Human Development

Collective unconscious

Description:
According to R. Assagioli, there is a psychological environment composed of the influence from all selves. Selective elements from this general environment interact with the individual unconsciousness. These elements may be passive memories of a collective or racial nature, or active influences emanating from the whole of which selves are a part and which act on a through the higher self and the higher unconscious. They can be compared with E Durkheim's "conscience collective", the link between one generation and another, the shared values and sentiments.