Definition of collective unconscious in US English:
collective unconscious
nounkəˈlektiv ˌənˈkänSHəskəˈlɛktɪv ˌənˈkɑnʃəs
(in Jungian psychology) the part of the unconscious mind which is derived from ancestral memory and experience and is common to all humankind, as distinct from the individual's unconscious.
Example sentencesExamples
- Maybe there is a Jungian association in the collective unconscious of film-makers between the image of predatory female insects and domineering mothers.
- Surrealist artists hope to bring the visions and symbols of the unconscious mind, including the collective unconscious, to light through paintings, sculpture and photography so that they might be interpreted.
- Carl Jung wrote of the psyche as that aspect of each of us which incorporates the conscious, the unconscious and also the collective unconscious - that realm beyond our individual self, the realm of the archetypal.
- Revered all over the world, these stars have left an indelible mark on the human psyche and upon our collective unconscious where they continue to intrigue humanity.
- In addition to believing in a number of occult and paranormal notions, Jung contributed two new ones: synchronicity and the collective unconscious.