The intersection between religiosity and psyche in the work of Carl Gustav Jung
na analysis of the concepts of symbol, collective unconscious, and archetype
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25247/P1982-999X.2026.v26n1.p56-77Keywords:
Analytical Psychology, numinous, religious experience, unconscious, psycheAbstract
This paper examines the intersection between religiosity and the psyche in the work of Carl Gustav Jung, focusing on the concepts of symbol, collective unconscious, and archetype. Based on the Jungian definition of religion as an experience of the ‘numinous’, we analyze how these notions underpin the understanding of religiosity as an expression of universal psychic structures. The study contextualizes the development of Jung's thought, addresses recurring criticisms – such as accusations of mysticism or being unscientific – and explores the relationship between the collective unconscious and dream analysis. We argue that Jung offers an integrative perspective in which religiosity emerges as a profound manifestation of the psyche, mediated by symbols and archetypes, thereby transcending the limitations of the materialist reductionism of his time.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Gustavo Henrique de Feitas Coelho, Leonardo Ferreira Almada
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