledge.
Tacey, D. (2004). The spirituality revolution: The emergence of contemporary spirituality. Hove: Brunner-Routledge.
Von Franz, M. L. (1975). C. G. Jung: His myth in our time. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Schlamm, L. (2014). Individuation. In: Leeming, D.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6086-2_329
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6086-2_329
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6085-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6086-2
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science