Man and His Symbols

A symbol is an image understood to have a meaning beyond its face. Most symbols contain an array of meanings and are thus dependent on their context for interpretation. Furthermore, symbolic interpretation is unique to the individual perceiving the symbol. Symbols seem to speak both to and from the collective unconscious. Distinct from signs, a symbol communicates multiple and often hidden meanings. A symbol can also never be fully explained because it possesses an unconscious element that is intangible and undefinable. By this token, symbols are used to represent concepts which cannot be fully articulated. Symbols are produced in dreams, in art, and in most aspects of human existence.

Archetypes, or “primordial images” (55), are motifs which remain constant regardless of the symbol which represents them. Archetypes are universal and are, according to Jung, passed down through the collective unconscious from primitive times. These embedded motifs thus transcend time and space and are understood by all people. Archetypes evolve alongside the human psyche and are the result of human instincts manifesting as symbols to communicate messages to people. Archetypes appear in dreams, but also in art, science, and storytelling. Archetypes serve as a basis for dream analysis, with the stipulation that individual interpretation is tantamount to any universal meaning they may possess.