Structure of Psyche

The Ego

• The ego is the center of consciousness—your sense of identity and self.
• It organizes thoughts, memories, perceptions, and feelings that you’re aware of.
• However, in Jung’s view, the ego is just the “tip of the iceberg” of the psyche.

The Personal Unconscious

• Made up of forgotten, repressed, or ignored memories and experiences unique to the individual.
• Similar to Freud’s unconscious, but less focused on purely sexual or aggressive drives.
• Includes “complexes,” emotionally charged themes (e.g., mother complex, inferiority complex) that can influence behavior.

The Collective Unconscious

• Jung’s most original and controversial idea.
• A universal, inherited part of the psyche, shared by all humans.
• Contains archetypes—primordial images and patterns of experience that shape the human journey.
• Think of it as a psychological version of our species’ DNA—deep, symbolic, and ancient.